Knowing Your Greatest Resource

I wanted to land in your inbox today, on a random day at a random time, to remind you of what’s important.

Spoiler alert: YOU are most important.

I was scrolling insta recently and my blood started boiling over the slop it was feeding me. Then I saw an artist I follow (and adore) talking about her ‘real stats’ for the month of January. She shared that she posted on instagram something like 46 times, and she made about the same in dollars.

My heart sank.

This new mama has a baby on her hip and a toddler in tow, and she chose to spend 4600 minutes or 76 hours (let’s say 10 minutes per post/story/instagram use - but we all know this is likely the bare minimum).

If I were lucky enough to be a mum, I would be spending those 4600 minutes with my baby. Or sleeping. Or nourishing myself. Or nourishing my husband and our relationship. Anything leftover would be for creating.

I don’t care about the money stats.

If you’re only making a few dollars from your art, that is nothing to be ashamed about. That is something to be PROUD of. It means someone wanted what you offered. It means someone valued your love and effort and passion.

I care about time.

TIME is our most precious resource in this life.

She chose how to spend her time.

How are you spending yours?

I’m spending mine in nature and travelling, filling my soul with inspiration so that I can create incredible art and spaces that improve lives for people. I’m working on my confidence, my self worth, my desire to be a good human doing good things in the world. I’m spending time on my relationships.

In a noisy, chaotic and downright depressing world of late, I am finding I can’t physically be online for long periods of time or too regularly. It’s stressful on my nervous system.

We weren’t meant to carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. And most of my favourite creators are leaving social media or left long ago.

Me personally? I wish I could share more online.

I had a revelation this week…

For the 10 years I’ve been online (and Tiny Giraffe just reached 10 years old) ALL of them have been turbulent — moving cities, finding, negotiating and setting into a new job, building a business, separation, finding a new job interstate, moving cities again, divorce, building a new life for myself, trying to renovate a home (unsuccessful), moving house, getting married again and 4 years of IVF (also unsuccessful).

I honestly don’t know how I made it this far.

Acknowledging how hard my life has been is a big fat permission slip to be OK with where I’m at. I’m in a season of deep healing and recalibration, and I’m honouring when it feels right to show up online (and in person) for me. I am still debating whether I want to return to instagram at all (I deleted it off my phone this week, hopefully for good).

One thing I realised recently is that throughout it all, I am consistent. I show up again and again and again, no matter how many days or weeks between. Ten whole years of being consistent and for that I am proud.

I shared something I was passionate about in my instagram stories last week (the dream of holding a retreat teaching wallpaper murals) and I haven’t shown my face on stories — talking to camera — in MONTHS.

And yet, my DMs were overflowing.

Regardless of whether my course goes ahead, or not, or some other time in the future, (feel free to fill out my survey if you are interested!), I am proud of how I honour my time.

Whenever I feel the most angry or upset with myself, it’s usually related to how I used my time (especially separating my time from productivity too).

The right people are happy to wait for your goodness.
The right friends will contact you how you prefer to be contacted.
The right clients will honour your processes and systems.
The right mentors will appear when you need them.
The right mentees will honour your time and the investment required.
The right moment will always present itself.

Trusting in the timing is the hard part.

Back to being online… how much is enough?

We’re not Alex or Leila here (bless them).

I heard Hermozi say once, “You post only once a day? We post 60 times a day.”

You know who posts 60 times a day? Someone with a TEAM. These are the statements that lead me down a reflective path, questioning what success/growth looks like to me:

• Do I want a team?

• If I had a team, what do I want to use their time for?

• What am I sharing online?

• What is the purpose of sharing?

Really, when I think about it, what I care most about is not how often or how little I show up, but the quality of time and the quality of what I share.

I am asking myself the questions:

Is what I am sharing of value? Is what I am saying worth listening to?

If you’re anything like me, you’re also a solo creative who fills up your cup by observing the beautiful world around you and CREATING from that inspiration.

If social media truly fills up your cup, go for it. If it doesn’t, let it go. There are dozens of ways to share your work and get paid without it.

You get to be intentional about how you spend your time.

Your baby is only tiny once.

Your kids are only that age once.

Your fiancee is only your fiancee once.

Your marriage is worth nurturing.

Your travels are waiting to be planned.

Your relationships need nourishing.

Your peace is worth protecting.

Journal Prompts:

• What would your ideal day look and feel like?

• Have you been honest with yourself about what makes you happiest?

• Do you know if social media actually fills your cup?

• Have you sat down and looked at the benefits you get from it and if they’re worth the time you spend?

• What is your purpose for showing up online? Do you consider yourself to be sharing, connecting, promoting and educating or are you entertaining, comparing, glorifying or justifying?

If you can’t be bothered to meditate or make a tea and sit on the couch with your journal or reflect in a quiet space where you can hear your heart speak and your body breathe (believe me, I know it’s hard) — then I’ll leave you with this final thought:

The life stage you’re in (chosen or not) will help you identify what’s important to you.

Relish that. Focus on that. Enjoy that. Grieve that. Honour that. Give it the attention it deserves. Your art will always be there waiting for you, I promise.

Meta doesn’t give a shit about how much time it steals from you. But you will, when you look back.

Imagine having the most nourishing relationships and friendships. Imagine knowing someone more deeply. Imagine the connections that would hold you in your lifetime. Imagine the joy you would experience with nature, the fulfilment of being outdoors in fresh air.

Imagine how much you could create if dedicated time to drawing / painting / (insert your favourite creative thing here). Imagine the joy of deep work. Imagine creating a body of work worth waiting for (oh the anticipation!). Imagine having an email list of beautiful souls who care about and are invested in you, your thoughts or your work, waiting to hear from you.

Do that.

Because you are most important.

Love,
Kylie x