![[Valid RSS]](/valid-rss.png "Validate my RSS feed")
Image by pb, via Flickr
This post continues a discussion we started several months ago about online overload. Because it’s January and I’m thinking a lot about healthier living (don’t we always), I’ve also been thinking about my online activities in terms of their healthiness. And I’m realizing that there’s a lot of similarity between the diet we eat and the informational “diet” we read, watch and listen to online.
Frankly, I see so many of us simply gorging ourselves on internet. I do it, too. We’ve allowed our RSS readers to become overstuffed to the point that we zip right through all those posts, barely glancing at each one as we search out those we’ll quickly bookmark, star, or tag. We create these stockpiles of barely-read posts, saving them for “later.”
When Twitter and Facebook arrived, we discovered that with one mouse click, we could Like or Favorite any link or update. So we started building stockpiles of these, too. And then Pinterest showed up, and we started building boards – creating even more stockpiles.
Image by Carbon NYC, via Flickr
I worry that we’re evolving in a rather unhealthy direction with this gulping of online media. If we were doing it with the foods we eat, we’d be in for all kinds of health problems. Will we see similar impacts from overindulging in information?
And interestingly, I don’t think we’re even reading and absorbing all this information – we’re acting upon it. We’re using increasingly truncated tools to process, categorize, store and move on. Every single blog post, photograph, tweet, and Facebook update represents another human being’s effort (in some cases, many hours of it). But it’s hard to see that when you’re focused on grabbing and stashing.
Image by Robert Scott Photography.ca, va Flickr
What does all this saved stuff do to us?
If we stretch that food metaphor a little more, then don’t we look a bit like chipmunks packing our cheeks with seeds, storing up for some kind of informational winter? Many of us are sitting on massive information archives at this point – thousands of hours’ worth of reading and making. What will we ever do with all that information?
I have personally bookmarked, Liked, Favorited, retweeted, starred, tagged and pinned thousands of craft tutorials at this point. How many of them have I actually made? Probably fewer than ten. I’ve also saved hundreds of articles and pictures. How many have I even looked at a second time? Probably a similarly small number. And you know what? The mere presence of all those articles waiting to be read and projects waiting to be done acts a bit like a post-binge torpor – I get too overwhelmed to move and I stay on the couch.
Image by United Nations Photo, via Flickr
I think what we’re engaging in here is simply unconscious scarcity behavior. Think of it: your whole life, information, inspiration and project ideas were sequestered in newspapers, books and magazines, and to take advantage of them, you had to pay. Then the internet came along and suddenly you were awash in lovely free inspiration and instruction, and they were so easy to grab. So of course your instinct was to grab as much as possible – you’d never been able to do that before, and if it was free, why not?
The question, though, is how many saved tutorials are enough? How many pinned photos are enough? And what good are these stockpiles actually doing us in terms of creative development?
Image by Bob Franklin, via Flickr
What does a healthier online information diet actually look like?
So, faced with an impossible amount of information, what does it mean to consume it more sensibly?
From a crafty standpoint, it might mean spending less time gulping other people’s project ideas and more time actually making our own things. But it might also mean focusing our intake a bit more carefully. If I love crochet, for example, is it healthier for me to stuff myself with more crochet project ideas than I can possibly finish in a lifetime, or is it healthier to fill myself with my interest in 1920′s handbags, so I can bring those design ideas into my crochet, thereby creating something the world hasn’t yet seen?
Or, is it healthier to limit the number of crochet websites I subscribe to at any one time? Or to re-visit my archives of saved projects a few times a year, and weed out the ones I don’t really want to make anymore? I think everyone will have her own solution here.
…And I think a healthier information diet also looks like letting go of the “keeping up” myth. The internet is a firehose. Trying to see it all is like trying to eat my weight in M&M’s every day – pleasant enough in theory, but with huge potential for unpleasant results down the road.
I think it’s about consuming fewer informational “calories,” but also about making sure the ones you do consume are actually nourishing you in some meaningful way. This brings me to…
My attempt at a healthier online diet for 2012
With all that said, I’m embarking on a new monthly project for 2012. I’m going to try to figure out what it means to have a healthier online diet, and to take stock of what benefits I’ve gained (or lost) as a result. As a starting point, I’ll identify a handful of subjects each month that represent what I’m most interested in right now. (You can see January’s roster above. ) And then I’ll use that filter on my internet time. This means I’ll be worrying less about “keeping up” and instead, seeking out those information trails that seem to lead me to my interests. When I catch myself idly surfing, I’m going to gently stop myself and re-apply my filter.
