Social media is based on the idea of sharing and I thought we could find inspiration there and explore how we can bring that into our lives without the apps. These were some of the ideas that came up for me when I was brainstorming on this:

 

Inviting others to share with us: through conversation, through experiencing their passions (visiting a gallery with their art, listening to music they've composed, stopping by their studio, spending time in their garden, etc.) 

 

Giving back and sharing our abundance: donating time or money to causes near and dear to you, being generous with kind words and compliments, doing random acts of kindness (one of my favorites is leaving positive / encouraging notes in random public places)

 

Sharing our gifts and talents with the world: volunteering our skills, finding ways to allow others to access your work (such as having it displayed in a public place), teaching someone and passing on your knowledge

 

Do you connect with any of the above? What comes up for you? What can you share and how can you share today?

21 EVERY DAYS

Look for ways people share with you or acts of kindness you've experienced today/recently. Capture that story in today's section--I think it's one that's worth remembering and documenting! It doesn't have to be a big gesture (although it can be!), something small can mean just as much or more. Here are a few examples of how you can translate an act of kindness into a visual for your project:

 

If someone shared a smile with you, try to recall their face and do a quick sketch. If there is another characteristic you remember--a hat or colorful jewelry they were wearing, the pattern or color of their top-- you can include that in your section. You can also fill your section with simple smiley faces or the color of the emotion the smile made you feel. 

 

If someone opened the door for you, create a little door by cutting out a rectangular shape from paper and adding details like a doorknob or a wreath. Only glue the edge where the hinges would be onto your section so you can open and close your door. Leave the doorway empty or add something to it so when you open it, there's something behind it!

 

You can also find inspiration in something you've shared with someone today.

At the end of each week I would love to highlight some of your experiences (both the ups and downs) with this social media break. Feel free to reply to any of the emails if you feel the pull to share--I believe if we feel like we want to say something, that means someone out there needs to hear it and we should put it out into the world. It can be a short sentence or paragraph and I will credit it with your first name or keep it anonymous if that feels more comfortable.

 

Happy Day 5--it's almost the weekend! Talk to you tomorrow,

PS: If you've gone a bit off track, that's OK--revisit your why and know that you can come back to this practice at anytime.

 

PPS: I'll be leaving a post-it note with this quote on it in a random public place today: "As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same." – Nelson Mandela

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