Sometimes life is chill. You go about your days. You drink your coffee in the morning. You have a routine. It’s all good.

My life hasn’t been really chill or had any sort of routine since Oct 7 2023.

But recently, on top of everything I got let go from my marketing job, that felt so so safe. Yet another reminder, that nothing in life is safe.

So at first, I got angry and pretty upset that they decided to let me go DURING MAT LEAVE, no less. I have two children and the second one is going to start daycare soon, so our expenses are only going to skyrocket.

But then. My husband said something: “Maybe you should go back to freelancing?” My first thought was: Woah… running my own business again? I need a predictable income for my family!!! But my belly did a somersault and it felt like an exciting idea. Even though I’m all about following your highest excitement, I decided to bury this idea for now. And for an entire day I was applying for full-time marketing positions.

Until, I woke up the next morning praying that I’ll only receive rejections so that I can fully focus on building my business again.

Huh? I thought I didn’t want it because it felt irresponsible?! But then… my husband said something else: “You’re so much more organized and work way better when you work for yourself… go give it a go.”

My husbands support, gave me the courage I needed to fly into the unknown.

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The questions came flooding in…

How long will it take for me to find my first client? What kind of business am I going to build this time? What if it doesn’t work? Will I reach $10k months again? Can I make it a sustainable business that will create long-term freedom for me and my family?

My intuition said: it will work.

So I trusted. And two weeks ago, I decided what I am going to do. I committed to it 110% percent. Because there is no plan B.

We do have savings, but we don’t touch them. That’s a rule. I rather go work a minimum wage job than touch savings. So yep, it’s not an option.

The truth is…

I am made for running my own business. I did it once in the past, but it didn’t work out exactly as I wanted it to. It didn’t support my life in the way I needed it to. Yes, I reached $10k months at some point, but pretty soon after that milestone I had to dissolve it.

But I am not going into this blind. I have experience. I know now, why it didn’t work out. I know where I was a little stupid to be honest. Looking back I understand the mistakes I made in my business model. So this time, I am going into it smarter and with way more confidence!

So what is the dream scenario here & what am I going to do?

My dream is to build a business, that will create financial freedom, more opportunities for my family and that I genuinely like. It’s quite simple. I want to build it around my life, have work life balance, have the opportunity to work as much or as little as I want - while doing meaningful and helpful work.

And I found a great way to do it.
Combining what I do really well with what’s in demand: creating content for founders and entrepreneurs.

To be more specific: I am helping them with personal branding and LinkedIn ghostwriting to either attract the right clients, talent or investors. As you know, I love writing (and I used to be in tech) I’ve been in marketing for a long time and I know how incredibly well ghostwriting works. And this gives me the opportunity to support founders who are truly obsessed about changing the world!

My current goals:

1. Get my first 2 clients in 30 days

2. Reach my previous salary by 60 days

So this is the plan. Plan A. No plan B.
And I will be documenting every step of my journey to freedom. So that if someone here is curious and wants to do the same, can do it too. I won’t gatekeep. Promise.

So ask me any questions in the comments and I will answer all of them!

PS: I will still also write about my regular topics. But building a new business from scratch is simply a part of my journey right now (and I know I wish I had someone share theirs while they’re building it!).

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I’m taking a sip of my creamy coffee and my mind suddenly takes me on a thought experiment.

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What if I just let go of my ambitions?

The most freeing thought experiment

What if I simply became content with the life I already have and tried my best to live in sincere gratitude? Because I do have a beautiful life. A deeply beautiful one. But the beauty keeps getting crushed under the pressure I put on myself. I keep denying the fullness of my life because I think I should already be further ahead.

So yeah. What if I still worked toward my dreams, but without this silent belief that if I don’t get there, my life was somehow worthless? Ouch.

Didn’t publish that book?

Didn’t become a recognized illustrator?

Well… that’s okay.

At first, this thought felt like almost holy relief. Like unclenching a fist I didn’t even realize I had been holding for years. Like the light at the end of the tunnel I’ve been waiting to reach for a decade.

Because sometimes the hunger for “more” steals from the life directly in front of you. Sometimes ambition makes coffee taste dull. Makes marriage feel ordinary.
Makes healthy children, a safe home, a peaceful evening, and a functioning body feel like background noise instead of the entire miracle.

Sometimes the constant reaching makes you emotionally absent from your own life.

How modern culture makes it worse

And modern culture will comfort you here. It will gently whisper:
“You can have both gratitude and ambition.”

Which is true. But also maybe not entirely true.

Because ambition does steal from gratitude.
Sometimes wanting a bigger life makes the current one feel painfully small.
Sometimes the obsession with ‘becoming’ makes it impossible to fully inhabit what already is.

But then there’s the other side.

The “simple things matter” narrative can also become dangerously convenient. People say things like “I just want a peaceful life” when they are exhausted. Or scared. Or disappointed. Or slowly trying to convince themselves not to risk wanting more, when they secretly do.

The most painful questions ever?

And I genuinely don’t know where the line is. Because “I just want peace” can be wisdom. But it can also be surrender disguised as maturity.

So what is the truth?

The real question feels much harsher than whether ambition is good or bad.

The real question is:

• Am I trying to let go of ambition because I have genuinely outgrown it?

• Or because I am terrified I won’t become who I hoped I’d be?

• Do I actually want these dreams?

• Or do I want to be seen as the kind of person who achieved them?

• Would I still want this if nobody applauded?

• Would I still write if nobody called me talented?

• Would I still create if nobody watched?

• Would I still want the book if it sold 300 copies instead of 300,000?

• Am I willing to pay the actual price for the life I claim I want?

• Or do I just want the fantasy version of it?

Because ambition sounds beautiful in theory.
But in practice it often means uncertainty, embarrassment, rejection, obsession, delayed gratification, risk, comparison, loneliness, and years of being mediocre before becoming good. And worst of all: wishing your current life would look different.

