Connection

I gave in to the temptation of seeking advice on social media about social media last week.
I'm still recovering.
​You'll be pleased to know that all the devices in the house remain intact, nothing was thrown, or dropped or had anything dropped on it. At least I managed to resist those temptations!

​I was wondering - am I doing this right? Should I be engaging with the latest trends, whatever they are, to build an audience. And social media shouted back, "You're doing it all wrong! " and gave me loads of advice, a large part of  it entertainingly contradictory.  Post more, post less, make reels, don't make reels, be positive, but use negative hooks (seriously!?!?!) and dance, no don't dance,  (I'll spare you the dancing) be polished and  professional, be informal, casual and messy (I can definitely manage messy!)  Be yourself, but not too much! ​

And after taking all the sage advice on board (as well as the less-than-sage but expressed convincingly),  I decided not to engage in the ever-increasing hysteria about  pleasing THE ALGORITHM. The mighty and capricious Al Gorithm (personified in my head like the Wizard of Oz behind the curtain!) Not sure if sacrifice of first-born is required  quite yet, but I probably couldn't catch mine now and , anyway, his kids would miss him!  ​

It’s not that I don’t understand how it all works - or that I can't learn about it! (Staunch believer in lifelong learning here).  It’s that while the influencers and social media gurus are also banging on and on about "authenticity", chasing trends feels like about the most inauthentic thing I could be doing, drifting further  and further from real connection, to each other and to our awesome natural surroundings. So if it's audience v authentic connection - I'll come down on the side of connection. 

Connected

When I  lost my vision, (it's back now!) connection took a bit of a hit. I couldn’t rely on sight and I couldn't shut myself away from the world entirely (I might have tried for a while, but that's another story).  I had to learn to connect through sound, touch, scent, and imagination (and the patient support of friends and family).  When I regained my vision, I rediscovered the world in full colour. I wanted to see it all at once and welcomed every shadow, every shimmer of water,  and every gum leaf.   I was as excited as a kid at Christmas and  almost as overwhelmed.  The sparkle's still there, but I have settled down a bit now, thanks to finding small moments of stillness, like the retreat where I found these connected hearts in the bark of a steadfast gum tree.  Happy I had the camera with me that day! 

Speaking of trees and connection  - Himself and I  were listening to a podcast yesterday (there's been a lot of driving lately) in which an enthusiastic author instructed us that one of the secrets of happiness is to "be a leaf on a tree".  In other words, be part of something, something bigger than yourself. Be genuinely connected, in order to thrive as a unique individual and contribute to the life of your larger community, which in turn nourishes you.  And then he quoted research about connection being another layer of protection against certain physical diseases as well as the mental health aspect. It's worth a ponder. How are your connections  at the moment ? Are you nurturing them? Are they nurturing you? Are you growing some new ones? Take a moment for a bit of a think.  (And now you know where I found the title for my latest series of abstracted gum leaves!) 

Whispered Connections Series

Be a leaf on a tree. As my very good friend Mahatma Gandhi told me over dinner last week: "The only time not to be a leaf on a tree is if you're on a tree that's about to be cut down." - Gyles Brandreth, The Seven Secrets of Happiness, An Optimist's Journey 

​I  have a love-hate relationship with social media.  For its all myriad flaws, it can be incredible for connection when it’s used with heart. It lets us find people we never would’ve met otherwise — fellow artists, nature lovers, and kindred spirits. (Waving to my 'book club' here). But the other end of the scale  - it's just nasty,  we've all seen it, I won't go on.  I'd rather dwell on the good stuff. We need to encourage that. Less doom-scrolling, more heart. Not always easy, though. There's a reason the word courage derives from the Latin 'cor' (heart).  

So here in this space, and on our LightSplashes socials, I'm aiming to put a little social back into social media and prioritise growing  strong roots over random reach. I believe the people we're meant to reach will find us.  It's my own little rebellion and refusal to pay homage  and make sacrifices to Al Gorithm, the Grand Wizard, the Man Behind the Curtain, or whoever they think they are.  

So if you’re here, thank you. You’re part of a community that values light, nature, creativity, and connection. Connection that lasts longer than a bored bus-stop scroll. We're glad you've dropped in. We'd love to hear from you, let us know your thoughts about connection, authenticity, shouty socials, creativity - over to you. Have questions for us? Bring ' em on. Start a friendly wee chat and be part of the rebellion. 

Flourish