I’m going to trust that the internet will deliver me the things I really need to see, without my needing to frantically stockpile. Instead of stockpiling, I’m going to read less, read what I do read more deeply, and synthesize the ideas I’ve taken away.
And I’d love to report back to you monthly, because the accountability of your presence was so helpful for me in last year’s supporting Free project.
Image by micagoto, via Flickr
I’m also thinking about “information health” in terms of what I share online this year. How many links to cool things from the internet, for example, do people really need on Twitter? How many blog posts are too many? At what point does online sharing stop being helpful and start becoming noise? I can’t begin to articulate my thoughts on this yet, but I hope to blog about it sometime this year.
For now, I’ll wrap up by saying that of course, part of the delight of the online landscape comes from stumbling over amazing things. Of course I’m going to need a little directionless wandering here and there – we all do. All work and no play and all that. But I’m curious to see how much I can grow my creative skills, my business skills and my thinking if I start letting go of those informational M&M’s more often.
What do you think? How healthy does your online information diet feel to you? What strategies have you tried to make it more nutritious?
I find that every three or four months I just end up feeling overloaded with online info and inspiration, so overloaded that it just stifles my own creativity and makes me doubt my own skills. Whenever I find myself feeling like that, I just unplug for week: no social networking, no Pinterest, no checking out other artist’s websites, etc. Instead a spend the week with my pencils and my sketchbook, relaxing and finding my path again. It’s always refreshing. Maybe I should work on just not letting myself get info overloaded, huh?
I love that practice, Stephanie! I should take more no-internet vacations. It’s really shocking how much of each day I’m connected, and ultimately, it isn’t at all necessary.
In a way, I think this is part of what attracts me to plastic canvas lately: there’s not so much to see online, so the inspiration gets to come mostly from my own head. :-)
I love this so much!
There are many times the internet offers a much-needed, fun release for me (Cute Overload and Boing Boing come to mind) but specifically related to crafting, I start feeling that firehose thing very quickly. In the last 6 months or so, I’ve had a strong yearning for more depth than breadth. The pendulum is shifting back, but it’s hard! The novelty habit is hard to kick. Having that constant stream of new! and Interesting! throughout the day (especially if you work on your own from home) is highly addictive. It will take great focus and strength to break it.
Your example of the filter is spot on. In the mom group I used to lead, we’d break things in to 90-day goals. We’d take a note card and on one side, we’d write down (and we had to be brutally honest) what were the top 3 things occupying our time and energy right now. For many of us – even 7 years ago – the Internet was in that top 3. Then we had to flip the card over and write down what top three goals we had for the next 90 days. And then we used that as a benchmark or guideline (I like your “filter” verbiage better, actually!) and anything we took on had to go toward – in some way – one of those goals. If it didn’t, it got set aside. We’d use it to keep check on ourselves. I used this process for one of our moves and it was remarkable how much “time” I had all of a sudden. When I clearly stated goals/desires and then didn’t let myself get sidetracked, I accomplished everything on the 90-day goal list (we literally moved in to the new house 89 days after I set the goal to move).
To apply this to our creative goals is so key! This is such a great reminder. Love it – love you!
I love this goal-setting process, Rachel! I’m all about small, time-based changes these days. Maybe it’s the attention-span-eroding influence of the internet, but I find that I can’t stick to big, permanent change plans anymore. With a finite time-span, it’s much easier.
…And time-creation feels so important these days. I love how you felt your available time expanding when you set attention priorities. I started recording how I spend my time during my workdays a few months ago, and this is what first woke me up to this “health” idea. A surprising amount of time evaporates in the act of consuming internet. POOF!
I just can’t give up the serendipity of idle surfing altogether, but I do try to limit it to one day a week. I limit the time I spend online, and often sit down at the computer with a plan – crafts or home decor only today, no news (makes me cranky) some days. I can’t get around to all my favorites every week anymore, but it leaves me more time for actual life!
That’s a nice idea, limiting the subject matter. I so often find that one link leads me to another and another, and I end up straying all over the map. I’ve been thinking about establishing some designated “free surf times” as well – and eliminating them from workdays (where they disguise themselves as “research time” or “a five-minute break”). Sunday mornings spent wandering online could be delightful.