And that’s what hurts the most. Not the possibility of failure. But rather the question:

If I never became “big,” would I still believe my life was worth something?

That’s the wound. Not whether you should strive. But whether you believe you’re allowed to matter without winning.

About the author

Hi there! I’m Nata — an illustrator, writer, and ex-influencer whose work has reached 400M+ views online. After a decade of creating self-development content, building a community of 80K+ followers, and mentoring 450+ women, I stepped away from social media for a year. On Substack, I write about ambition, digital minimalism, creativity, identity, ambition, and the quiet rebellion of building a slower, deeper life — with a little silliness, because life is already serious enough.

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I am creating a monthly snail mail letter subscription called The Offline Club. You can already join the waitlist here! If you want a cool analog surprise every month, that will make you feel giddy with excitement and will include a custom illustration, a letter, a monthly challenge and a surprise goodie - then you should sign up for free!

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My life isn’t objectively bad, it’s just… not as good as someone else’s.

I’m 30. And sometimes I genuinely feel like I’ve barely achieved anything.
Which isn’T true of course, but it feels this way, compared to other people.

I don’t look at what I built. I look at what I didn’t.

I didn’t write a book.
I didn’t have a significant positive impact on the world.

(And yes, I am looking directly at people like benny blanco aka Benjamin J. Levin and thinking… cool cool cool, love that for you, devastating for me.)

And suddenly my very normal, actually quite decent life starts to feel ‘less than’.

The part I don’t like to admit

Because (thank goodness) nothing is technically wrong with my life. I have some nice skills, a ‘career’, an awesome husband, children, a brain that works (a tad bit too much), I live in the desert where I always wanted to live.

So yeah, it’s all things I wanted. But the second I open my phone or think about what other people my age are doing—it’s over. Boom. I’m not good enough, wah wah.

There is always someone younger, hotter, richer, more disciplined, more successful. Someone who already did the thing I’ve been “meaning to get to.” And then your brain does this evil thing where it goes:

So what exactly have you been doing?

A (philosophical) thought experiment

Okay. Let’s say comparison just… didn’t exist.

There are no timelines, no invisible checklist of what you should have done by 30 and (most imoprtantly) no exposure to people who seem to be ahead of you.

It’s just you, your interests, your pace and your life as it actually is right now.

Would you feel behind (behind what? there’s nothing to compare your life to)? Or would you just feel… normal? Maybe even content?

So why don’t we just stop?

Because comparison isn’t just toxic. It’s also annoyingly useful.

It shows you what’s possible.

Fun fact: I started illustrating after I saw many cool posters in my city and I was like ‘hey I could easily do that’ and I did. And within a month of teaching myself illustration, I was already designing an event for a Sony Music Entertainment sub-label in New York.

Without it, maybe you don’t push yourself. Maybe you stay in your comfortable little bubble and never even realize what you’re capable of.

Comparison is the thing that makes you go: “Oh. That exists? I want that.” But it’s also the thing that immediately follows with: “You’re late. Ha-ha! And probably not good enough anyway. Jokes on you!”

So you’re stuck. You need it and it’s ruining your life (or maybe it doesn’t and it’s just me).

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The real problem

We compare like idiots.

We compare our raw, unedited, confusing, inconsistent lives
to someone else’s most optimized outcome. Their polished-bling-bling-finished product.

Also, let’s be honest… there’s something else going on. Comparison gives structure to our anxiety. It gives us a reason to feel bad that sounds legitimate (hear me out here!). “I’m behind” feels more productive than “I don’t know what I want and that scares me.”

So we cling to it. Because at least it’s clear and measurable. And on top of that, there’s someone to point at. How convenient.

So what’s the solution?

I don’t think the answer is to completely stop comparing.

That’s unrealistic (but possible) and also—kind of boring. The answer is to stop using comparison as self-harm. And start using it as neutral information.

Instead of spiraling into: “Why am I not there yet? I’m a piece of shit!”
Try: “Do I even want that life? Like sure it looks amazing, but at what cost?”

Because half the time—you don’t. You just want the feeling you think it would give you.

Validation.
Security.
Recognition.
Freedom.

And those don’t only exist in one very specific, socially approved path.

The truth

You’re not behind.

You’re just constantly watching people who are on completely different timelines,
with different resources, priorities, and personalities—and acting like you’re all in the same race, playing by the same rules.

You’re not. Because, there is no race. There is just a lot of people running very fast in different directions and occasionally looking sideways to panic (this visual makes me laugh).

Where this leaves me

I still compare. All the time and way too much.

I still have moments where I feel like I wasted years or missed my window
or didn’t push hard enough. And that I will never amount to the ideal version of myself that I have literally created in my head.

But I’m starting to see it for what it is. It’s not a truth. Just a perspective. A very specific, very curated, very unreliable perspective. But one I am allowed to view with neutrality.

Thank you for reading!!!!!
Love,
Nata

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WHAT TO READ NEXT:

Instead, I felt overwhelmed. My whole system rejected it. My soul literally gagged a little when I opened the app. And then… there was just disinterest.

Hi, I’m Nata—an ex-influencer and artist who left social media behind at 80K+ followers. Now I write about digital minimalism, making things that actually matter, and building a life beyond the algorithm.

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I scrolled, because of course I did. Everything looked good, the algorithm still knew me a bit. A cartoon here and there made me exhale through my nose. A small, polite “hah.” Intellectually satisfying. I spoke to some people, was happy to go through the memes I missed.

But nothing really stayed. Nothing made me want to linger. Nothing made me want more.

And that, more than anything, unsettled me. Because I used to be someone who could disappear into it for hours. Saving posts, collecting ideas, building little mental archives of inspiration like it was my job (because, at one point, it was).

