Alright, even though I spend my day blogging, I thought it’d be fun to write some of my own thoughts here on this page. Back in January, I took a month off of social media. Without my favorite pastime, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hand.  

These days, people spend an average of 145 minutes (almost two and a half hours) on social media a day. A DAY. I wanted to know what I could do with those extra hours.  

One Month Instagram-Free 

As a musician, I find I need time to think, to dream, to listen, to practice (oh, to practice), and experiment with new tunes. And the more time I spend online, the less I have to do those things. So, I spent a month without Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram (my platform of choice). Here’s what I learned: 

I was bored. Like, a lot of the time. I cleaned my entire closet, our tea collection, and my computer files. 

I loved not knowing what my friends were up to. It was fun being surprised when we went out for drinks and I had no idea about their recent trip or night out. 

It was nice to not get caught up in the comparison game. With social turned off, I felt more tuned in to myself. 

I felt disconnected from the world, especially from the daily news. In contrast, I felt more connected to the world—the birds outside, the books that sat quietly on my nightstand, my plants, and my relationships. 

I realized how much I relied on my phone during “downtime.” Standing in line, It was good for my brain to relax and soak in my surroundings. 

The Mixture of Music and Marketing  

Of course, I couldn’t stay off social forever. There’s no doubt that professional music takes a bit of marketing. But focusing too much on marketing gets to be too much. I’m starting to find that it’s all about balance. 

Should You Try It? 

100%. If you can swing a month off with the gigs you have going on, got for it! See how it works for your artistic brain. You might find it helpful, you might find it isolating. But best case, you might find a brand new way to spend your time. Or clean your closet.  

Say Hello!  

For myself, I’m back on social full-time. I missed out on so many memes and I’m still catching up.  

Drop a line and say hi or request a tune. I’ll see you soon.