I’ve been thinking about Information Overload too a lot lately. If there isn’t already an app that sends out a warning beep after the 10th article about SEO you’ve read that day, there should be.
But so much material about having a blog/internet business is focused on creating content. About being helpful to your twitter followers by sharing content and links. If we create less are we limiting our audience and earning potential, and are we creating less revenue or potential revenue for our peers if we read less?
And I’ve just had a little flashback to when I would help my grandmother clean out her house. She always had tons and tons of newspaper clippings saved, and like 5 bajillion readers digest magazines she was keeping for “reference” purposes, which she’d read, someday…
Man, am I ever wrestling with these questions as well, Thea! Part of what I love most about being online IS sharing, but I feel like the landscape of sharing evolves so quickly.
I’ll give you an example from Twitter. A few years ago when I started using the tool, it was considered a novel thing to share links to great craft projects from around the web. I used to spend time each morning finding 4-5 good links to share that day.
Now, most of the big aggregator blogs feed their links into Twitter all day, every day. Many of the people I follow on Twitter have taken to auto-tweeting links from their own blog archives. And many more of my Twitter buddies are constantly sharing links they’ve found elsewhere.
So, to me, the value of links in my Twitter stream has plummeted – I cannot possibly click and pay attention to everything! Unless the tweeter can give me a good understanding of why I’d want to spend the time to click over and look at whatever they’re sharing, I find myself ignoring links. And I begin to wonder what feels valuable on Twitter now instead.
I still think that the content we create operates like a “living resume” for our businesses. It demonstrates what we know and what we’re good at, and this information is useful to a whole range of people who might buy from us or hire us. But if every one of these people is also operating from a clogged radar, then what should I be sharing that reads as valuable to them?
I feel like we’re in the midst of a big evolution in the answer to that question, but I can’t really see what it all looks like yet.
I’d imaging when 3-D printing gets bigger we’re going to see an even larger amount of people becoming entrepreneurs.
I’m finding myself following more and more aggregators and people who tweet about small business or tweet interesting links to geeky crafts, and I mainly just look at business blogs and blogs from my friends now…
It seems like before there was a “twitter tribe” and now it’s gotten so busy that we’re developing new tribes.
Totally agree – and all this evolution is happening so fast, it’s crazy!
Very good points all around. When I look back at things I’ve “pinned” the past, some still resonate with me and others don’t. I haven’t cleaned my pinboards yet, but I’m thinking about it. Maybe if they get distilled to the point where they are all things that have continued to catch my eye over time they’ll be even more useful…
I’m a crafter who almost never makes something without altering the pattern, so the visuals from craft blogs are wonderful to get my mind thinking about what I’d do to adapt a project. Also, I guess I’m a quilter (I’ve made lots and lots of pretty simple baby quilts, but that’s almost all of my crafty output). I’d definitely call myself a beginner, so I do seek out blogs of experienced quilters, rather than looking for other inspiration to bring to my quilts (though I’m sure it would work either way… lots to think on!).
Finally, just to make everyone who reads this laugh, a few years ago when I “discovered” the crafty blogosphere, I was very concerned that I wouldn’t be able to find instructions when I had the time to make things, so I started *printing* tutorials. Last week I threw away over 100 pages of printed tutorials while cleaning out my craft room. And just like with pinterest, some of them still caught my eye and others didn’t. But now, I do trust google to help me find what I need when I’m ready to work with it.
I love that image! :-) And I think a lot of us can relate.
You’re so right – we can totally trust Google (or whatever search engine you prefer) to deliver us what we need, when we need it.
I used to think I needed to save projects and pictures to use as future inspirations, but then I slowly realized that when I need inspiration, I pretty much always Google and search Flickr and Pinterest before I ever dive into my stockpiles of saved stuff.
If I hadn’t been reading an interior design blog, I never would have found the large scale, chunky crochet projects I now love. These types of projects have not been featured on Ravelry or other crochet bloggers I follow. Variety is important for me but I never have time to read all the blog posts I’d like to. It’s more of a priority for me to read the blogs of people with whom I have a connection to, even if the topics are outside my interest area. Your blogging class taught me the importance of that and how it makes the whole blogging experience very rewarding!
I’m so happy to hear that, Marti!
As my RSS reader has evolved over the years, I do find myself reading fewer craft-project-oriented sites and more sites that feed new ideas into my crafting – like your interior design blogs. Maybe there’s a point where a community has reached the limit of truly fresh ideas it can generate by looking at itself, and needs to reach outside for inspiration.
