Wedges, Not Heels

Now that it’s my third day of writing (and finishing!), I’m reflecting on why this process feels different from before. Why does it feel different to share my work on Medium? Why did it not feel as fulfilling when I shared my writing on Instagram?

For awhile, I thought I could use Instagram as a way to replace my blogging. I’ve seen a lot of former bloggers and writers use Instagram as a way to write and share — even Dani Shapiro jumped over to IG and Facebook Live! I love many aspects of Instagram — the beautiful visuals, the Hudson filter, the immediate responsiveness of it, the community-feel.

But after 2 years of attempting to use Instagram to fill my writing void, I’m ready to call a spade a spade — it’s not working for me. The formatting is weird, the text length is limited, and sometimes, I don’t always have a Pinterest-esque photo to accompany my writing. I could feel that those annoyances, while minor, were obstacles to writing. It would stop me from writing or posting if I had to even use my creative energy to think “Hmm… what photo and filter will I use? Who can I tag in this post?”. So if the priority in this challenge is to actually WRITE and to FINISH and SHARE what I write, then Instagram is not the way.

Trying to write on Instagram is like trying to wear my pair of sparkly, tall, sexy, black Vera Wang heels. It hangs in my closet — used for special occasions. But because it’s so limited in functionality, purpose, and comfort, I rarely wear it.

Here come my wedges though. They are beige at a modest 2 inches in height. They are cute and simple, versatile to be dressed up or down. And the most important part, they are comfortable enough to be worn every day. Writing on Medium, a throwback to my early blogging days, feels like wearing my wedges. Simple, tried and true.

After a long period of trying to force myself in a pair of heels, into a style that no longer fits my life, I’m unapologetically admitting the truth. Being in my wedges may not make me feel more glamorous and sexier, but they make me feel most like myself.

And that’s beautiful.