Now, I don’t even want the app on my phone.

And yet, there’s still something there. A reflex. Not a desire, exactly, but a muscle memory. The urge to reach for my phone even when there is nothing to check. A quiet, persistent thought humming somewhere in the background:

What if you’re missing something? (FOMO should be a halloween costume)

Something important. Something urgent. Something you should know. Which is almost funny when you look at it too closely. Because what, exactly, have I ever truly missed?

If someone needs me, they call. If something matters, it finds its way to me.And still, that feeling lingers. Not logical. Just… embedded. Like a ghost of a habit that hasn’t fully left my body yet. Even after a year of being offline.

But here’s the part I can’t ignore: I didn’t come back for the scrolling.

Art needs eyes

I came back because I want to share. I want my art to be seen. I want to connect with people—the ones I built something with, the ones I still miss.

Art needs eyes. That much feels true.

What doesn’t feel true anymore is everything that comes with it when you want to show it on social media. Because being online now feels heavy, man. Sticky. Like something that takes more than it gives and then asks for a little more, just in case. Yuck.

And I’ve spent the last year getting clean from that feeling. Like pulling myself out of something that had a grip on me.

I don’t want to lose that.
So I find myself negotiating, like people do when they’re trying to outsmart something that has already outsmarted them. “Maybe I can just post. Reply to comments. Answer DMs. Be present, but briefly. No scrolling. Ten minutes a day. In and out. (lol.)”

Even as I think it, I know how that story goes. Ten minutes has never been ten minutes. Not once in the history of ten minutes.

The question I don’t have an answer to

So I’m here, in this strange in-between. Not fully gone. Not fully back. Just… hovering. Watching myself think about it. Asking a question I don’t have a clean answer to:

Is there a way to be there without losing myself again? Or is the only real freedom not going back at all?

For the first time, I’m not rushing to decide. What surprised me most wasn’t the app. It was me.

The version of me who used to need it, the one who reached for it without thinking, who believed something important was always waiting inside, she feels far away now. Almost unfamiliar.

Logging back in didn’t bring her back (thank goooodness!!). It just showed me how much has changed.

Because once you experience real silence, not the ‘slow-living-but-let-me-post-my-morning-coffee-on-my-stories”’ one, but the kind that rewires your nervous system. So once you experienced that, it becomes very hard to go back to noise.

And social media is noise. A constant stream of noise, like a TV being on in the background 24/7. Relentless in its quiet way.

It’s almost wild to me that I grew up with it without ever questioning it. Not once. Not even for a second. Of course, the early days felt different. Lighter, slower and very innocent.

What else is there, that I might regret?

But somewhere along the way, it turned into an addictive attention machine.
A thief. Not stealing hours in dramatic chunks, but in small, forgettable moments. A minute here. A scroll there. Nothing that feels significant on its own. Which is scarier.

Because it adds up to something that looks a lot like your life.

And now I can’t unsee it.
Which makes me wonder what else I’m living inside of without questioning. What else feels normal simply because it has always been there.

Because sometimes I think about the millions of people who wake up and reach for their phone before anything else. Before a thought. Before a breath. Before fully arriving in the new day. The freshness of the morning, gone in seconds. Replaced by noise. Opinions. Images. Other people’s realities. The first thing they see isn’t sunlight. Or their child. Or their partner.

It’s a screen.

The new regret of the dying

And I wonder how many people will reach the end of their lives and realize (too late) that they spent years of it looking down. (I think soon we will have a book titled “the new regrets of the dying” with social media use being the top one)

I don’t say this from a place of judgment. I say it because I was one of them. And maybe, in some ways, I still am. I’ve felt what life is like without the constant pull. Without the background noise. Without the need to check, refresh, scroll.

And now I can’t unknow that feeling. So if I come back or if I choose to stay, it will be on different terms. I won’t be there to disappear. I’ll be there to show up. To share what I create. To connect, briefly and intentionally. And then to leave again. No endless scrolling. No unconscious giving away of my attention.

But again, I might also stay offline forever.

It’s been one year.

365 days of no posting, no content creation. Pure freedom from the slave-machine. Biggest relief of my life (besides pushing two babies out, duh).

And honestly, it feels just like a 30-day-detox, not a year. I could easily go another year. Life is just deeply calm without it. It’s been so nice not to be the bitch of the algorithm.

And now I am not entirely sure what to do next.

I don’t really want to go back. And if someone were to tell me that I absolutely have to - I’d throw a tantrum like a child whose mom just said that they have to go to the doctor. * BuT I doN’t WaaAant ToOoOo*

But here I am. One year later.

A little bit more clarity of where I want to go and what I want to do. But also DREADING the fact that it might include using social media again (could I use it again and not give a fuck about the algorithm and post whenever I want to and ignore the few likes and mean comments?)

So yes, more clarity but still absolutely confused.

What I hoped would happen vs. what actually happened

I hoped that I would get rid of all the outside noise and that clarity about my future would simply fall into my lap. Instead, I was pregnant most of the time, gave birth, my husband was away in the army and my country went from one war to the next. So life was pushing me quite literally into survival mode.

And here we are. Still no end in sight. War is still waring and we are still running to the bomb shelter at night with a toddler and a newborn in tow. That’s not political, this is just our reality.

But leaving social media, did create a lot of quiet for me. I don’t think I would have been able to survive this time if there would have been this added pressure and expectation of creating content every day.

3 things I learned being offline for a year

To be fair, I’ve learned a lot in my time off. Those things might be obvious or expected, but the extent of them is way bigger than I could have anticipated (don’t worry, will share the juicy things in my next post).

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1. I was addicted to social media

   Like for real. It’s not necessarily the social media, but the scroll. The moment I deleted all apps, I found other ways to get the dopamine (through youtube, reddit and pinterest). Fairly quickly I had to delete youtube and to reduce my time on reddit. But still, when I was bored and couldn’t find my kindle or book fast enough, I’d open pinterest. And it was also making me feel a little bad, because I was bombarded by visuals of the life I want but currently can’t have.

2. I was wasting my time
   I spent hours every day being distracted by the algorithm. Which is horrible. It was literally the devil disguised as pretty videos, stealing my precious time and removing me from things and activities that truly matter. And I am not being dramatic. Because what I pay attention to ultimately becomes my life.
   So instead of spending more time with my children, or focusing on becoming better at my craft - I was scrolling. Isn’t it STUPID as hell? It goes against all logic, and yet I was doing it.

3. It ruined the natural flow of my thoughts
   I was influenced by social media so much that unbeknownst to me, I forgot how my own inner thoughts would naturally flow. I was so disconnected from that inner center of calm that I even forgot how it felt like (and even keeping shabbat one day a week didn’t help)

   

What’s coming next?

It seems that I will return to social media in some capacity. The main reason is that I want my art to be seen (as I said in my last post: there is nothing humble in hiding your gifts). I need feedback and I want/need to improve my skills!!! And I also feel like sharing what I learned on this year off.

I am also very determined to find a way to get back on social media in a healthy way. A way that doesn’t the life out of me.

In the coming posts, I’ll share the 10 things I learned from a year offline, and my approach to returning in a more balanced way.
(I’m still offline, by the way.)

Read my latest essay

unfiltered

You will die with untouched potential (if nothing changes)

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5 months ago · 4 likes · 1 comment · Nata Goldberg

Thank you so so much for reading bestie. It means the world. Truly.

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Hi, I’m Nata. I write about life after quitting social media as an influencer and how to live intentionally, creatively, and powerfully in a noisy digital age. Around here we talk about life optimization, minimalism, and reaching our full potential outside the algorithm.

Multipassionate people carry a very specific kind of restlessness.

We don’t just want one thing.
We want everything.

We want to write books and illustrate them.
Paint, design, build something beautiful.
Learn the piano. Climb mountains. Start projects. Finish them. Master them.

Not casually.

We want depth. Excellence. Mastery.

We want to control the skill and let the skill control us. To explore it fully, understand it, and then create something from it. Something that matters. Something that adds to the world.

Because that’s really what this is about.

Not just doing things—but doing them in a way that moves something. In ourselves. In others. Creating a positive ripple effect in the world.

And yes, we want to be seen doing it. Because if it stays hidden, it doesn’t ripple.
It doesn’t reach. It doesn’t even impress your mom’s WhatsApp group.

So in simple terms: we want to succeed.

For ourselves—but also because we genuinely believe we have something to contribute. And there is something deeply unsettling about the idea of reaching the end of your life and realizing you didn’t even come close.

Didn’t build.
Didn’t share.
Didn’t become.

You were meant for more

For multipassionate people, that fear is amplified. Because it’s not just one dream you’re risking. It’s ten. All simultaneously.

And one lifetime feels… insufficient. So the pressure builds. The quiet anxiety of “I’m not doing enough, fast enough” becomes background noise. Constant. Heavy. Now, I won’t speak for everyone—but I’ll speak for myself.

I am deeply afraid of dying without having created something meaningful.
Without having become someone I respect.

It took me years to unlearn the idea that hiding your talents is somehow noble.

It’s not.
There is nothing humble about shrinking.
There is nothing virtuous about staying invisible.

If you were given something—an eye, a voice, a skill—it is meant to be used. Not buried. The earlier you unlearn that, the better.

Social media is not legacy

I’m 30 now.

Until 29, I was an influencer (among other things including illustrator etc). Content creator. Online personality. Whatever label fits. I lived inside the algorithm.

And yes—on paper, it worked.

Over 300 million views.
An audience of over 70,000 people.
Hundreds of women I worked with, supported, mentored.

From the outside, it looked like success. But internally? I was constantly questioning myself. Wondering if it was real. If it would last (I knew it won’t).
If it even meant anything.

Because here’s the truth: Social media is not legacy.

It’s exposure, sure. Fast, addictive, fleeting exposure.

Your best work disappears in 24 hours (how f*cking sad) and your thoughts get reduced to captions. And I realized—I don’t want my most important body of work to live there.

So I left. Even though it made money. Even though it “worked”, in a way.

And now, looking at where things are going, I feel a growing discomfort.

Because the creator economy is both building dreams—and forcefully destroying them. Yes, it gives people opportunity. Visibility. A way out of poverty or their 9-5.

But it also sets a brutal condition:

If you can’t treat it like a full-time job—on top of your already full life—you will struggle to succeed (unless you have a team). And most people don’t have that capacity. Especially not if they’re trying to actually build something meaningful at the same time.

But beyond that, there’s a deeper issue.

If we’re honest—social media is draining you. You open your phone for 10 minutes. It turns into two hours. Saving posts, convincing yourself it’s useful. That you’ll come back to it later. But you don’t.

What you’re left with instead is: A foggy mind with fragmented attention.
A head full of other people’s opinions before you even had your first cup of coffee.

Besides all the known negatives of social media, the true cost is that it disconnects you from the very thing you need in order to create anything meaningful. Your inner voice.

Opportunities come from people

Because imagine this:

What if you took those same two hours—and used them to work on your craft? Every day. What could you build in two years? Five? A body of work. A skill that actually compounds. Something real that doesn’t disappear in 24 hours.

And here’s the part most people don’t want to hear: You do not need social media to succeed.

It helps, yes. It gives exposure, but it’s not the only path to opportunity.

Opportunities come from people.

From conversations. From being remembered.
From someone thinking: “This is exactly what Nata does.”

Most of my opportunities didn’t come from Instagram. They came from someone recommending me. A friend. A colleague. A connection.

That’s how real doors open. Doors that provide you a way to share your message in a way that lasts way longer, and penetrates deeper.

I’m still in the process of building something that lasts. Still collecting small wins.

I’ve illustrated a book that will soon be published.
I’m writing a book proposal for a book I genuinely believe needs to exist.
I’ve worked with hundreds of women, met interesting people.

And I keep showing up. Even without social media. Because consistency compounds—whether it’s visible or not.

Getting there

So if you’re starting from zero, or from a small audience, or from nothing at all—You’re not behind. You’re just early in your own process.

Focus your time on what you believe in. Break the addiction to your phone. Because if we don’t change something, the direction is sadly clear.

We are heading toward a world where:

Everyone is consuming, but very few are creating anything of importance.
Everyone has opinions, but very few are their own.
Everyone is visible, but almost no one is truly skilled.

A world of constant stimulation—but with little to no substance.

And the scary part? It doesn’t feel like decline, it just feels normal (which makes it dangerous).

Benny blanco’s dirty feet

So maybe the real rebellion now is this: To go deeper and find lasting ways to get your work out there. To create and build something slowly. To become someone with substance in a world optimized for distraction.

Imagine if you don’t change anything. Where will you land if your habits stay exactly the same?

I know that I need to do way more. And it kills me when I see people like Benny Blanco who have MADE IT, like he is insane man. And so young. He build a legacy that will probably be sent to mars for aliens to find. He has succeeded so hard that his dirty feet are a frickin trend now. Anyway… I digress. What I’m saying is that he has done it with A LOT of effort, with the help of other people. With taking risks and doing things in new clever ways. But he has dedicated his life to his art.

So yeah, his existence gives me anxiety that I won’t ever make it. He just put the bar way too high. And at the same time, he shows us all what is possible when you dedicate your life to something.

Now that I said all this I am leaving you with some food for thought…

• What do you want to do with your life and if you keep going as you do right now, will you get there?

• At the end of your life, will you regret having spend so much time on your phone instead of doing something real?

Alright, thank you for reading my friend. I hope that my ramblings made sense.

Love,
Nata

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This is a no fluff, let’s-get-real kind of post.
If you’re anything like me then you probably have some big dreams. Goals you value deeply and really want to see achieved in your lifetime. But it seems like those goals are either too lofty (they aren’t) or too complex even to begin with.

And so you push them away until a better time. A magical time in the future where your to-do list will be shorter and when life will align in the perfect way and when your motivation is just right to take action.

I don’t want to shatter your illusion, but I also kind of do.
So here is the only thing you’ll need to read in order to know how to make your dreams come true, quite literally.

Hi, I’m Nata. I write about life after quitting social media as an influencer and how to live intentionally, creatively, and powerfully in a noisy digital age. I’ve mentored over 400 women in goal-setting, personal growth, and creating a life that feels aligned and fulfilling. Around here we talk about life optimization, minimalism, and reaching our full potential outside the algorithm.

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3 steps to achieving your dreams

Goals are not achieved through motivation.
They’re achieved through something much less exciting, but much more powerful:

Goal dedication.

Dedication isn’t powered by motivation. It is built and sustained by daily action. By a commitment to something bigger than the daily inconveniences holding you back from taking action.

So here are the no BS 3 steps to making it happen.

1. Have a purpose

You need an overarching ideal.
A reason. A real one.

Why do you want this? And I don’t mean something surface-level.

I mean something that feels a little uncomfortable to admit.
Something that pulls you forward.
Something you’re willing to inconvenience yourself for.

Because if your reason isn’t strong enough, you will eventually stop.

2. Define the goal clearly

A clearly as you can. Get into the nitty gritty. You can use SMART goals for all I care (look it up), its doesn’t matter how you do it, but it’s imperative that you get it done.

The point is this:
Your goal needs to be clear enough that you can’t hide from it.

Not “I want to get in shape.” What does that mean? How much weight? By when? What does success actually look and feel like?

Vague goals are easy for your brain to ignore.
Clear goals coupled with a purpose demand a response.

3. Break it down into daily actions

This is what actually gets shit done. This is the ugly, beautiful, annoying, magical and the most practical of the 3 steps.

What do you need to do every day to move closer to this goal?

Yes. Daily.

Small enough that you can actually do it.
Clear enough that you can’t pretend you don’t know what to do.

You should be able to see and feel progress, even if it feels teeny tiny.

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Real Talk

And now we are coming to the REAL part of getting things done.

Let me tell you this: There is no easy way to make things happen.
That’s why you need:

Goal dedication.

Period.

No motivation.
But dedication.

That’s why you need a purpose. A reason bigger than just achieving this thing.
Something that you are willing to get uncomfortable for.

The biggest obstacle

And what is the biggest obstacle between you and the version of yourself who achieved this goal?

I could say it’s your mindset.
But I won’t. Because it’s not. The fact that you are reading this proves that your mindset is probably right.

So it’s certainly not your mindset, because it’s the accumulated actions over time that shape your mindset.

You just have to take action.

I’ll say it again because it’s important:

Take action.

And you might say:

“I don’t have time.”
“I have bigger fish to fry than following my dreams.”
“Maybe one day.”
“Maybe next week.”
“I first need a plan.”

Bla bla bla.
No.
Stop.

This inner dialogue will never end.
There will ALWAYS be other things begging for your attention. Daily tasks. Business admin. Grocery shopping. Hell, KIDS.

Spoiler alert:

Your to-do list will NEVER end.

Like, ever.

If it would, you would have been done with it at some point in your life…
But that never happened, did it?

Because it — truly — never ends.

So here is what you need to do.

And this is crucial, so read carefully and let it sink into your deepest subconscious:

If you don’t save a bit of your time every day to dedicate to your goal,
then there won’t be a moment in the future when you suddenly, magically start.

The time won’t appear unless you make it.

Unless you sacrifice other things for it. Even if it’s 20 minutes one day and 2 hours the next.

If you don’t make the time, the time won’t EVER appear. And your dream will stay a dream. And your ambition, without action, will slowly turn into anxiety, frustration, or even anger.

Now…

Go and plan one action for today.

Define your goal,
your mission,
your purpose.

And just take action.

Added bonus tips:

• Accountability buddies
  Get yourself an accountability buddy. A friend, a partner or a stranger on reddit. Tell them your goal and report on your daily actions.

• Use your connections
  Do you know anyone who could help you move the needle forward? If you want to grow your business, do you have a friend or acquaintance that is at least one step ahead? Ask them for advice. This applies to any field.

• Vision board
  Make one. Print it out. Have it as your screen saver. It will help you keep your goal front and center in your awareness.

• Remove friction
  Make the daily action as accessible as possible by removing friction. Want to eat better but have the house full of sweets? Give them to your neighbors.

I have more tips down my sleeve. If you want personalized tips, just comment below and I will reply to everyone.

Leave a comment

What to read next…

Hi, I’m Nata. I write about life after quitting social media as an influencer and how to live intentionally, creatively, and powerfully in a noisy digital age. Around here we talk about life optimization, minimalism, and reaching our full potential outside the algorithm.

Privacy used to be normal.
Now wanting it makes people uncomfortable.

“If you have nothing to hide, why do you care?”

But privacy was never about hiding something.
It’s about having a space that belongs only to you.

A place where your thoughts, habits, and daily life aren’t constantly being watched, analyzed, and stored somewhere in a database.

Because once you start looking closer, you realize something strange about the internet: we are not just sharing moments with friends. We are feeding massive systems that collect, categorize, and monetize information about us.

Every photo. Every like. Every location tag. All of it becomes data.

Companies build profiles that predict what you will buy, what you believe, how you vote, what makes you anxious, what makes you (literally) click. And this information doesn’t disappear. It lives on servers long after we’ve forgotten the post itself.

So privacy isn’t about guilt or secrecy. It’s about autonomy (!!!).

It’s about not having every part of your life turned into a product. It’s about having moments that belong only to you and the people actually in the room with you.

The Epstein files reminder

And it becomes even more important when children are involved.

Many kids today have a digital footprint before they can even speak. Their faces, their names, their schools, their routines are documented online for an audience they never chose.

Most parents share out of love. But the internet is not a family photo album. Once something is posted, it can travel far beyond the intended audience. And unfortunately the online world also contains people we would never willingly invite into our homes (think about it!).

Cases like the Epstein scandal reminded us of something f*cking creepy: there are powerful and disturbing networks in the world that thrive on exploitation. The internet didn’t create that reality, but it has certainly made access and distribution easier.

So privacy becomes a form of protection.

The Culture of Constant Visibility

We live in a moment where being visible has quietly become part of everyday culture.

The days where social media was just a place where people post photos, is long gone. It has become an entire ecosystem. It’s where we follow the news, discover music and books, see what people are wearing, learn about trends, watch cultural debates unfold.

It’s also where friendships live.

You open an app and suddenly you know:

– who had a baby
– who moved cities
– who got engaged
– who is traveling somewhere beautiful

For many people, social media became the social infrastructure of modern life. And culturally, it acts like a live feed of the world.

Pop culture, news, opinions, art, politics, trends — all flowing through the same stream. Social-f*cking-media.

The result is a world where visibility feels normal.
Which is why stepping away from it can feel surprisingly difficult.

Not because people love the platforms themselves, but because they are woven into how we experience culture and stay connected to each other.

So the real question isn’t just whether social media is good or bad.

It’s this:

How do we regain privacy without disconnecting from culture, friendship, and the world around us?

Swaps for More Privacy

If you want more privacy without disappearing from your social world, a few simple swaps can help.

Quit (or reduce) social media.

Instead of broadcasting your life to hundreds of people, share updates in smaller circles. Create WhatsApp groups with close friends — or even better, use Signal, which is known for stronger privacy.

Life updates don’t need an audience. They just need the right people.

Switch email providers.

Most people don’t realize how much of their life sits inside their inbox. Services like Gmail collect enormous amounts of data connected to your emails. They are like online postcards, anyone can turn them around and read them.
I switched to Proton Mail over seven years ago and have been very happy with it. It’s built around strong encryption and doesn’t rely on harvesting user data.

Stay connected to culture without the feed.

Social media often feels like the center of culture, but it isn’t the only way to stay informed. Magazines, books, newsletters, and Substacks can keep you connected to ideas without the endless algorithmic noise.

Instead of letting a feed choose what you see (and being overwhelmed by it), you start curating your own information diet.

Privacy Is Becoming a Luxury

For most of history, privacy wasn’t something you had be conscious of or even fight for. It was just… normal. Life happened in small circles. Most moments were lived and then quietly disappeared.

Now privacy takes effort.

Not posting your home, your body, your children, your routines, your relationships can almost feel strange. Like you’re doing something wrong by not sharing.

Online silence starts to look like invisibility. But maybe that’s the whole point.

The Freedom of Not Documenting

Some of the best parts of life are the ones that leave no trace online at all.

When you stop documenting everything, you start noticing how often moments used to pass through a quiet filter in your mind:
Should I take a photo? Should I post this? Would this make a good story?

Without that layer, things feel different.

Dinner is just dinner.
A walk is just a walk.
A funny moment with your kids isn’t content — it’s just a moment.

And because it isn’t posted, it stays where it belongs.

With you.

The Takeaway

The internet has convinced us that visibility equals existence. But life does not become more meaningful just because it is documented.

In fact, sometimes the opposite is true.

Privacy isn’t about hiding.
It’s about choosing what remains yours.

Your thoughts. Your home. Your children. Your ordinary Tuesday morning.

