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Sometimes I worry that I will go through life just touching the surface and wasting my time with people. I worry about how many people actually know me; who truly knows who I am and what I stand for.
Seriously, how many people actually can tell what you’re thinking?…no one. And how many people do you trust with your inner dialogue?…personally, I trust about two people with mine. Ya know, the ones you don’t have to preface what you’re about to say and you can just say it without worrying about feelings because there is a deeper relationship. There is a common respect, and judgement is left at the door. I wish that type of relationship was more common.

I far too often have to hold my tongue in conversations and tip toe around feelings. I often keep to myself what I really think. My most valued relationships are with those whom have told me what they really think. I like a person who will openly tell me when I was wrong, offended them, or did something amazing because I’m 24 and I honestly just don’t know.

So here is what I really think: I think that we’re wasting our time posting pictures of our outfits on social media because what does that really accomplish and what does that really matter? It’s blank space. I want to do something that matters and I will do something that matters. I’m sick of looking at countless pictures of other people’s accomplishments and milestones (more specifically people whom I don’t know and their babies). I’m sick of posting endless pictures of my coffee because who the hell cares. Not me. God help me if I’m not doing something every day that is more important than my coffee. I’m quite certain that social media is the largest time suck of my generation and I am sooooooo guilty of this that I hate myself at the end of the day for it.

Last week I sat in my counseling appointment, and I broke down. I don’t get emotional at counseling like I used to anymore because I’ve trained myself not to. I would rather keep my deepest struggles to myself because they are painful but I feel like in the grand scheme of things, there is absolutely nothing to be emotional about, especially in front of someone else.

My struggle is an ongoing one. It is one of perfectionism and self-disgust. Part of the issue is that it is a contradictory struggle that I can’t logically sort out in my head. It is a struggle between two personalities that I have an inner conflict with. One thrives on chaos, and a mess is her creative escape. She is the painter in me and the talented one that loves to brainstorm crazy art projects. There is no clean up on the agenda ever and money ain’t a thing. She competes with an orderly, type A, business savvy, communicator who clearly has a plan. They butt heads, and on any given day, I’m not sure which one will win. It’s confusing. And then there is the third one, (I’m dead serious right now, here is a glimpse inside of my head) she is sure of herself and she was born in my mind when I was going through college, (ruthless by the way) she is so strong-minded, confident and an absolute force to reckon with. I actually would recommend you don’t even cross her. I love her the most because she doesn’t compete with anyone. She just comes out at any moment without warning when all hell has broken loose because she has strong walls built around her. I love her spirit. 

So back to counseling. Here is the question that made me lose it, “How do I find happiness if I’m never going to be good enough for myself and how can I ever make someone else happy if I’m not happy with myself?” She passed me the tissues and the embarrassment overflowed me. I can’t even remember what my amazing counselor said after I asked that loaded question. But I do remember one thing she did point to, “Unplug, Katie. Social media is probably the worst thing for you.” So after a lot of wine (like seriously a lot, because I’m about being honest on this blog) I’ve figured out what I’m going to do that is bigger than me, bigger than social media and way better, something that I believe will bring me on an amazing journey of happiness.

I would love to hear what that thing is for you. If any of you have had a similar experience, please let me know about it. We can help each other.

xo-

qk

 

 

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I’m Katie, the brand strategist, designer, dreamer, and entrepreneur behind Artful Brands. Dreamy typefaces, clean layouts, and soft color palettes are my love language— but more importantly designing strategic brands that book.

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  1. kknutson001 says:

    Reblogged this on Everyday is a "God Thing" and commented:We could all learn something from this lady..about vulnerability, courage, and being a 20 something.

  2. Cathy Jo says:

    This is really sweet Katie, thank you for sharing. I agree with your realization about social media and specifically instagram. At first it seemed to be a great tool and really inspiring but it also can fuel comparison and a lot of the posts (myself included) are just sort of meaningless.

    • ryanmkatie says:

      I have a love/hate relationship with social media. For one, it is part of my job and almost all of the income I make comes from the exposure social media gives me. I hate it because it is a huge comparison trap and real life doesn’t live on those apps. I’m trying to get better but it is an addiction.

  3. I can definitely relate. I have many different parts of me that all have different patterns, desires and needs. I have found peace in balance, and again what this means to everyone is different. I do a lot of meditating, but something it’s just blaring heavy metal that I need…or my art, other times it’s finding the most emotional movie possible on Netflix. Depends on the situation and what I need to balance it out. I believe having a creative mind it’s a talent you already have, being able to ‘dip your paintbrush’ into all sorts of various things and work with it. Now you just need to figure out how to challenge yourself to continue to move forward. As a fan of your blog (and work) I would actually be interested in hearing what the experience was be like for you mentally and emotionally turning off social media for even a month or so. With how honest you can be with your posts and yourself, I think it would help in figuring out who you are at your core beyond the personalities. No matter what direction you go, you will succeed…that’s what is so cool about following you along your journey with the blog 🙂

    • ryanmkatie says:

      Ashley,
      I love hearing that you also have different parts of you. Sometimes I go insane inside my head trying to figure myself out but you’re right, our parts have different desires and needs.

      Thank you so much for your kind words about my blog. I have been contemplating taking a break from social media for a solid week or even a month or so. I’m hoping I can actually do it and find peace without it for awhile.

      Hope all is well, I always love hearing your thoughts.

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ABOUT KATIE

Meet Your Brand Artist

I’m Katie, the brand strategist, designer, dreamer, and entrepreneur behind Artful Brands. Dreamy typefaces, clean layouts, and soft color palettes are my love language— but more importantly designing strategic brands that book. I believe in creating a life and a business you love, creativity over competition, and designing with equal parts passion and purpose.

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