Photo: Moi enjoying a front-row seat (and a Green Monsta Ale) at McCoy Stadium this summer. Go Pawsox!
Happy Autumn, everyone!
So, what did you do this summer? I traveled (to Vermont, to Maine, to Nantucket, and to California), spent time with friends and family, and read TONS of books. I reviewed the amazing sketches for my upcoming picture book, and wrote a few new stories, which I’ve been sharing with my new, brilliant critique group. I ate my weight in seafood and ice cream. I made some headway on crocheting a mega-blanket (photos to come when I finally finish). I visited with my best friend and her extraordinarily-adorable baby. I discovered the wonder that is Li’l Bub.
The end of summer also marks the end of my social media sabbatical. Did I miss Facebook and Twitter and this ole blog? Well. Of course, I missed hearing what and how everyone is doing. But I also enjoyed the silence and the solitude, and I realized how much pressure I was putting on myself, to perpetuate my “online presence.” In a word, ugh.
So, now that I’m rejoining this virtual cocktail party, I’m wondering how I should proceed with the least annoyance to myself and others. Should I keep up this blogging thing, and if so, what kinds of stuff do people want to hear about? Should I only check my FB and Twitter accounts at a set time (or times) each day? Limit my posts to a certain number? Not allow myself to think about it until my daily writing is done? Put a lampshade on my head and dance on the nearest table while swigging from a bottle of bubbly, per my usual cocktail party behavior? Some trial and error is in order, methinks.
How do you all manage the balancing of your online and offline lives? What’s worked (or not worked) for you?
Kara LaReau 
I have cut way back on the social media content that I generate. First off, life has gotten extremely busy, limiting my time and energy to comment. Second, a lot of what’s eating my time is repetitive in nature, and just not that interesting in my opinion, at least not to others.
Finally, with so many people involved in social media now, I find the constant hum of online activity a distraction rather than a window to look through at each other. Much of it is mundane chatter, but some of it is spectacular. It’s hard to separate the two and stay connected online. So I try to elevate my posts to the level of something I’d have picked up the phone to call someone about in the past. I still post frivolous things from time to time.
With regard to Facebook, failure to interact regularly will diminish who sees your posts and vice versa, unless you subscribe to friend’s posts.
All excellent points, Dave. It was that “constant hum” (and the constant, concerted effort required to rise above it) that inspired my sabbatical. But self-promotion, especially through writing, is a must in my line of work, so this girl’s gotta get back in the game. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that those tweets and FB updates (and blog posts and responses!) are good for me; they’re like little writing assignments.
Kara, I have to say that I look forward to your posts and your blog updates. They quite often leave a smile and that is always a good thing.
Thanks, Mike! It’s peeps like you that make it all worth it. : )