Redefining My Relationship With Instagram: The Questions I Asked Myself

I ultimately realised that I was not consciously creating from a place of love or joy… but from a place of obligation. So with love, trust, intention (and a niggle of fear), I deactivated my Instagram account in October 2024 and haven’t returned since.

Please remember that I’m speaking from my own personal experience here, and I know that there are also so many creative people who have fostered a healthy and reciprocal relationship with Instagram, and that it can be a place where your creative energy and expression can thrive and flourish. But this is where we need to apply our own curiosity, discernment and autonomy around spaces like these.

Asking yourself… what am I sacrificing to be in this space? What am I gaining? What am I planting here, and what am I harvesting? Is this space serving the sustainability and longevity of my creativity? Do I feel safe to be witnessed in my truth and authentic expression here?

If we are truly ready and committed to cultivating a lifestyle that is purposeful, fulfilling, enriching and in alignment with our creative heart and heart expression… we need to be asking ourselves these questions.

At the time of publishing this article it has been six months since I intentionally left Instagram, and to be perfectly candid with you I have experienced a lot of wobbles and doubts around whether I made the right decision. What really surprised me and what might surprise you as well, is that after leaving the platform I experienced an intense sense of disconnection. Because our society has deeply normalised the more intimate sharing of our lives through social media, to know what people are doing, where they are, who they are with… it is something we have become accustomed to living with.

After leaving Instagram I experienced feelings of disconnection, isolation, loneliness and the classic fear of missing out, because I could no longer access or be a part of the space where everyone was sharing their everyday lives. Ironically, in removing myself from the place that had created such a disconnection and dysregulation within myself… I was now feeling disconnected from family and friends, role models, and sacred community connections that I deeply value.

What has been arising for me are questions, such as whether or not this form of sharing and connecting online is entirely healthy? Are we giving too much of ourselves away? Are we creating and expressing for others, instead of for ourselves? I don’t believe there is a right or a wrong… only a right or wrong for you. These questions are merely something to be curious about and mindful of.

Where I have been sourcing further comfort, clarity and security in my decision… is through the voices of other female entrepreneur’s who also no longer use Instagram for their business or creative expression. (On a little side note… I should also probably clarify that our business and our form of work, is creative expression in and of itself).

Where I Have Been Sourcing Comfort, Clarity and Security In My Decision

Where I have been sourcing further comfort, clarity and security in my decision is through the voices of other female entrepreneur’s who also no longer use Instagram for their business or creative expression. (On a little side note… I should also probably clarify that our business and our form of work, is creative expression in and of itself).

I began researching some alternative pathways and perspectives for how I could share my business and soul work with the world during my first hiatus from Instagram early last year. On Pinterest I came across the writings of Belinda Marie from Soul and Self… and the resonance I felt with her words and musings on feminine being and gentle business, was profound. Reading her words and hearing her perspective was like releasing a long, beautiful exhale.

Through her writings I felt deeply seen in my experiences and my emotions surrounding social media, and for the first time I felt hope in knowing that there were alternative avenues for marketing and sharing my business in ways that aligned with me. I could see new possibilities that were exciting and expansive for my heart and creative being.

What first felt like disconnection, isolation and loneliness… was now becoming freedom.

The Gifts and Gratitudes I’m Taking Away From Instagram

Now after all of this… you are probably wondering how there could possibly be any gifts or gratitudes to take away from my time using Instagram.

I don’t have any regrets about using it at all.

This entire interaction I shared with the platform has allowed me to deepen into the vision I have for my life and business… and has guided me home to the core values and essence of what and how I’m creating. Instagram has inspired me and empowered me to ground back into my self-worth, my confidence, courage and creative conviction. I have been reminded of how fiercely I believe in the value of what I am creating, sharing and offering. It has become a belief and a faith based in authenticity and gentleness, my own feminine essence and her naturalness and knowing.

My experience with Instagram challenged me to be seen in a new way. It stretched me to show up and speak about my business and heart offerings, and it encouraged me to share my voice in divergent ways. Instagram was also a space for some creative experimentation, where I could play with different expressions of myself and my business.

Instagram reflected my belief that wholehearted, creative expression is not only about what we are creating… it’s about how we are creating. It’s about the experience and the emotion, and the energetic charge infused within the process.

And the greatest gift I received from Instagram… were the sacred sisterhood connections I was able to nurture with incredible, deeply inspiring and kindred women. This is what made my decision to leave the space so challenging, and so beforehand… I made sure to transition as many of these special connections off the platform as possible.