Since we are on the food metaphor… as I read through your post, I started thinking about why I dislike buffets. They make me eat much more than if I would have just ordered normally.
However, it all boils down to a bit of self-control in the end. Every once in a while, it IS nice to indulge on sushi at the seafood buffet. We certainly have to “treat” ourselves, otherwise what’s the point of it all?
Something that came to mind – when there’s a blog I love, no amount of posts is enough or too much. Fans always want more more more!
So it is probably up to the consumer to filter and choose what makes sense for their “diet” online…
I think sometimes we have to reset and start from zero…then slowly add on to really feel the weight of what we can consume with attention. I’ve been cleaning out my RSS feeds and have realized that when I “miss” things, I don’t really miss them at all – ignorance is bliss?
I so agree with that, Linda – I think if I could re-start my online life, knowing what I know now about limits and attention spans, I’d do it very differently. I’ve been thinking a lot about Google+ in this context, actually – it represents a “blank slate” where I could potentially start over, organizing my contacts in different ways that eliminate noise and foster conversation.
…The only problem so far is, I can’t seem to find any extra time to devote to that fresh start, because my current entanglements consume so many hours a day!
I’ve been thinking about my use of social media as well, lately, and how overwhelmed I felt. I’m getting a little tired of my Twitter & Facebook feed being overfed. I’m re-thinking my time as well and where and how I spend it. Twitter, particularly, was so amazing about 2 years ago, but now I feel like it’s a little too crowded for how it works. If I were working at their headquarters, I’d change the layout and way it works. I miss the “real” interaction.
I also want the content of my blog be more of “quality”. So less posts, more quality content. Which I think will also help the readers, at the same time. :)
Once again, a very thoughtful post, Diane. :) Will be taking about this, in 2012!
Hmmm… seems like there’s a lot of us re-thinking our social media practices in this new year.
I miss the early Twitter days, too! I feel like more and more, people are trying to broadcast rather than converse. (Bringing up Google+ again, there seems to be a lot of good discussion going on over there, but mostly in non-crafty circles.)
…And when I think about the quality of conversation online, I find myself wondering whether we’ve all shot ourselves in the conversational foot a bit, constantly speaking variations on: “Here’s a cool thing from the internet!” “Hey, that IS cool!” Isn’t there a whole lot more to say about art, craft, creativity and what they mean?
Then that brings us back to blogs, right? Makes them fresh again? The ability to go deep and not just wide?
This is what I think! A really good blog speaks to me deeply again and again. It has a value that an aggregator just can’t match. I know lots of people rely on the curation service that aggregators provide, but I’m gravitating more and more to a handful of authentic personal blogs.
I love that you are still talking about this topic. I’ve commented before on how I really insulate myself from most of the online social media things. And sometimes it feels like an absurd task (standing against a tidal wave) and it’s hard not to cave.
But I found early on that it was better for my creative process to limit the information I’m exposed to. I prefer my craft ideas to come from my thoughts and experiences rather than what’s seeped into my head from surfing too much.
I still love the community aspect of blogging and like finding new things but I’m really strict with myself about the blogs I read regularly. Don’t belong to facebook, twitter or pinterest. As soon as I saw pinterest I really, really wanted to join… but I just knew all the eye candy would suck up more time than I intended so I only look through other peoples pins once every few months or so… the same way might sit down once in a while and channel surf instead of watching a specific program.
I’d love it if you kept updating us on how you quest to get a healthier internet diet goes!
I’m so glad you brought this note into this discussion, Meg – because I really do admire the originality of your projects. Your blog stays in my RSS reader through many purges because I see things there I won’t see anyplace else. I think it’s awesome that you identified what would and would not feed your particular mode of working, and created a conducive space for yourself. I’m really feeling the need to do something similar.
Diane, Major fodder for contemplation. Thank you for consistently bringing forth unique ideas and material.
Your point about the scarcity mentality is quite good. We used to photocopy pages in the library, snail mail articles from magazines to friends, go to several book stores to find a particular book. I focus on blogs with source material, people with unique ideas and ways of sharing those ideas.
Think of the web like an awesome book store, you carry a book to the check-out and the cashier says, “Wow! That’s a cool book, here are 17 more that are super cool!” and hands you the stack. Imagine all of your links and likes and follows and delicious saves as physical paper, stacked all around you. Whew!
