I typically avoid new social media because I know I’ll get sucked in… and that is exactly what just happened. I don’t have time to be on social media as it is, doing so only in hopes that it will somehow help my communications and author business. Beats me if it actually helps.
So the thought of adding something new to my mix felt overwhelming and impossible.
But thanks to a friend who encouraged me to try something new and go where the trends are, I find myself drawn into the TikTok world despite my better judgment. Now I’m on this app that is difficult to navigate and not as easy to populate content as IG reels are (or maybe it’s because I finally figured out reels and am comfortable with them and am a creative who hates change and is looking for any reason to despise this new platform).
All entirely possible. I resist certain change for a reason. Because I’m unnerved by new technology. Because I like knowing how things work. Because I want everything to be Gen X user friendly. Because I’m already behind the 8-ball by the time I choose to board the train. Well, I’m here now. And I can choose to give up or give it my best shot.
I chose to give it my best shot. And I realize there is an opportunity to just have fun exploring the possibilities.
It’s different here. I can be a different persona here—I don’t have to be all perfectly professional, even though it is still associated with my FB and IG author accounts. I think that’s the beauty of multiple platforms, though. On FB, I feel like I need to be more polished and share posts that speak to credibility in a sense. On IG, there is more room for play, but also more personal engagement with followers. On TikTok, it feels less “judgey” in the sense that you can truly create what you want and not give a f&*^.
Okay, so you do have to care, and there are tons of trolls and judges out there, but it is more of a means of choosing authentically creative ways of expressing yourself regardless of said opinionators. You can be as serious or as crazy as you want and it is acceptable. Maybe not liked. Maybe not aligned with the masses. Maybe not even cool.
But you can be who you want to be and are encouraged to just be playful.
Now my creative juices are running wild and who knows what I’ll do or say next. Ok, so I do know. Let’s just say I’m probably going to offend some people with my Confessions of a Sassy Sin-gle series, where I dive into revealing some of my experiences and thoughts as a single woman in this digital dating age. I’m going to hurt eardrums with my MamaUber Medleys by recording myself singing Broadway showtunes while waiting to pick-up my kids from living their best life. I do also want to continue to promote my books and general reading fun by connecting with other booktokers about our love of books. We’ll see how it all goes LOL.
So if you want to follow along, you can find me on TikTok @jennydeeauthor (I am nothing if not consistent and predictable). Who knows if you’ll like what you see or instantly unsubscribe from my life. But, that’s your choice and I respect it. Just like I’m going to respect my own choice to play, create, and express myself.
It’s time to honor who I am authentically and maybe inspire some people along the way.