I have to admit that I’m not much of a computer or social media person...I’d rather be out on a trail or making something with my hands than typing on a computer. Yes, I’m of that age where driving with a phone in high school meant that your phone was hard-wired into the actual car (ooh, fancy!). Our first computer was an Apple II and, when my dad plugged it in, I asked if the computer could hear what I was saying...can’t believe I just admitted that! The only computer game that I loved was Duck Hunt on Atari, probably because you had to hold a gun and interact with it.
I’m a pretty analog person living and adapting to a digital world, and it’s not all that bad. For an impatient person as I am, I love how if I have a question, there are so many ways of getting an answer or getting a response from someone. Having access to the multitudes of photos, videos, and books on inspiring artists (historical and contemporary) is incredible! Ideas swooping in and out of my head so fast that it’s hard sometimes to nail one down and sit with it long enough to have it develop into tangible form.
In some ways, my Special Education and Science classrooms were perfect microcosms of analog meets digital; that created something larger than the two on their own. Digital inspirations and research spawned ideas that we followed and investigated each day...but what really solidified the ideas and learning for each student, and myself, was when they interacted with each other. They owned their ideas, owned their experiences.
Connection over digital threads may start a connection and further one over the years, but interacting, connecting in person is where the magic happens. The dopamine zing that I get from a like or a comment on a social media post doesn’t even compare to when I am chatting with someone who has felt how soft my leather jewelry is and they get that spark of amazement in their eyes! Maybe it’s my learning style (visual and experiential), but I would much prefer to meet my enthusiasts in person, than over a screen. But, if meeting over a screen means that I get to enjoy people who I might never have had the pleasure to meet because of their geographical location, then give me live video!
My comittment to myself (not resolution) in 2019 is to create more opportunities for connection with my friends, family, fans, customers, and people in my community! This self-employment gig is isolating enough...I am a social girl and am ready to reach out.