Pondering My Social Media

I have a Facebook personal account and a Twitter, Myspace, Pinterest and Instagram accounts.  I have a website , Etsy store, an author's page on Goodreads and this blog.  I sometimes wonder if I spread myself too thin but I guess that is really what our society has become.  I love technology, I love the internet more than anyone else in the world but I am lukewarm on the social media.

My Facebook really is three pages [accounts].  My personal one where I interact with family, friends, school mates and artists.  The issue I have with being on this account is that I really don't know most of the "friends" or acquaintances.  I can either post happy upbeat things and just float along or not post.  The world right now is very volatile in personal opinions.  I am one of very strong opinions about social issues but then if you put me on one of those Facebook scales that steal your soul, I would be center to left liberal.  I would guess more central because I can change my opinions with a good solid argument.  I believe in middle of the road kind of life.  I can understand most points of view and if they are unpleasant to my own sensibilities I will just move on.

My other two Facebook pages are for my writing [The Visitor] and for my turtles.  Yes, turtles do need their own page even though they sleep [hibernate] through seven out of twelve months.  I give both pages my attention but not like my personal page.  I realized the other day that my presence on Facebook is becoming less active but that is fine because I need to make sure I have a life away from my laptop.

Twitter is my political feelings only.  I don't have personal friends or crossover friends from Facebook to Twitter.  This is important because my posts on Twitter are unfiltered though frequently measured.  Like writing, Twitter is my cavern into my use of sailor talk.  So far, no one has blocked me but I am more like a nasty little bird that pecks at you then disappears before you can catch it.  Twitter allows me to scream without my family and friends calling for me to be put into a straight jacket.

Myspace used to be my favorite place when it welcomed writers and it is what helped me to start publishing my writing.  Now it is all music and I love music but I don't find anything that makes me go there often.  I tried different websites for writing but it was the comradery of Myspace that I missed the most.

Pinterest is the coolest social media because I can go around collecting the oddest things and finding them again when I need to.  I put my art work on there and then collect recipes, photographs of trains, doors...well you get the point.  Pinterest lets me unwind and just enjoy the internet.

Instagram is a fast and furious place where I usually just put my artwork and look at what others are doing artwise.  My presence is less because my time on the torch making glass art is less.  I started working with glass in 2003 as a hobby after a day of work.  I haven't been able to break that and still only work about five to seven hours a week on the torch.  I am not obsessive but more because I need constant change in my days.

Goodreads probably gets less attention from me.  It is a good site if you work it and I really honestly should work it but so far I haven't.  I love reading reviews by other people but whether you are a reader or writer, you know that your preferences or taste in literature is very unique to you.  It is the rare writer that can entertain a vast majority of readers.

This blog is me when I need to just unwind the many things that have bundled up during the day or week.  There's really no rhyme or reason to what I post.  It is attached to my author page on Amazon so if I put anything on Kindle for free you will see it here.  I don't know how many people click on Author Pages on Kindle but they should.  

My website, Barbarasvetlick.com, is a little bit of all the others except no politics at all.  It is my main "art" presence on the internet and the place I love the most.    I change it regularly putting up my recent work, talking about glass and listing upcoming shows.  It chronicles my growth in art over the years.

Surprisingly, I do almost all of my presence on the internet from my laptop and not from the tablet or my phone.  I love my laptop like I do chocolate.  And I really love chocolate.  Does social media enrich my life?  Not really.  I would be far better if I lived life instead of watching it on a screen.  Understanding these things and doing something about them doesn't mean anything will change.

barb