I Deleted Instagram For A Week & Here Is What I Realized

A couple of weeks ago on a Sunday night I deleted Instagram off of my phone. I posted a story saying I would be back in a week and removed the app.

I won’t go on an on about how harmful social media is - you all know. I have not even had a personal account since 2019. I do however have a business account and had managed to gain a lot of followers in 2024 by posting my quick little art tutorials using junk. Posting these videos became a blessing and a curse.

At the end of January I went to a vision boarding workshop in a local bar. It was the first time I had ever sat down and collaged with a group of strangers. I expected to love it but I didn’t. I hated it. It was dark, and it was loud and I didn’t have enough space to spread out. I began to feel blocked but I did manage to finish my vision board.

My 2025 Vision Board

I had people at my table and others come up to me and compliment me, I had another woman pass my board around the room. I felt vunerable and uncomfortable and did not want people to look at me or my work. I also felt confused because why was I so hyper focused on view counts and followers on instagram if in my real life I just wanted to be left alone?

I asked myself a series of uncomfortable questions:

1. Did I think having all of these followers meant that more people cared about ME or what I was doing?

2. Did I think this high follower count would mean I would have more success selling my work and classes? Was every follower a dollar amount in my mind?

3. How many of my followers would care/notice I was gone?

Long story short I deleted the app off of my phone and pledged to a week off. The the most miraculous thing happened: I didn’t miss it all.

I want to be honest with you all though. I would love to write that deleting the app meant I spent lazy hours crocheting, cooking more, and taking long walks outside but I would be lying.

Instead I found myself fighting a battle with my own brain about how to grow my Substack platform. And I did. In that week I gained over 500 new subscribers. This is not meant to be a brag but an epic realization on my part about the fact that anything that revolves around an audience of people paying attention to something I am doing is the thing that will warrant the most of my attention and time.

I realized that I must stop this - and so I have started the process. I want to and must spend even more time with my son. I want to and must read more books and make more art that no one else will ever see. I want to allow myself a soft and quiet life but I also want a life where I am outside in my community being of service to others. To help others grow and expand. I am not sure what all of this looks like yet, but I will keep you all updated.

TLDR: I didn’t miss instagram and I am back on it for now but I know I don’t need it to be a successful person.

xoxo