In a world that constantly pushes us to share more, reveal more, document more, maybe the real luxury is much simpler.

To live a life that is deeply lived… and only partially seen.

What to read next…

I’ve been on Instagram for over 10 years.

I had an audience of over 80,000 people. My posts reached millions. My inbox was popping. Every few seconds: likes, comments, shares.

From the outside it looked like the dream version of internet success. You’d think that with such visibility you would feel seen.

But I felt invisible.

It was as if I had a split personality. The Nata people saw online and the offline version of me. Both were authentic but wildly different.

And I think this is something many of us quietly experience.

The quiet suffocation of your identity

Social media is a highlight reel. A highly curated feed designed to make you feel strong emotions. What you show of yourself is rarely the full picture of who you are. You choose a slice of yourself that works well online. The interesting parts, the aesthetic parts, the parts that translate into a square image and a caption.

And slowly, something strange happens.
You begin living with two versions of yourself.

The online version that people recognize.
And the private version that actually lives your life. The version of you who experienced a miscarriage or the loss of a loved one. The version of you who fell so deeply in love that it changed you.

Does it affect your life offline? Is your authentic expression stifled?

I’m not saying people should post themselves crying or failing or having a breakdown. That’s not authenticity either. I’m just wondering how social media affects us on a deeper level. On a soul level.

Because living in this kind of split — this quiet disconnection from our fuller self — probably shapes how we see ourselves over time.

For me it definitely did.

My split personality

It’s weird because when I meet people I NEVER tell them I have (or had) this huge account and reach. And then when they get to know me it eventually comes up and they get excited, impressed, curious.

And I feel so awkward.

Lol yes it’s cool but also… that’s not me. That’s the online Nata.
These two personalities just don’t mix.

I had success online but it never really felt that way internally. It always felt like something slightly separate from me. Like it belonged to that online persona, not to the actual person living her life.

And the strange part is that this success connected me with some really interesting people. Some of them genuinely impressive humans. Artists, thinkers, even some celebrities who are using their voice for things that actually matter.

Without social media I would never have met them.

And even though I experienced all of this, it’s almost like it wasn’t me. Like some other version of me was in those rooms with them.

The many likes and comments made me feel… nothing. Unless it was a genuine interaction. A real message. A real exchange with another human being.

Digital confetti

Everything else felt temporary. Weightless. Like digital confetti.
Nice. Sparkly. And gone five seconds later.

It’s like this success never belonged to me. I never attached my identity to all that. Not even when it was at its peak. It always felt too fragile, too dependent on algorithms, trends, timing. Something you can’t really hold.

It was never something I could point to and say: this is who I am.

And sometimes I actually wish I could have used it that way. I wish my brain worked like that. I wish I could take all that positive feedback and fuel my self-esteem with it.

“Look at all the things I did. Look at the people who follow me (and there are some A-listers there). Look at the reach, the likes, the opportunities.”

But my brain just doesn’t work that way.
What actually affects my sense of self is something much simpler (but WAY more profound).

Being seen.

Not by thousands of people. By one.
Someone who sees the whole picture.

The creativity. The beauty. The depth. The sensuality. The intelligence. The contradictions. The chaos. The softness.

When someone actually sees you like that, it does something very different to your confidence. And it is a true privilege in life to be seen this way (Hi Malka, thank you for seeing me sister!).

And this is where things get interesting for me now.

Meeting the new version of yourself

Because looking back, I realize something.

Since I never really identified with my online persona, I also played myself small offline. I kept parts of myself hidden. I didn’t fully allow people to see the whole range of who I am.

And now I’m in a season of learning to see myself fully (because being too humble and actively hiding my gifts is not serving anyone).

Which is a strange process because who I am has fundamentally changed.

Which naturally happens after you have two kids and still somehow feel like a teenager internally. Life rearranges you.

Your identity shifts. Your priorities move around. Your energy changes. And at some point you realize you have to meet this new version of yourself again.
That’s where I am right now.

Learning to see my new, deeper self. The one that exists outside the internet, outside the old identity, outside the algorithm. The one that has new dreams, new ambitions and goals.

And when I fully see her, I think I’ll feel much more confident showing her to the world.

Not just online.
But everywhere.

Because maybe the real goal was never visibility.
Maybe the real goal was recognition.

And those two things are very different.

Questions for you…

• Have you ever felt a gap between the version of you people see and the version of you that actually lives your life?

• Has the way you present yourself online ever shaped how you show up offline?

• When was the last time you truly felt seen? And how did it affect you?

Hi I’m Nata and I write about figuring out life after quitting social media as an influencer. I’m very into life optimization, minimalism, cozy-slow-living but in a cool way.

Table of contents

1. The 5am morning routine that wasn’t really mine anymore

2. A private person living a public life

3. Motherhood, Loss, and a sudden shift in perspective

4. When your online-self becomes your identity

5. The Big question: Can I build my dream life offline?

The 5am morning routine that wasn’t really mine anymore

It’s 5am.
I wake up to my iPhone alarm—the birdsong one. It feels too early, but I want to be ahead of the world. Seize the day. Do my miracle morning routine.

I hate my phone in the mornings and usually have a 1-hour-no-phone rule. But midway through my routine I eventually pull it out. I film bits of my meditation, take a picture of my journaling prompt, record a piece of my yoga practice. I know it helps people, the same way other people’s routines used to help me. But I wish I didn’t have to interrupt my flow.
And if I’m being honest, these micro interruptions became my flow at some point. Sad.

While sipping my reishi coffee, I quickly cut and edit my morning routine. Upload to stories. Save clips in folders for future B-roll.

I make my breakfast. Snap a photo. A short video. Because any soul nourishment goes on my story. When did it stopped feeling like IG stories and started feeling like a self-development hippie reality show?