I like the idea of going deeper rather than wider.
Man – when I think of my stockpiles as paper, that’s pretty scary, actually! :-)
Tammy just gave a great visual to what I’ve been feeling, that all of the stacks of articles to read and the DIYs to try weigh heavy on me. I find that it gives me the constant nagging feeling of having forgotten something. I’ve been trying to pare things down and simplify, like you said, focus on what I’m really interested in. I do agree also that the random surfing can offer us the opportunity to find wonderful things we didn’t know existed before! So in moderation I think that’s a good thing.
Okay. Commenting now anyway before I forget….
My online diet feels very full to me, but when I read stuff like this I’m always shocked at how much more others are doing. I guess the gradual paring I’ve done over the last 2 yrs. has made a difference. I like it full. I crave variety. And unlike what I hear a lot of others say online, I’m an extrovert offline, so I like my full social media interactions almost constantly, too.
That said, over the past 2 yrs, I’ve pared down my blogs a lot. And I don’t follow any of the aggregate blogs. That many posts a day stress me out. And now, the really good stuff makes it’s way to Twitter/Pinterest anyway.
I don’t bookmark as much because I can just google it again or search Flickr/Pinterest if I really want to look for something.
I’m in the process of converting almost all of my bkmks onto Pinterest. It’s 10x faster and more pleasant to scan photos when I’m looking for something than hunting through the urls in bookmarks.
A lot days I will only sit down with my laptop before 8am and after 8pm. I’m still tweeting on my phone & doing Instagram pics when i need a mini-break or conversation, but I’m not getting sucked into blog reading or Pinterest when I should be working.
I think the fact that so many of us are feeling this at the same time is not only a product of the internet shifts, but the creative brain. We go through seasons of hunting, gathering, gorging, and enjoying and then seasons of using, making, parsing, constructing, doing, exercising it all out. We’ve all just had the biggest gorge-fest ever and many of us are more than ready, even needing to stop the feast and go do something. It truly is like food and exercise.
Oh, one more thing. I no longer feel badly about not doing all the cool projects. I finally realized that I never wanted to do them anyway, I just like seeing them worked out. I almost never follow a pattern or do a project because I want the thing – I do it to work something out. This is probably why I’m okay with so many pins.
More later. You sucked me in! ;)
Your seasons idea is lovely, Elizabeth! And I have to admit: I’ve stopped reading content aggregator blogs, too. Rather than sort through all their content for the relatively few things I’ll want to remember, I agree- the stuff I really needed seems to find its way to me, anyway.
I’ve been slowly getting rid of most of my bookmarks and relying on search. I do like Pinterest, but the attribution problems there do stick in my craw… though you and I have already agreed to disagree about this. :-)
Thanks for commenting in the midst of stomach flu! :-/
Did you see this bookmarklet for photo credits? It really works!
p.s. feeling much better!
Ah, I see – so it acts as a shortcut to Google Image Search. I tried an image, and funnily enough, the top search result was a reblog blog that hadn’t attributed the image. But it IS a step closer, and for many images, would get you to the source. Thanks for the link!
I really don’t have time to just surf and play online anymore, so my blog reading is deliberate. I have my favorites and if I can’t or don’t have time to read more, I’m okay with that.
A friend of mine started a pinterest challenge with the intention being we are all inspired by these recipes and pictures and tutorials. What are we doing with it. She’s doing it every Thursday, here is her page with info – http://bohemiantransplant.blogspot.com/p/pinterest-challenge.html
That’s a fun idea!
When I first started online and found blogs, I read voraciously, feverishly clicking through links, looking, searching, being amazed at what people were doing. This new world was addictive- a mad, happy, exciting drug that eventually started getting om nerves. So muc was the same thing, over and over. I started making ‘idea lists’, and really haven’t stopped, but Internet overload has drastically slowed down the clicking. The delete button became a friend and gleeful companion, although a percentage of sites and blogs did end up bookmarked. The realization had dawned that I was taking time away from myself and NOT doing what I loved to do- paint. Pure and simple. One word. I can now devote quality time to painting and not feel anxious that I’m missing something. I truly understand the problem.
