Do you Tweet?
Do you post your latest creations on Flickr?
Do you constantly update your Facebook wall?
Well I don't!
(OK, I said it and I can hear your gasp from here!)
I know I should, or at least that is what every crafting business blog post and online article says I should be doing. I get bombarded by Etsy's weekly newsletters and forum posts telling me how Social Networking is the only way to get my products noticed, and that you really should, no let me change that to must, do all this to keep people informed of your every move.
GET OVER IT!
Here is a news flash! You and I are not that important. People are not hanging on every word I speak or thought I think, so why would I Tweet? I like real people and real conversations, so why would I want to just post a random blurb on my Facebook Wall? I want to connect with the people who read my blog or buy my things. I find inspiration in human contact and honestly who has that much to say about themselves!
Do you remember what it was like when you were young and your parents didn't seem to be able to do anything with technology? They didn't seem to understand cable TV, or how to program a VCR and God forbid the electricity would go out and they needed help resetting everything. (My in-laws thought if they hid the remote control to the television no one could steal it because they wouldn't be able to turn it on!)
I'm not that bad, but I must confess I don't know how to use my cell phone to it's fullest and I don't even have a "smart" phone and more than once I have told someone that I don't know my own cell phone number. I'm not afraid of technology, I just want to un-plug from a few things! I want to be free from Tweets, Facebook updates, text messages and email. Being disconnected is wonderful, I love running with scissors and working without a net, this is true relaxation!
But I will drag myself into this century and find the balance between Social Networking and being Social. I am going to make a big effort to learn how to use Facebook efficiently and learn my cell phone number! Tell me how you navigate social networking. Where do you find the right balance and what are some of your best tricks on how to stay in touch.
So someday I can say "follow me" on:
