Social Media & Validation

What’s the biggest takeaway that I’ve learned when it comes to social media and validation?

I’ve learned that social media will never be able to fix me. It won’t bring me ultimate joy, and it definitely won’t validate me as a person.

For so long I’ve always struggled with seeking validation, how I would go about it would be very sneaky, I would put myself down or tell others my songs or poetry isn’t that good compared to others.

Another thing is I’ve posting A LOT as of late, like 3 to maybe 4 posts a day. This is currently something I’ve realized about me…well really I’ve noticed this for awhile just really didn’t want to admit to myself I actually might be an Instagram addict.

In short, my idol is Instagram…

No shocker there…

I think in my case I feel like I fall under the FOMO category, fear of missing out. I’ve had this really gnarly habit of checking Instagram whenever I’m bored, and when one is bored, dangerous habits can take form and then take over your life.

Someone I interact with on Instagram said that we need to be willing to check in with ourselves before going to the screens, and I too believe that as well, its a matter of putting that into practice that makes it hard.

I heard this song from a band called ‘The Boxer Rebellion’ they have a song called “Love Yourself” and social media isn’t gonna make us love ourselves any more or any less.

Yes social media can be a great thing, in moderation, but it can unfortunately be like a drug if we aren’t careful.

Advertisement

Writing is a Beautiful Struggle

Hey beautiful people, I hope you all are doing well.

So as some of you know, I write, I write songs, I write poems, and for a couple years I had another blog called ‘APLTF’ (A Poet Learning to Forgive.) I decommissioned that blog because I was writing everyday but after awhile I couldn’t come up with anything.

I have kind of loved ,and hated writing. I hate having to write if I have to, I hate having deadlines on when something should come out, I don’t like the pressure I feel that I NEED to put out something. As I’ve said before I hate forced creativity.

I just feel its way too inauthentic if I try to get something out there or force it. Its not sincere, and for a long time I feel I’ve been in a place or season where I’ve found myself force creating songs, poems etc for creativity’s sake. For from the heart.

Its a terrifying thought for me…

Writing is a struggle, its hard to explain the things I want to get across, its a struggle, yet I enjoy the struggle, the uphill battle.

Writing is a beautiful struggle…

What I’m currently learning as a creative and as a person that I NEED, ABSOLUTELY NEED to be patient in the process.

Dark Dreams

Hey everyone, I hope you all are having a good week so far.

I want to discuss something I haven’t talked about in my previous blog sites.

I get terrifying nightmares, and I’ve dealt with these “dark dreams” for most of my life. I also call them “demonic dreams.”

I’ve come to realize that these dreams are based on fear and kill my confidence. Sometimes I wonder if its just my imagination acting up, that also could be a thing.

Something I’ve learned is that as scary as these dreams get, I need to learn that nothing can happen to me, the demonic dreams can’t cause any harm to me. I also need to fight the thoughts I have with truth, speak life where there is no life, reading the Word.

Speak light into the spaces where its dark.

Stay awesome people

-Openhandspoetry

Its been awhile…

Hey everyone, welcome to my first post.

My name is Austin Jenkins and this is my new blog site ‘Openhandspoetry.’

I can’t tell you what ‘Openhandspoetry’ means yet cuz honestly I don’t know what it means to me. All I really know is I really missed writing…like a lot.

I think the last time I had a blog I was writing almost everyday. Inspiration was on my side, I did my best to be honest in my posts about where I was, how I was feeling, yet also encourage myself and those who read my blog posts.

My problem was I was writing so much and so often that I ran out of things to talk about and in turn had me stuck. I tried to get myself unstuck by trying to come up with a topic and after that it just became what I like to call ‘forced creativity.’

Any creative knows that when you try to force create a piece of art, its not going to come out the way you want it or need it too. That’s what I did, so eventually I just put my blogging to rest.

I just need to take it easy, step back, but mostly take breaks and commit. That’s seems to be my problem is committment when working on something. Inspiration will come when it comes but sometimes you gotta work a bit before something good hits you. That’s just how the creative process sometimes works.

Alright y’all, hopefully you all have a goodnight

Stay Awesome

Austin Jenkins

Openhandspoetry