Cyber Support Network

**Apologies if the end of this post turns a little gushy!**

The reality of our era is that we all spend A LOT of time online. I'm certainly guilty of using several different social media outlets frequently but in my defence, the majority of time I spend on them is for business purposes. I promise that isn't an excuse; it is genuinely the case. I would say maybe 20% of my time on Facebook is personal and the rest is all spent replying to enquiries and comments on my business page or sharing progress photos. All useful and important stuff, in my eyes.

As for Twitter and Instagram, they are purely business and have been invaluable sources to me in that respect. I always swore I would NEVER join either of them, but I have discovered that I would simply have been shooting myself in the foot if I had continued to be stubborn, as all three of these sites combined have provided an incredible source of support for me. I have spent a lot of time networking and creating a small following of loyal fans, several of whom I have become good friends with. It seems strange saying that about people you have never met in the flesh, but it's the truth; at least, I feel comfortable enough to say that about them, they might not feel the same!

Working from home has it's pros and cons (a post on that coming soon), one of the cons being that it can get quite lonely working by yourself and when you hit a low point with your work, as I often do, that's the moment when you wish you worked in a bustling office where you can simply turn to your neighbour, vent your frustrations and receive some kind words and helpful advice in return. I have discovered that having a small network of fellow artists/designers/crafters just a few clicks away has really helped to fill that gap.

I find I am chatting to the same people everyday which is just lovely and the more I have been chatting, the more I have felt able to call them friends! They understand exactly where I'm coming from when I say that something hasn't gone to plan or I've spent the day procrastinating and got nothing done. I suddenly remember that there are hundreds of others out there going through exactly the same thing every day and I don't feel quite so isolated. Being able to chat about things that aren't related to work too, now that's the best part and what really makes you feel you're talking to friends.

It would be lovely to one day meet up with some, if not all of these lovely cyber friends in the future. There are often creative events organised designed for this very idea but so far, I've been unable to make any of them! Still, it's truly warming to know there's a friendly bunch of people willing to put up with me and my ramblings-you all know who you are ;-)