Ah, weren’t those awesome days, though, Kat? I remember how giddy I was about blogs back in 2005. I miss that time, actually – but back then, there was so much less to keep up on, and we hadn’t started making all these “rules” for promoting ourselves, and Twitter and Facebook hadn’t turned on their firehoses yet. A simpler time. :-)
I’m completely guilty of this & I hate that. :-( Its funny how you try so hard not to fall for “social norm” in media (which, shouldn’t even be normal!) & yet we fall for it time after time as something we HAVE to be a part of. For me I always fall for it b/c I feel like its something I really might need to help further my online shop. I’ve been revamping some things in my shop & blog (I plan a “re-launch” next week) & I feel like if I don’t have twitter, blogger, Facebook, tumblr or Pinterest, etc. that it’ll make my business suffer. Sure they’re all great marketing techniques but at what cost? I see so many online businesses so effortlessly using these media outlets & frequently & I wonder how they keep it all together. I’m sure balance has a lot to do with it but to me, its gets to a point where its just so overwhelming & I retreat & do nothing. I desire to keep my listings & posts more consistent but its hard to do when you feel like you’re trying to “shout” over so many others, its so easy to feel defeated. Maybe the solution is to back off of all the media “fillers” & stick to what will nourish *where I am* & stick with that. Thanks for this inspiration! :-) Its a good wake up call to everyone.
Nadir, never feel like you have to use all the tools out there to have a successful business. That’s a myth! Pick what you enjoy using, and focus on where your actual customers are, and that takes care of it. I don’t think anyone can really maintain strong presences on all the available social media channels unless they a) have help, or b) have no other duties to focus on. And neither is true for most small business owners. Good luck with your re-launch!
Thank you! I know I need to carve my own way. I guess right now its a little difficult to know which direction to go since my following isn’t that big but hopefully that will all be changing soon. :-) Take care!
I think this is an important conversation, and one that hits home for me as I reflect on 2011. For four months, I had a lodger living in my studio, so I didn’t have that creative space. Other than my knitting and spinning projects, I just shelved all my creative work.
Looking back, I think, WHAT? HOW CRAZY IS THAT? I could have grabbed one of my drawing books and been working on doodles in a notebook at my kitchen table. I could have cleared off the desk in my office and tried small paintings up there. I could have invited my roommate to make books with me at the kitchen table.
So, what filled up that crafty void (other than knitting and spinning)? Pinterest. Twitter. E-newsletters. All sorts of things that made me feel like I was still being part of the crafty loop while, in reality, not making anything at all in my chosen media.
I realized I needed a purge and to get back on track. I started by unsubscribing from almost all the newsletters I was receiving, especially if they were trying to sell me stuff instead of tell me stuff. I deleted 95% of the blogs from my RSS feed. I cut the tabs in my “Morning Coffee” down by 50%.
So far, it’s working. I’m still pretty heavily invested in Twitter, but I cull anyone who just sends out links, especially if it’s just to their shop or promoting their blog. I want to make more, share more, and have more conversations and that doesn’t fuel those goals. On the flip side, I am relying on Twitter for catching things of interest in the blogs I’ve forsaken in my RSS reader.
Also, because this comment wasn’t long enough already, I’m really interested in your idea, Diane, of identifying what’s most interesting to me right now and making that a focus in my reader/searches/etc. I think that’s a good way of managing information overload by thinking through what you’re exactly looking to gain/learn versus just being on the lookout because there’s so much cool stuff out there and OMG you might miss it.
Wow, good for you, Angelique – that’s a healthy purge!
Interestingly, I’ve been using Twitter to help me catch blog posts I’ve missed by culling my RSS reader, too. It used to be great for that, but things have gotten pretty noisy lately. I’ve been slowly changing up the lists of people I pay attention to, and becoming a bit more ruthless about folks who’ve grown too promotion-y. I hate moving people I consider friends off my radar, but at some point, it’s a choice between keeping tabs on them or being more fully present in my own brain. Something’s gotta give.
The filter thing, so far, is proving useful. (After a whole day and half, but still!) At the very least, it’s helped me catch myself mindless-surfing several times, and helped me realize that what I was giving attention to wasn’t really useful after all. I’m looking forward to seeing what full month brings.
Hi there, I must say, your timing is perfect!
In a couple of months I’ll start my own crafty business and I’ve been wondering how to throw myself online. Do I have to? Yes probably, but what I see there is so supersonic. Looks like everybody spends hours a day on searching and being seen. It’s really overwhelming. I was starting to think I would never fit in.
