Let me see if I have this right—
- All things analog are on the rise.
- But AI is making roles redundant.
- And corporate layoffs are increasing.
- So people are starting solo businesses.
- But social media is still our gatekeeper?
This one eats at me. And I'm at a crossroads because of it.
Isobel and I were camping last night. Sitting next to a fire pit on a picnic table bench, we took turns drawing cards from the stack between us. Each had a prompt written on it designed to spark conversational topics that might otherwise get overlooked. One in particular has been stuck in my head: describe the others' social media use.
What came to mind worried me—not about Isobel's relationship with social media, but my own. After years of using social media regularly (primarily Instagram) I burned out on it. That was a few years ago, and it was then that I decided to leave it completely. I hadn't liked what it had done to me. I felt... addicted. And tethered.
So I quit.
When I felt the itch to start writing publicly again, I hesitated. I wanted a way to publish consistently and rediscover a voice that I'd felt atrophied into corporate crud... but I really liked the life I'd built, sans social media...
Which is actually how I landed on "newsletter" as my preferred format.
Here I am, still writing. And I'm looking to connect with other creatives through The MAP Year Project. Like, really connect, and move forward together on creative projects, side-hustles, or solo businesses—without the never-ending, social-media style pressure of falling behind.
It's coming together! With the landing page in place, I coded a subtle button on the blog homepage. The September 1 kickoff is almost here, so I'll be sharing more in the weekly newsletter.
onward.
-dmac