Instagram, Outstagram

For the last 24 hours, I’ve kept my phone, iPad and computer turned off, and shut away in my office. I was feeling horribly overwhelmed, as I often am – sick of social media, and everything digital. I’ve been playing with bits of paper instead.

And yet… I also rely on digital devices. I mean, I’m back in the office now, writing this on my computer, with the phone and iPad beside me. (And you’re presumably reading it on one of yours.)

What’s more, I consider myself to have done a lot of recovery during the pandemic by sharing on Instagram and getting a warm reception (more than other platforms, not sure why).

In a desperate and (I daresay) mad effort to create some middle ground between digital revulsion and that warm reception, I recently came up with the idea to build alongside Instagram my own “Outstagram”.

What is Outstagram?

I’m going to create a few physical booklets, gathering together curated drawings from the ones I post online, and send these booklets in the post to people who would like to receive them – along with a way for you to leave comments and “likes”.

(I promise I won’t mind if you don’t.)

I only ask that you pay postage, to send the book to the next person – and actually do send it, because I’d like the booklets back!

In the picture at the top of this page, and the others below, you can see how I created the first of these booklets, using thumbnails from a series in which I have drawn myself into (currently) 54 artworks of the past.

For now, this is only open to people who subscribe to my email newsletter. If that’s you, please just get in touch with your contact details, so I can work out if I need to send it to people in different countries etc etc.

PS. If you are a fellow “creative” (pretentious word, but you know what I mean), please think about joining my Whizzy Group – a place to share ideas, and mutual encouragement.