You just made me realize that I don’t have to. I’ll create my road exactly as I create my stuff. It pops up, inspired by what I meet along the way, but it’s my stuff, my way. I’ll share and show, of course but all the good intended feedback about how to ‘web dance’ makes me crazy.
Your blog is very inspiring. Less posts will not change its quality. I’ll probably just read them better.
Good luck with your diet!
Thank you, Chris! This question of how much, if any, social media is right for your small crafty business is an important one these days – I plan to write and talk more about it this year. Because you’re right – what’s going on online may not all be solid marketing after all, and ultimately, it comes down to you and your own preferences for communicating with your audience. Your thinking is in an excellent place as you embark. Good luck!
Dear Diane, I must say you write so well and with so much sense, it’s a real pleasure. I won’t add to the discussion, what I think has mostly been said, but this week-end I’ll sit down, make myself a Flattr account and Flattr this! Thank you!!
Thank you, Mary! I love seeing people get starting with Flattr!
[...] * how healthy is your online information diet? [...]
I love the comments and original post. So true, and so much to digest. These are such new problems with the Internet. I’ve been using Evernote quite a bit and trying to see if this is a good solution. I can file away as much as I like, and then it’s searchable. I have a few tags to sort things so I can browse, and then I type a few words to explain why I saved it. I’ve found with email, that a few general folders and search tool work magic. I’m hoping the same thing will happen with blog posts and other inspiration.
I’m fining that I’m using the information I collect much more than before. When I’m stuck for an idea, I browse through my ideas folder, and I make it!
I love your post, Diane, as well as the many interesting and thoughtful comments!
I’ve had information overload on my mind a lot too, and I’ve been thinking that it’s funny that it wasn’t all that long ago that it was amazing to be browsing the web, now it’s amazing if someone goes on a social media fast, for even as little time as a week! How quickly, and uncritically, we’ve accepted the online revolution!
Lots of good points have been made, about hoarding, keeping up, group pressure to participate on the social media scene and the tendency to react rather than contemplate and create. The comparisons made with the offline world are illuminating! I also agree with the sentiment that it can be more productive for one’s craft to seek inspiration offline as well as in other areas than one’s own. I’m a great believer in cross-pollination!
I think it’s true that we’ve seen the focus move from creating and publishing, to liking and curating. The more media we want to consume, the shorter time can we spend on each piece of information, which leads us from books, to blogs, to twits. “Everyone” wants to write a book, but does anyone take the time to read much books today? A depressing thought… However, I feel that this article as well as the many thoughtful comments indicate that there is indeed a longing for more depth, less noise and busyness. It’s empowering to hear that one is not alone!
Another aspect of the question of social media and time, is that it can fill other emotional needs. It can be fun. It can feel like connecting. It can be about friendship. Or exploration and learning and validation. And it’s really hard to know, as a small business owner, when one is networking, connecting, promoting, and when one is goofing off for an hour just having fun. And this, I believe, is another reason why we sometimes spend more time on it than we really would like to, if we took a step back.
Finally, you might be interested to hear that there is something called the Slow Media Movement. It’s part of the Slow Movement, mostly known for the Food division that promotes locally grown, seasonal ingredients and taking the time to savor cooking and meals.
Again, MANY thanks for your thought provoking article!
Wowee, Kate! How did I not know about the Slow Media movement?! Thanks for that pointer – I found the blog and it’s awesome: http://slowmedia.typepad.com/slow-media/
I agree – there are emotional needs being met via social media, at least for me. In applying my filter to my social media time over the last couple weeks, I’ve really seen and felt how much it’s the interaction, not the links, that adds value to my online experience. If I left Twitter altogether, I’d miss the people I regularly hang out with there, but I wouldn’t miss any crucial information. But absolutely – the lines between friendship and marketing have become so very blurred on Twitter and Facebook, it’s hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Thanks so much for your comment!
Diane, as always, you hit the nail on the head! I, too, have been thinking about intake overload, especially as I desire to increase my own creative output. Finding ideas and information online definitely has it’s place, but there comes a point when the creative needs to step away from the absorption/learning stage and step into creating their own original works. Whether you’re a writer, artist, crafter, etc., too much intake can really inhibit you from coming up with your own original ideas. It seems that many of the online crafters I admire most spend very little time reading a lot of other blogs, follow fewer people on Facebook and Twitter, etc.
On the other hand, I think there is a fine balance when it comes to not being entirely self-focused in social media. I find when I’m only posting links to my own work, people seem less likely to respond. I do share more through those social sites, but like you, filter those shared items through my own values.
