Instagram Farewell
I went back and forth for a while on wether or not I needed to do a “formal” statement on Instagram about my 75 day absence. Ultimately I decided that I should. Even though most people might miss it, when you realize you haven’t seen something from someone in a while and then go to their page and there is absolutely ZERO info about why they are gone it can be a bit strange.
I also don’t plan on checking messages on my instagram or having anyone else checking message, so I thought it appropriate to at least have my last post be somewhat of a explainer about where I am, what I’m doing and how to contact me.
Since I’m a person who likes to document all the things, I wanted to document my final message on insta here as well…for posterity. I typed it up and shared on stories and then made it into a post that could live on my feed.
Today is my last day contributing to and consuming on this platform. For the next 75 days, instagram will be deleted from my phone as I work on completing my “75 difficult” challenge.
In addition to enjoying a break from this platform I will be doing a host of other things including drinking a gallon of water, reading 10+ pages, working out twice a day, sticking to a diet with no cheats and writing 500+ words a day. The irony is not lost on me that most people could care less about this because I won’t be able to share about it on social media…ba doom doom ching. If that ain’t a sign of the times, I don’t know what is. If you don’t share it, did it really happen?
I will be sharing it however through my writing on my new website…www.thecinnamonwolfe.com
Is this website up and ready to go? Nope. Not even close. I had grand aspirations to have something nicely organized and presented by the time this challenge started, but a very social couple of months partnered with an extreme lack in direction as to where I want my writing career to actually go has had me utterly paralyzed.
My business brain won’t turn off. Who is my audience? What am I trying to say? Am I wanting to teach something? Will what I want to talk about actually resonate with anyone who I already paying attention to me? Is anyone paying attention? Do I actually want people to pay attention?
I am at a crossroads similar to ones I have been at many times in my life past. Who am I? Just because people know me as one thing, does that mean the other things about me don’t matter? In this new world of conflicting messages - “be exactly who YOU are and never apologize!” Along side of “you better do this, say this, believe this, act like this” in order to get likes, hearts, clicks and most importantly…not to get cancelled - navigating the tightrope is exhausting. Too many people are paying attention. Not enough people are paying attention. Why do we all need so much attention?
I want to work these things out. Writing is thinking on paper (or a screen.) But I haven’t done that in this space before. I’ve been business Cinnamon, funny Cinnamon, Cinnamon + Paul, travel Cinnamon and superficial Cinnamon, but what about the real Cinnamon? Who is she? Is she allowed in this space? Does she even want to be in this space? I honestly don’t know…which is what part of my writing journey is all about, and why I can’t begin that journey in this space that is already clouded by expectations of people I have met once, briefly or not at all.
I’m stepping off a cliff and building my parachute on the way down. I have ideas about things I’d like to write about but I honestly don’t know what direction I’ll end up. But I think I need to just start and figure it out on my way. I’m not super worried that people might not come along for the ride…instead I’m trusting that the RIGHT people will end up reading my words and connecting with me in a different way. A way that doesn’t include 20 second soundbites or reels that took an hour to create but tell you nothing of who I am as a person who cares about who you are as a person.
Friends, we don’t have to settle for the superficial. Depth of connection is still possible. It takes work and this is me putting my my hard had and tool belt. I’m not exactly sure what I’m building but I hope to see you on the job site at some point.
