2023 is here for at least another 363 days.
I am going through that whole coming to terms with 2022 being over and done with and a new year starting. Although I welcomed the year in style (heavily drunk), I am currently in the midst of fighting yet another cold to add to my COVID & two already-fought battles against colds to my collection.
With every new year, I follow the cliche of looking back and ponder. 2022… My productivity was very lacklustre. I added many great pieces to my already extensive portfolio, but I was so exhausted, artistically. But because of this, I have a new burning desire to create what I want and to make it worthwhile. A lot exciting things to happen this year… All while in black and white and portrait style.
I thought I’d start my year by leaving behind a social media that has done nothing but cause issues for me since 13. But I had been so oblivious to it. I look back and I realise just how much trouble it has caused me. So… I decided to deactivate the account. Every now and again (only for emergencies) I will log back in and retrieve whatever it is that I need but I will deactivate it again. It may be an oxymoron thing to do considering I still use Instagram & WhatsApp (both owned by Meta). But we all know once that Meta itself will cease to exist. But WhatsApp and Instagram will live on. But the Facebook machine will die out within the next five years or so (so long as Suckerberg is stuck in his Metaverse tinted glasses).
2022 helped me understand how I can cope with my smartphone addiction. And my ADHD meds certinaly help to deal with it. At the start of the year I was averaging 7-8 hours on-screen time. Come a year along, it’s around the 4 hour 30 miniute mark. Almost half. Social media like TikTok and Facebook played a part in that. But all you need is a day where you go ‘what is this purpose?’ and you come to realise that there is none. It’s all useless. Except Instagram. Please stay (and hopefully stay true to yourself as much as possible).
2023 is going to be special. I can feel it. However, for now, we can only hope and manifest those feelings.
Forever and always
Ollie x