Road to Comfortability
8/06/2026
Greetings all. I hope everyone’s July has fared well, or decently at the least. I wasn’t feeling at my best through this month, but since the end fizzled out, I’ve felt more at peace with myself. Every year, somehow, certain events in my life drastically prove why I’m an introvert. I don’t want to get too personal in this entry, so I’ll restrain myself from oversharing. All that will be said is that I can’t wait to grow older! In today’s post, I’ll share my reflections on my position as “Krispydoughnut” on Instagram, Neocities, and Substack. It will be a little bit of a vent so please bear with me.
My Rocky Relationship With Instagram
It’s amazing how foreign authentic growth feels on the internet landscape nowadays. The existence of artificial intelligence and toxic algorithms make it so much harder to disbelieve the Dead Internet Theory. Instagram’s relevance in my life has been teetering for the past two years. It would be toxic for my mental health to continue this any longer, and I think I found the right homes for my art just in time.
My relationship with Instagram is officially at arm’s length as of this month. Posts will continue to be made but that platform is certainly not my place to grow and build a real audience. A portion of my original audience is still present; however, there’s a lack of true engagement other than likes and a couple reshares. The lack of feedback and human interaction has taken a small toll on my perception, which is the root of the problem! I shouldn’t care about this in the first place…How unfortunate! On top of that, Instagram’s connection with Facebook is self-explanatory, the push for AI, endless short-form videos, and the constant implementation of policies and features that deny the user of their privacy does not match up with my ideals. Based on all that was previously stated, if I strived for Instagram virality it would be a race to the bottom and I would never be satisfied (cue: Hamilton reference). So, if you decide to check out my Instagram page please be mindful that I may end up using it only for promotional purposes.
On the Bright Side
Now that I’ve diversified in a “kinda sorta” way, I think I’ve found new homes for my art posts and to connect with new people. First off! I think being here on Neocities is great. I learned how to code, found amazing websites by other users, and am exploring new ways to expand this website. After dwelling here for almost a year the only thing I want to do differently is to interact with other users more. I must admit that my shyness can go overboard from time to time;;
In the future, I will move forward with making pages for webcomics and finding new ways to post more creations other than my completed illustrations. This website is supposed to be a hub for my creations so this will not be the end!
On the Brighter Side
The next home I found is this platform called Substack. On there, you can publish videos, articles, podcasts and all the like for your newsletter. To top it all off, there’s a social media feature that feels like a mix of Twitter and Tumblr’s older selves; it’s called “Notes”. Joining was intimidating at first because I felt out of place. There’s a plethora of professionals who reside there, and I felt like I was too “amateur” to find my place. This was the wrong mindset to have, and I had to get over myself for it. If I wanted to take my art more seriously, I must treat myself more seriously. So, I did.
If you’ve read my newsletters, you can spot that I’m still working out how they should be structured. The point of them is to be the substitute of social media posts and to share nothing else but art and thoughts! I’m still practicing how to be a little more vulnerable, especially through the release of these blog posts. Writing a newsletter isn’t so hard once I practice vulnerability, begin to appreciate what I’m capable of doing, and being more consistent!!! You don’t have to be a perfect writer. This will sound corny, but all you need to be is yourself. I certainly want more people to read my newsletters in the future, so I’ve been doing my best to advertise that alongside my art commissions. Once I got into the groove of writing articles, I started posting Notes more often. Strangely enough, I felt more inspired to draw a couple more days out of the week and instantly post them via my phone. This feeling hasn’t been present since a little after I graduated from high school. What helps is that Substack doesn’t have a fast-paced algorithm. What shows up on your feed can consist of months old posts from accounts that you follow and accounts that align with your interests. I really appreciate this because this is what steady growth feels like. As I stated at the start of this post, this is considered authentic growth.
Since the birth of this website, I’ve been dropping subtle hints that my art will run dry on Instagram and Tumblr. My new interest in posting Notes has made this even more true than before. Instagram’s previous self will be missed, but I will say that there’s always a time to let go of something. Though it’s only partial, because I will continue to post on there, the reality check is that I need to find something else to do to take over the time stolen from me that was just scrolling for hours watching silly cat videos! Rediscovering my passion for writing and drawing just for fun is how it can be properly repaid.
This blog post will come off as sad, especially to folks who have the luxury to not worry about toxic social media platforms. However, I want this to be hopeful to anyone who’s reading. As humans we need to take the time to evaluate the unhealthy addictions these companies promote and find new ways to curb it in a healthy way. I will continue to approach social media with caution and find my own path so that my art can continue to find new eyes. Developing my website and creating newsletters have found their way into my life as genuine hobbies that I wish to get better at. I hope this blog didn’t come off as too much of a rant or was too preachy. This is something that I needed to touch back on and get off my chest.
-KrispyDes