Typewriters, and social media

I am often in conversation with writers and creators about their mixed feelings about social media, or their downright dislike of it. In some ways, it feels like we are at a crossroads with social media. Relying on it for some important things, constantly distracted by it, and repulsed by it for different reasons.

Each month, we find new reasons to become worried about it. I hear people verbalize these fears all the time: “I heard Twitter has a new owner, I wonder how that social network change? Did Instagram’s algorithm just change for the worse? What information is TikTok collecting about me? Is it unethical to use Facebook because of some decision they made about ads they accept? Do I join Discord, or is that just for video game streamers? I hear a lot about Patreon, but I don’t understand it.”

For the writers and creators I work with who struggle with these questions, they feel boxed in by two competing intentions:

  1. “I just want to feel calm, focused, and attend to what matters most to me, including my writing. Social media triggers me in 1,000 ways. I always feel like I’m failing on it, and I’m not sure it’s even a positive place to be.”
  2. “But I love what I create and want to share it with others. Not using social media feels like I’m closing off the channels to reach my readers. Like I’m turning off the internet, removing any way for people to connect with me, and throwing my phone in a lake — and that doing so means I am no longer part of conversations and communities that matter to me. Plus, now I have no meaningful way to develop a platform around my writing.”

One way to view social media is as a tool. You get to decide if you use it. How you use it. When you use it. Let me explain…

This week I gave my 5 year old something that is a milestone in every kids life in 2022. I mean, you’ve probably read countless articles about how it’s the “hot” item this holiday season, already sold out everywhere, and now resellers are price gouging. Yep, of course, it’s a 1940s typewriter:

 

I hear a lot of people describe how “kids today are different” and they “need to have things flashing on a screen in order to hold their interest.” Yet, can I just tell you that this 5yo is OBSESSED with this typewriter. To him, it is a magical tool that is both infinitely complex, and totally accessible. He’s writing on it, having lengthy conversations with grandma about it, and learning the mechanics of it.

The typewriter I gave him came from my collection of typewriters:

 

A typewriter is beautiful object, but it is also a tool. It has a purpose, and like any tool, is has a longer life when it is used, not just displayed.

Surrounding myself with typewriters has me meditating on something all the time: our tools do not define us, but they should empower us. They need not be perfect. They can set limits upon us that incite our creative instincts.

I feel limits are essential to making great art. Whether that is limit of time, of resources, of tools, or something else. I spend loads of time every week researching how great art was made, and there are always stories of the extreme limits in which a great work was created. When we think about how we share, I try to keep in mind the same thing.

Can you give up social media today? Yes. You can literally delete all the apps, close your accounts, and walk away. Seriously. You have permission (not that you need it from me.) Go ahead.

And if you did that, how would you achieve your creative goals of sharing what you create? Well, let’s just consider why sharing with potential readers matters:

  1. You want people to become aware of your work
  2. You want to be present in the places where meaningful connections happen between readers and writers
  3. You hope to have meaningful experiences, and ideally, conversations with others
  4. Over time, it would be nice if this lead to meaningful actions that support and grow your career as a writer or creator

Does social media check off some of these boxes? Sure. But is it the only way? Nope. You get to choose how you share. When you share. Where you share. You get to choose the way you become a part of communities. How you develop connections to readers and other creators.

Just for fun, let’s just brainstorm another way for you to achieve these goals that doesn’t require you to share on social media. I am not being ironic when I make this suggestion: why not buy a typewriter? Okay, bear with me here as I explain this…

So maybe you get a good solid typewriter, like a 1949 Smith Corona Sterling series. I believe this is the one that Tom Hanks recommend people start with. Need a new ribbon for it? Amazon, Ebay, and Etsy are loaded with them, usually under $15.

Then, type up a gratitude letter to people you admire. Fellow authors. Podcasters. Literary festival organizers. In the envelope, include a Polaroid of yourself and the typewriter, being sure to tell the person this is the typewriter you used to type their letter on.

Now, wouldn’t that be an amazing thing to receive in the mail? A real hand-typed letter that says you are awesome? Wouldn’t that be a nice way to seed a professional connection? I like to think so.

You may be thinking: “Dan, this sounds like a lot of work.” And you would be correct. Which is why so many of us default back to social media. Not because it is perfect, but because it is so immediate. Because it offers the possibility to reach many more people with much less effort.

Typewriters are a tool. Social media can be seen as a tool as well (among other things.) They should be used where they create experiences that matter to you. I simply want to encourage you to choose the tools that feel right to you, and for you to learn to use that tool as a craft. To show up to make meaningful connections with others by using it.

I’ve written related posts about this topic of social media in the past, and these are all still relevant today:

Thanks.

-Dan