Tea Time: working online

Hey guys!

A few years ago I had a segment on HITS which I named "Tea Time".
It basically labeled the personal chats; the posts that didn't review a piece of music or consisted of an artist answering questions.

It kind of stopped being a regular feature, mainly because I wanted the website to focus on music and photography.

A little while ago I went on a little social media hiatus and decided not to be as online as I usually am.

On Facebook I asked if people were interested in reading about my use of the web and how I keep a balance between working online and being online privately.
Turns out, people were interested.

So ladies and gentlemen, grab a cup of tea (or coffee) and find out how I handle things.
Spoiler: it's probably less exciting than you think.

Alright. Well, my job as a blogger is to create content which I will then put on a website to share it with you - the audience, the readers.
Which means that I spend the time - a thatcher spends working on a roof - working on a computer and sometimes a phone.
That's a lot of time, you say?

Yes, it is.

The time that I have a new post open, ready to type away, doesn't feel like "being online".
Mainly because I don't interact with anyone. All I see is a blank canvas that is ready to be filled with words. It's kind of calming, to be honest.
(Sometimes it's stressful though. Writer's block is a thing.)

But of course, I spend a lot of time on social media platforms, where pretty much everyone else is spending a lot of time as well.

And you are confronted with a lot of people, to say the least.
There are trolls, hateful people, stressful people who need to speak to you and whilst most of the time, that's all bearable - it can get a little overwhelming sometimes. 

How do I keep a balance?
I keep a balance by logging off "mentally" every now and then.
That means I'm not completely throwing my phone and laptop away, I just choose to use it to my pleasure.
Whenever I "zone out" online, I just don't log into any of my work accounts. I leave my email account as it is, and yes, it's possible for a day or two.
Of course people are waiting for replies, but let's be honest - I don't save lives with my job, there is absolutely nothing dramatic going to happen if I don't reply to an email within 24hours.
If I need time off to stay sane and to stay happy, then I will take it.

Whenever I'm not working online, the only people I communicate with online are close friends.
Most of them don't live next door (or closer than 500km near me), so we chat online.
As I don't mind that at all, this is why I don't throw my phone into the next river.
I just do the things I want to do.

On a day to day base, when I'm feeling super alright, I still try to keep a balance.
I usually first check my phone about 30 minutes after waking up. That way, I allow my brain to breathe before the madness starts.

I also don't use my phone when I'm working with my horse, which makes up two hours at least.
So I guess, there's a natural balance in my daily routine already.

What definitely needs to be mentioned - I love the internet and I love the power of social media.
I'm a big fan of technology, therefore the way I handle it is definitely influenced by my opinion about this topic.

I would  love to know what you think about the time we spend online and how you handle it!

Thank you for your visit! 

Credits // Text & Image: Vanessa Jertschewske

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HITS on Social Media

 

Hey guys!
 

 Over the last few months house in the sand turned into a home for even more music lovers than before.
I am absolutely happy and excited about that because it means I'm able to share the brilliant music I get introduced to with even more people.

Just like pretty much every other blogger you can find me on social media. But it's not just me on there; you'll find updates, behind the scenes impressions, you get to be a part of what's yet to happen on this space of web. 

Basically, you'll find out what happens before I get to write about it on here, simply because social media is much faster than writing blogposts.

Also, it's pretty lovely to communicate with you. Feel free to tweet me or message me on Facebook. I'm always up for a little chat and try my best to reply as quick as possible.

house in the sand is on a couple of platforms, yet there are a handful I'd like to introduce you properly, simply because I use them regularly.

(Click the username or image to be see each page!)

Twitter: @houseinthesand

Tweets are short, fast and a lovely way to let people know what's going on.
Come over, feel free to tweet me!

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Facebook: house in the sand Blog

 

Even though a lot of people say negative things about Facebook, I really love it.
If you use it in a clever way, there's not much to worry about.

Facebook allows me to stay in touch with people I don't get to see often and it's a great place to share what's going on in a more detailed way. 

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Instagram: houseinthesand

 

I think it only needs one word to explain why I love Instagram:
photographs!

Yep, I think that just sums it up perfectly.

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 YouTube: house in the sand Blog

 

 Videos became a massive part of the blog and I really enjoy producing video content for you.
On the HITS channel you'll find exclusive sessions, interviews, tour videos and a lot more.

And that's the four main platforms I focus on, I'd love to see you over there. :)



Thank you for reading!




 

Credits // Text, house in the sand image: Vanessa Jertschewske 

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Social Media & Music?!

Hey guys,

It's no secret that I'm a convinced social media user.
Neither is it a secret that I'm a massive music lover.

And those two topics seem to melt together in so many ways, that at some points you might not even know that there are (were) other possibilities before the whole social media thing existed.

A little while ago I had to produce an interview for my journalism studies; the task was it to talk to somebody about something they know a lot about.
Being a music blogger I instantly thought about musicians to interview and special topics to talk about.
For me, usually, the first idea I get is the best and the one I stick with.

The first idea in this case was it to talk about how social media affects the music industry.

And of course it makes sense to interview a musician for that. The wonderful James O'Neill from the Scottish duo Martin and James (aka one of the most talented bands I know) was the one I got to talk with.

Actually the interview was just for my studies but it turned out to be so interesting that I just have to share it with you.

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