A few years ago I read a book called Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport. I can’t remember where I was mentally during the time, but I probably felt that I needed to take a step back from being on social media. That break resulted in me being off of social media for nearly 2 years.
Having spent just over a year being digitally active with the 26 Miles and Running project, I felt that I needed to read the book again and do a detox.
I warned folks on Instagram that the last time I read this book I disappeared. And although I didn’t disappear straight away, it set up the motion for me doing so.
The first thing I did was remove my Instagram app and the Spotify Artists app (I check it way too frequently), I disabled Chrome and I also removed WhatsApp. As an alternative to having the applications on my phone I decided to access them on my desktop broswer.
To ensure that I’m not spending all of my time on the desktop, I use an application called Freedom, which allows you to block sites/applications. I downloaded it during my last detox.
Last time round, I not only disappeared from social media, I also ended up taking a step away from music. I won’t be doing that this time, instead, I’m using the time to prepare for the next musical marathon.
I have to be honest, it’s not easy for me to stop releasing music frequently, especially after all of the success that I had with 26 Miles and Running. I really had to work hard to convince myself that I did not need to be constantly active to maintain momentum. In fact, I’m still trying to convince myself.
I know it’s a risk, attention spans are short and just being away for a couple of weeks can start to push you to the back of people’s minds. That’s especially the case if you are an up and coming artist like myself, but it’s a risk that I’m willing to take.
So, if you were wondering why I haven’t been posting on social media, that is the reason. But trust me I’ll be back. You can be sure about that!