#9 | when change becomes necessary... farewell, twitter

Farewell to Twitter and big small changes + Inspirations, apps to create content & AI prompts to promote your book on social media

Oct 29, 2023

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Yes, I decided to delete my Twitter... Twitter, the social media that has been a part of my life since 2009.

Thinking about Twitter and the beginning takes me back to 14-year-old Amanda, a teenager brimming with enthusiasm, living an intense online life, even if access was more challenging - back then, I had to go to an internet cafe to use a computer during the week, as we only had dial-up internet at home on weekends.

A little later, I started my blog, which became a loyal companion, a constant amidst many platform changes.

However, the same cannot be said for other online places that used to be my digital homes, like Orkut. Nothing is eternal in the online world, but everything leaves its mark. Orkut was one of those ephemeral places that, in its time, seemed endless. I never thought about its end. That social media, which had a bit of what would become Facebook (or was already becoming, but I didn't know it yet), was the stage for many friendships, and romances, and I remember reading many fanfics in its communities. Oh, it was so good.

But it's gone.

And many other networks have also disappeared or changed, like Tumblr, Flickr, and MySpace. However, Twitter has always remained, and for me, it evolved to be more than a virtual place. It became an extension of me, something I didn't realise the value of until its charm began to fade. I was there every day.

It's astonishing when we realise the role that social media plays in our lives, and how our digital identity comes to define us. And the emptiness that remains when we decide to break free from it.

On Twitter, I made friends, learned a lot, and used the platform as a diary for my outpourings. There were many positives, as there always are. However, something gradually changed in recent years, and when I logged into the platform, the predominant feeling was anxiety and irritation. And those aren't the best feelings to start the day, are they? I used to love opening Twitter every morning.

So, I decided to reduce my usage. It didn't work. I tried using filters, seeing only what I wanted. It didn't work. I tried deleting the app, blocking where I could, but I always relapsed. I remembered the good things and the incredible people there, and the vicious cycle perpetuated until, in the end, I wasted precious hours while anxiety took over. Over time, the situation only worsened.

My search for alternatives led me to explore Facebook more, especially its groups. These more specific groups have offered me a less anxious space where I can focus on one topic at a time. I feel I have more control over my time. I think.

I tried Instagram, but I don't know if it's because I work too much there, but I haven't quite found the rhythm, at least not yet.

And I always went back to Twitter. Twitter always knew how to activate that feeling that the next tweet could change my life, so I kept scrolling.

Until this week, I finally decided to delete it for good. I remembered how other social media platforms were not eternal, and everything has its time, so I took a deep breath, saved all my data, and said goodbye. With a heavy heart, almost regret, with pity, with anger at Elon who made so many changes.

Perhaps with a fear of not making a difference. Or of making too much.

Fear of all the memories I could lose or fail to create. You can save the archive, but there's a magic that only being there provides. Social media, the social aspect weighs. And when we like something, it seems like we want to go all the way, to the limits of what we can bear, until it returns to being as good as it once was.

But day after day, that didn't happen.

After a near burnout, this week has been a journey of cutbacks, a return to the basics, and a renewed focus on what matters.

So, I needed this, to let go of something more significant, something I know takes hours from me and clearly doesn't make sense anymore. So why cling to it? I don't know, maybe I do, but I spent months thinking and not having the courage to delete it until that moment finally came.

And it was time, with so many things to do, I realised I was losing myself again. Before the decision, I revisited the lessons from my therapy workbooks and remembered many concepts that helped me in the past and helped me again this time.

Like the importance of accepting that some things no longer serve us, and the courage to cut out what no longer makes sense, even when we've invested so much time in it. This move is essential to pave the way for the things I want to do, and the things I want to prioritise. For the life we want to have.

Now I just hope I don't have a relapse. And that I don't get hooked on something new that I don't like that much. There's the challenge.

"Growth is a movement forward, but erratic: two steps forward, one step back. Remember this and be kind to yourself. Creative recovery is a healing process. You'll be capable of incredible things on Tuesday, but on Wednesday, you might backtrack. That's normal. Growth is spasmodic. You'll be dormant sometimes. Don't get discouraged; think of these moments as rest."

This is another reminder from Julia Cameron, "The Artist's Way."

p.s.: Thank you for all the good years, Twitter. Farewell.

For Inspiration! Things I've come across...

→ "Because creating art is also an attempt to understand what we are becoming. There is no good art where life is not lived." (in portuguese)

→ Little Alchemy 2: a fun game of combining different elements to create new ones

→ this video made me want to wake up the Amanda who used to make more artistic videos

Social Media and Creation: some apps to help you create pt.4!

Another small list of websites and apps that have been a big help with content creation this week!

Summarizer.org - when you need to summarise or condense a text, it saves a lot of time
Aspose - last time I recommended a site to crop images, now this one does the opposite, perfect for merging (:
Headliner.app - my most-used app this week (after Notion), perfect for creating many fantastic videos with your podcast - the free plan already helps a lot!

AI Prompt of the Week: find ideas to promote your book!

Use AI to help you come up with ideas for creating content to promote your book on social media.

Start the conversation by writing:

"Hi chat, I'd like some interesting ideas for posts on my social media to promote my book [insert the name of your book], which is about [brief description of the book]. Can you suggest some engaging and captivating posts that will grab the attention of my followers and potential readers? My target audience is [include details about your target audience]. Give me creative ideas."

Latest Updates on My Social Media 🌟

New posts on my book's TikTok, and we've reached the goal of 1000 likes!
I'm SO HAPPY we've reached 80 sales on ETSY!!! In the previous newsletter, I discussed my experience on the platform.

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when the inspiration hits...

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