After much thought, soul-searching, and input from loyal readers, I’ve decided it’s time to do more than just think about leaving social media.
It’s time to act.
Before I do that, though, I want to answer the questions most likely to arise at this news.
Why are you leaving social media?
From my first Twitter account years ago, my primary goal has been promoting this blog. I followed the advice of bloggers and marketers who said I must be active on social media in order to direct traffic to this blog.
That goal has motivated every subsequent decision about the venues I’ve chosen, the ways I’ve used those media outlets, and how I’ve interacted with followers through social media, this blog, and my weekly newsletter.
And the response has been good in some ways.
The problem is that although a lot of people follow me or like me, very few actually make the leap to the blog. That means that the return on investment of time, creativity, and persistence has been very small.
Almost nothing, in fact.
Putting that time into blog posts or the weekly newsletter would provide more and better content to you as a reader for a couple of important reasons.
Content on the blog is easier for you to find, and much easier for me to update than content on social media.
You can read articles and posts here without worrying about disagreeable ads popping up or being told what you’re interested in.
I also have control over what I publish and how long it stays published. No banned posts. Nothing marked as spam by an unseen authority.
Besides, as a writer as well as an artist, I’ve just always been more comfortable blogging than trying work around the limitations of social media.
So it makes sense to stop doing what isn’t working so I can put more time and energy into what is working.
Which social media accounts are you closing?
I closed my Twitter account in August 2020.
My Pinterest account was also deactivated in 2020.
In early 2021, I closed my YouTube account, and on April 18, 2021, I deleted my Facebook account.
But I follow you on social media? What do I do now?
First of all, thank you if you’ve been following me anywhere. I do appreciate you!
The best option is to sign up for my free weekly newsletter. That way, you’ll get news about the latest posts, new products, and tips and tools to help you make the kind of colored pencil art you want to make.
How can I connect with you?
The best way to connect with me has always been by email through the contact page on this blog. I answer every email as quickly as possible and email correspondence comes directly to your inbox.
If you have questions or comments about specific posts, share them in the comment section for that post. I get notifications about new comments and respond to those too, usually within 24 hours or less.
And of course there’s the newsletter.
Closing Thoughts
My leaving social media doesn’t mean I’m no longer interested in connecting with you. There are alternatives to social media. At present, the most intriguing from my point of view is a member forum. There are ways to host a forum on this blog. For many of us, that may be the best current option.
Thank you again for your participation on social media if you have followed me on any of the venues mentioned above. I do appreciate you and your very kind support.
Please share your thoughts and comments below or contact me by email.
In the meantime, thank you for your very kind support and loyal readership.
Best wishes,
Carrie
Carrie.
I have been following you by my email subscription for few years by now and I love what you show but having a very mean old age pension I can not afford classes, it was my goal for this year but covid oblige it took a big bite of my resources, as soon as we get to normal I will save again and reach for one of your class. I am so glad that you still send email letters. I do not do social media even with family, I find social media not safe for one’s mental,it seems to take so much of the day time. I have many friends of my age who are so deep in it that it does take their whole day and caused many hurts,
Thank you for being here and staying here.
Marie P,
Thank you for your very kind words. I appreciate them a lot.
I also appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment.
The mental aspect of social media is a problem for a lot of people. There have been days when I would have been better off to ignore it, as well, so I know what you’re talking about.
Thank you again for taking the time to leave a comment.
I enjoy following your posts, your blog and MeWe. I didn’t even know about you having anything with Twitter or Pinterest. I like MeWe but somehow it does need to generate more followers. Let me know if I can help in any way. I think YouTube could be a great field for tutorials etc., but I know you have a lot on your plate already. I will be praying for God to show you the right path.
Gail,
Thank you! I appreciate your readership and friendship!
The new computer does allow me to do videos with better equipment, but at present, I don’t see that as a likely option. For one thing, recording videos is fairly easy. Editing videos is another matter altogether and would probably take as much time as putting together a monthly magazine! Personally, I’d rather write than talk!
I normally only use YouTube and Facebook. Also, I head over to Pinterest but you can see a video on YouTube over there. We all have to make decisions that affect our wellbeing and hope that you still post some videos as that’s how I really learn.
I do understand. If I were in your place, I would love the writing better than You tube as well. 🙂 Praying for it all to become clear for you.
Thank you, Gail. That is much needed and much appreciated!
I don’t blame you. Social media is such a big time suck! I’d rather be creating art, and spending the rest of my energy on a newsletter rather than posts that depend on the whims of algorithm (which is constantly changing) and are only seen for a very short time before being overtaken by other people’s newer posts.
Gloria,
Thank you! My thoughts exactly!
Hi Carrie,
Been a bit but I just wanted to thank you for your newsletter and blog. I try to read them all and am glad you’re going to do more with them. I have a hard time with social media dictating what post is acceptable or not and allowing so much garbage to be more acceptable than the good stuff so I don’t go on there much. You have made a good choice I think and I’m looking forward to it!! I didn’t take the leap to create a page for my art because I don’t want to be subject to algorithms or someone not liking my art and not letting it be seen and then I wouldn’t know it. You don’t know if your work is being seen unless you get “like” or “unlike” remarks and then who’s to say that it was shared with followers or shown only to a few. Anyway I just wanted to thank you for all you do! God bless your new course of action!
Sincerely, Carla
Thank you for the vote of confidence, Carla.
I believe I made the right decision, too, and most of the comments from readers has confirmed that decision!
I would like to say that you have one of the better art blogs I have come across. As a fellow artist, I understand the challenges and time needed to keep up with social media. I too have been thinking of giving up social media which would give me more time for finishing more art. The one thing I want to ask is that I came a cross your blog on Pinterest. If you’re not on social media how will people find you? Do you have a website? If so how do people find your website if not by social media?
Dean,
Thank you for your comment. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
A lot of people have found me because of Pinterest, but that happened before I had a Pinterest account by people liking this blog so much, they pinned images from their favorite articles. That will continue if I provide helpful articles here.
I have three websites.
This one (www.Carrie-Lewis.com) is the main website.
I also have a website dedicated to showcasing my art. You can see that at http://www.CarrieLewis.com.
The newest website is http://www.ColoredPencilTutorials.com, where you can find CP Magic magazine and downloadable tutorials.
My experience has been that the information I publish and the help I give to artists on a one-on-one basis is far more important than social media. Since I’m more interested in helping artists to the best of my ability than in sheer numbers, leaving social media was the best decision for me.
Thank you again for your comments, Dean. Thank you for reading this article, too.
Best wishes,
Carrie
Good luck Carrie,as long as you are not disappearing altogether.
I have just taken down all your Web Addresses.
You are the only Artist i follow anyway. Kind Regards Colin.
Colin,
I’m not disappearing altogether. At least that’s not the plan. It’s more efficient to write content for this blog, the store blog at Colored Pencil Tutorials dot com, and my weekly newsletter.
Thank you for reading and commenting.