So, what am I doing here? The honest answer is ‘I’m not really sure.’
Sweetpea and Sorrel started as an Instagram account during lockdown with daily pictures of my gardening efforts. I loved the community there at the time. That account evolved into a blog but I never kept it up. I wrote loads of draft posts that I never published because I got muddled about what I wanted to say. Then Instagram changed and became all about videos and gradually I stopped posting there too. So, here I am trying something new.
I heard about Substack on the Hashtag Authentic podcast last week. And I guess I’m still looking for something or somewhere where I can create online without it becoming a massive chore. Somewhere that’s separate from my wedding photography business where I can talk about other things and just share for fun.
Why would I want to do that when as a small business owner I’m already under loads of pressure to share constantly? I suppose I liked what I heard in the podcast about community. Sara and Farrah compared Substack to the early days of blogging when you really got to know everyone in your little blogging circle. I was a bit late to the party with blogging but I remember those days.
Why do I have this compunction to share though? Why as a society do we feel the need to share our lives? I know some people feel that they’re creating a legacy. Leaving behind a record of themselves and their lives. Jenna Kutcher I’m looking at you :-) Others I think are looking for validation, that they’re not alone, they’re doing great, that somebody has noticed them. And that’s all about societal pressure and our basic need to conform and be accepted. We weren’t meant to be isolated and are hardwired to seek out the safety of a group.
More and more this takes place online. We find our people, our groups and build our relationships in the virtual world. Having two teenagers I really notice this. Their social circles are on and offline and seem to blend seamlessly. To them, it’s just another method of communication and a tool to be used as they wish.
So I guess what I’m saying is that in sharing my thoughts and life in this way I hope to be a part of something. Maybe to create something that will be left behind when I’m gone but also become part of a group and fulfil that need for acceptance. Maybe that sounds horribly needy. I’m not, I promise. I generally prefer my own company actually and would be quite happy living on a small island in the middle of nowhere. But there’s still that base need to be seen and heard. Accepted. So, here I am.
Amanda x
P.S. It’s hot. Have you heard? We spent the day preparing for the apocalyptic heat by setting up portable air conditioning units and thanking our lucky stars for old houses with thick walls and cold, dark kitchens. When I did go outside it was actually a very nice day, which made me wonder if the Met Office just has a bit too much power over us these days.