Back in Action and My Thoughts on Instagram Removing Likes

Hello readers it's been a while. These past four months I have invested in three different hobbies, worked on five short films, performed stand-up comedy, and purchased yet another bullet journal. Ah, bullet journaling the only consistent hobby. 

Jumping back and forth between hobbies has always been the definition of my life style. Now that I'm older I'm able to understand the meaning of committing to a hobby, understanding the impact on my already suffering bank account and the marketability of the final product. 

First, I tried painting squishies. I was inspired by Youtuber Mariah Elizabeth and her series called "Squishy Makeovers". My end goal is to learn to professionally paint them and make enough to sell as a vendor. I've considered opening an Etsy but I will have to conduct more research before going forward with the idea. I also plan on making homemade squishies and painting them accordingly to pride flags for Pride 2020.   

Peachful Squishies Coming Soon

Working with fabric paint for hours on end inspired me to pursue acrylic painting. I stumbled across this tiny canvas at Walmart and said to myself "I should start small". I've always been interested in creating sellable works of art on canvas but never actually quenched my creative thirst for painting until now. My end goal is to work with fluorescent paints on canvas like CriscoArt. Maybe even set up an entire gallery of just tiny paintings. The possibilities are endless. 

The last hobby I tried to pursue was nail art. And by that I mean I attempted a water marble design once again. I don't have any impressive pictures to show for it but I have firm belief that I've improved somewhat. 

Massive support on social media and through family and friends has helped pushed me to continue pursuing art and trying new mediums. By following solely artists and cute animal accounts I have felt surges of inspiration and positivity. There have been times when I've seen phenomenal digital art and felt discouraged because mine is subpar. I have also fallen into the trap of becoming obsessed with monitoring likes but at the end of the day that's just the marketer in me screaming. This brings me to the topic from the title. Instagram has recently hidden the number of likes from the general public. Essentially I can see the number of likes on something I post but the general public can't see said number. 

"We hope this test will remove the pressure of how many likes a post will receive, so you can focus on sharing the things you love," Mia Garlick, Facebook Australia and New Zealand director of policy, said in a statement.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-49026935

In the article BBC also reported this would not affect business tools. Again, the likes are visible to your own posts so I don't feel this would impact my businesses. The point of Instagram doing this was to stop people from linking validation to a number on a screen. Especially younger teens. 

How do I feel about this? I care enough to tell the world about its benefits but not enough that my personal life has changed in the slightest. I watched Youtuber Atozy react to a video of an "Instagram Model" hysterically flipping out because of this. It was ridiculous but a prime example of how toxic the obsession over likes can be. There is a fine line between monitoring likes for your business and your life revolving around likes. The same principles apply to other social media sites but Instagram has evolved from a collection of meal photos to providing conventionally beautiful people with billions of dollars for posts and setting a beauty standard. 

I could write an entire novel about how the media corrupts female self-esteem. Anyway, my original point was; I think it's great that Instagram is recognizing this issue and taking a step to attempt to fix it. However I firmly believe there is still a long, long, long way to go in order to undo the damage on teen self-esteem inflicted by the media. 

-JustJane

"Your relationship with yourself sets the tone for every other relationship you have."

-Robert Holden 

Art, Writing, and Overall Mental Health Update

Hello readers it's been a while. A long while to be exact. If you're closely following me on social media you'll notice I won't post anything for a few weeks on end and then all of a sudden post a bunch of content all at once. It happens and I'll work to have a consistent schedule. Anyway these last few days I have been pursuing my passions in waves and becoming aware that art and productivity are an escape for me. Kind of like how drugs are a form of escapism. It's funny I say that as I slowly become more and more addicted to alcohol markers. 

What I mean by waves is I'll focus on one out of three different kinds of WIPs and vigorously work on it for days on end. A few weeks ago I was vigorously writing the J. and S. Adventures and then the past few days I've done absolutely nothing but draw concepts for my graphic novel project Momoka: The Pink Ninja. In the beginning of January I spent days doing nothing but practicing sewing and designing cosplays. My productivity comes and goes. 

Bulletjournaling has helped me realize the rapid fluctuations of my physical health. When I'm focused on a WIP and dive head first into escapism I eat two meals as opposed to three and the meals I do eat are either strange or just the same meal twice. This afternoon I had nachos and green tea. I've also skipped working out for several weeks. I'm struggling to balance maintaining my physical health with WIP productivity but I'm significantly happier. When my physical health was perfectly in check I was still weighed down by sadness.I stopped doing the annual happy jar because my 2018 jar was filled with memories of Ciycay and the romantic era with Hugh. I'm at a point where being reminded of the rose-colored romantic times still physically hurts and that's made drawing and writing romance excruciatingly difficult. Today however I was finally able to draw romantic scenes and write infatuation without being overwhelmed by numbness. 

Comic art, for me at least, is the ultimate escape from it all and I think that's why past Jane created so many self-inserts. Art has been both a coping mechanism and a passion all these years. In a way it's a form of healing. Same with writing. 

On the topic of writing I can proudly announce that I will indeed be releasing chapters of my manga Momoka: The Pink Ninja this year. Most likely in the summer. I've never formatted a comic for Webtoon before so that will be a new experience.

-JustJane

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
-Pablo Picasso