I haven’t ever taken a social media break before, as some of the other readers have shared, but I’m definitely considering doing so! Thanks for sharing such great food for thought!
Thank you, Amy – and thanks for the tweet! I almost see a parallel between what we share online and the “platform” a self-help practitioner (or, Miss America contestant) might adopt. I find that the people I listen to most are those who’s links are chosen around a particular train of thought or values, like you said. I like it when I have some idea of what I can expect from someone’s selections. And when a tweeter is blasting links out without any overarching theme, I find myself ignoring them more.
I am so glad you reminded me about this post yesterday!
I don’t believe (and the comments above bear me out) – that there is a person who has been active on the internet for a couple years or more who is not feeling like they are going to soon explode! It is too much. And it appears as if right now – most of us are at the point of trying to figure out how to have their cake and eat it too! Good luck!
As you know, I do have a huge number of folders in my bookmarks.
But they are purposeful in that they are carefully designed to support either my seasonal celebrations on my blog or my specific craft/art interests. And at least once a year I go through every folder and delete every single thing that is no longer useful or of interest.
Much of our online stash is most likely a result of something retailers love and depend upon – impulse buying! There is much we see on line that makes our eyes happy and excites our desire to make. But if it isn’t going to inspire your own art or craft, leave it!
I have almost finished “house cleaning” again, and it feels wonderful knowing every bookmark in my folders is useful and relevant to what I am doing. All those videos teaching me to cast on – finally no longer needed! Gone!
People keep suggesting a blog diet! This one is tougher for me. Still processing. But I do know one thing, I can’t continue like I am now – trying in vain to keep up with much more than is humanly possible but living in a constant state of hope that I might somehow transform into superwoman. I don’t even do Facebook or Twitter and I am overwhelmed.
I have noticed that some of my blog friends are beginning to actually use comments as a way of keeping in touch. I like that idea!
One thing I don’t do is surf aimlessly on the web. I don’t care how much “stuff” is out there I might be missing. For my own sanity I know I must stay focused on what is important to me. And besides, I have been very selective over the years in what goes into bookmarks and which blogs i follow so that my corner of the online world as I have built it is a rich treasury of inspiration and learning tools and friendship.
gah.. you’re so right. makes me think that i really should set aside a couple of hours to weed through the hundreds of sewing/knitting/art/general making stuff links that have been sitting in my favorites for years. i’m slowly learning to control my internet-grabby-hands.
Hey, there.
It’s the prodigal friend, here.
This is one of the best things I’ve read in months.
I have gotten fewer and fewer blog comments and written fewer and fewer. What I miss, along with the lucky blogger days, is the days when there were few enough of us wide-eyed enthusiasts (of which I am still very much one) that we could keep up with each other. As you know, I am rarely on Twitter any more (although I do love it), and I’ve cancelled my FB account months ago, and I think I’ve pinned four things on Pinterest (which is a fabulous place). But as a woman with a full-time job as well as having crafting and art to do, I just can’t afford the time it takes me to hyper-manage all of this. I am lucky to have good virtual friends such as yourself and can keep up with them as I continue to walk my personal artistic path, but to keep fishing fishing fishing through the countless things I TRULY LOVE on the artsy web, I would be burned out continually. That happened for a couple of years, solid, before I realized I am ONLY ONE WOMAN!
As a kid at heart, I tend to want to foster the idea that I can do everything and time is infinite. Neither of those things is true, alas.
Have I mentioned that you, Katin, and Pushkin, are among the handsomest mammals alive? I don’t know how you stand yourselves, really.
HAHAHAHA! I very nearly sit my tea all over my keyboard there!
You know what? I love thinking about you pursuing your creative dreams, and if that means I don’t see you on Twitter, that’s 100% fine! The early, simpler days of the blogosphere were wonderful and we’ll all look back fondly. But in this info-soaked landscape, I think we all have to look out for our creative selves and do what they need.
[...] Bright and Sister Diane’s posts on a healthy internet “diet” kicked me in the pants and I have been analyzing my [...]
[...] about trying to make her online diet healthier. Check out a few of her posts (here, here and here). I wholeheartedly support what she is trying to [...]
[...] shall return to some sort of real blogging soon. I’m reassessing my online diet a bit these days and rethinking how blogging will look for me. I have all these new “DAMMIT, [...]