MY BEEF WITH SOCIAL MEDIA…

The headline already shows my strong opinion about social media. Buuuut it’s not that bad - am just a little reluctant. If you look at my LinkedIn you'll find the headline Photographer & Social Media Manager. Always have to laugh about that because I kind of despise Social Media whilst loving it. Here is why...

Let's paint a picture: it's 2008 your family computer takes hours to even start, always sounding like an airplane taking off. You have an hour or two to browse the web or spend time on ICQ, Schüler VZ, or Spiele Affe (my German MVPs know the drill haha). After that time you log off and do your thing. Draw, read, watch a DVD listen to a CD. The internet was the time to unwind and see something different.

It's 2012 you already have a smartphone with Facebook and Instagram but you get an iPod touch with a camera. You shoot little funny pics and upload them on the photo app with the most ridiculous filters. You get your inspiration from Tumblr, weheartit.com, and MAGAZINES. No daily stories or pressure to post to stay relevant. WHAT A TIME.

I mean I wouldn't want to go back to the trenches of being a teenager but sometimes I wish part of the internet would go back to its roots.

Like I mentioned before I am a Social Media Manager so it is my job to be online 24/7 to market a brand and to stay on top of trends for the brand to stay relevant. I love my job. But when I put my Social Media Hat down after work hours and when I want to go back to normal life and my creative life as a photographer I get annoyed. I feel like there is no pure photography platform anymore where you can actually enjoy and unwind. That's what I loved about the OG Insta. I know, I know, platforms also have to evolve and fight for members. And in a fast world of videos and short attention spans video does perform better so the platforms have to go with the flow. What can I say I really miss the slow-paced social media times. You used to actually look at posts and comment and interact way more often than you do now. That's not me saying "Back in the 1900s everything was better", not at all. Yet I firmly believe that the fast-paced Social Media world hurts creativity- hurts my creativity

You don't have the time to even take in what others create. Because you are bombarded with new content, every second from every side as soon as you open an app. How are you supposed to enjoy art when you can't even take it in? Or when you feel like there is no space for your art because you've seen someone create what you had in mind before you even had the chance to attempt creating.

That's why I started to collect magazines again, roam Pinterest (yes I know it's a social media platform), or websites that post fashion editorials or even go to galleries in person. There is no pressure to create, edit post, create, edit, post, create, edit, post. You can slowly take in the art and have time to curate what you like.
Creativity needs space and time to unfold. And I just think this pressure on creatives to keep creating for the sake of staying relevant is the biggest bullshit I have heard and experienced in a long time. Sure practice makes perfect, which I do agree with! Yet, I still think that you need to have and make time to sit with your creativity to get a good outcome and to know what you want to say with your work. Or what you want others to feel when they see your work.

So for any creative reading this: I highly recommend unplugging and going back to analogue mediums or slow-paced online mediums to recharge your creative juices.

If you already do this and have any recommendations: hit me up!