The whole day moved like that.
I shared my to-do list (I’m a big fan of lists). A peek into my bullet journal (also a big fan). I got to work. At that time, I was mentoring women from home, which genuinely lit up my soul.

And back then, I could still pull off a lifestyle like this. Set monthly goals. Work hard and aligned. Reach my lofty spiritual and financial goals. But eventually, this way of living stopped working for me.

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A private person living a public life

It was never intuitive for me to pull out my phone and document everything. But this is what created the connection between me and the world. Some of my closest friendships started online. Real-time sharing was a huge part of that—it was conversation, engagement, relatability.

But the longer I did it, the more I longed to be offline.
When my husband and I went climbing and had the most beautiful views and funniest moments, I didn’t want to share them. I just wanted to be present. And yet, a part of me felt pulled toward my phone—to show the beauty of my life (just writing this feels yucky lol).
Not out of narcissism, but because it was such a big achievement for me. I was living the life I consciously created. Almost everything on my vision board had come true. Sharing it made it feel real. And if I am completely honest it was also perfect marketing—because it was real and authentic.
Even though I didn’t want to share it.

Motherhood, Loss, and a sudden shift in perspective

But after a decade of being an influencer, after experiencing my first loss of a close family member, after becoming a mother, everything shifted. I began questioning almost every life decision. It became clear that living my life on social media—being a content machine that dances to whatever the algorithm demands, keeping up with the insane online pace—was not for me.
And spending so much time on my phone was not the example I wanted to set for my daughter. Society is already drowning in phone addiction. I didn’t need to add the addiction of a content creator into the mix.

There were other things too. The hidden cost of being seen by thousands (or millions) of people. The psychological toll of being the “product” people consume. The pressure to stay relevant in an ever-changing landscape.
Always scanning your life for content, without even realizing you’re doing it. Creativity turning into obligation.

And maybe the biggest thing I noticed—
my online personality had become entangled with my identity.
Which I only realized when I decided to leave.

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When your online-self becomes your identity

Like woah.
I was leaving a community of 80,000 people.
I was leaving a decade worth of a body of work.
I was leaving a version of myself that lived online for ten years.

The question appeared:
Who am I without all of this?

Without sharing my skills?
Without mentoring thousands of women?
Without the illustrations, the marketing, the editing, the constant learning, the impact I felt I was making…
Who am I without it?

Because the impact was real.
And I was letting it go.

It was an identity crisis.
I’m slowly coming out of it and learning surprising things about myself (probably a topic for another essay).

The Big question: Can I build my dream life offline?

Who I am and what I want has changed in some ways, but many desires stayed the same. The real question now is:

How do I make my dreams happen without social media?

I’ve been offline for about nine months. It’s not nearly enough time to process a decade. But here is another post I wrote about quitting, and what I learned from being offline.

As you can see, this is a long process.
Especially because social media gets so intertwined with our identities.

If you want to know something specific, ask me in the comments. I’ll happily answer.

Love,
Nata

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It’s all over YouTube and Substack. Essays and videos titled “Why I quit social media” or “Ditching my iPhone for a Flipphone”.

Fact is: social media use is declining worldwide.
It actually peaked in 2022 and has been going down ever since (except in North America, which is usually the last to let go). And as AI-generated content floods our feeds, even more people are choosing to opt out. Social media doesn’t feel like a place to connect with friends anymore - it feels like a replacement for the old-school TV.

And you can already see the shift everywhere:

• Searches for offline activities are up - especially reading.
  People want something to do that doesn’t involve a screen.

• Gen Z is buying dumbphones.
  Flip phones and dumb phones are having a comeback because young people want to be more present.

• Mahjong is exploding among young adults.
  Eventbrite reported a 200% rise in mahjong events.

• BookTok is pushing people offline.
  Ironically, the trend makes people close the app and open a real book.

• Analog hobbies like junk journaling and knitting are blowing up.
  People want to create with their hands again.

• Off-the-grid weekends are becoming the new normal.
  Time in nature. Writing. Journaling. Silence. Presence.

People want their attention back.

What’s happening is pretty simple: we’re collectively tired.
Tired of our attention being stolen, tired of feeling like we’re living for dopamine hits, tired of feeling like slaves to our phones (and the big monster corporations that steal our money with ads). Social media gives the illusion of connection, but it mostly leaves us drained, and if we’re honest, most of the “inspiration” we see online never translates into real change.

We want to feel in control again.
We want to choose how we spend our time, not have apps decide for us.

And the most interesting part? Even Gen Z feels the pull.
Maybe because they’re the first generation that grew up entirely inside this digital ecosystem. They know firsthand how heavy it is. They know how much it shapes them. And they’re the ones leading the shift back to analog life.

It’s not surprising.
The pendulum swung too far in the digital direction.
We optimized everything until nothing felt human anymore.
So now it’s swinging back (YAY!!!) toward stillness, intentionality, and offline living.

I’m 100% sure that this isn’t a trend that will disappear in a year.
Unless social media radically changes how it works from the inside, people will continue to unplug, choose slower platforms (like Pinterest), and rebuild their attention span.

I’m very curious to see how this new analog era will blend into our extremely digital world.

Maybe the answer isn’t abandoning technology…
but using it with intention, looking at better phone alternatives, choosing when it gets access to us, and remembering that we’re allowed to live a life that isn’t always online.

(Side note: like isn’t this crazy that there’s this expectation to be always available through our phones?)

My prediction: 2026 is the year we reclaim our attention.
The year we choose analog - on purpose.

Question: How do you feel about this shift? What are your thoughts about my prediction? Am I right, wrong? DELUSIONAL?

Love ya,
Nata

In April 2025, I stepped away from something that had defined me for over a decade: social media.

I posted a final reel, announcing a year-long sabbatical, and then closed the door on an online community of more than 80,000 people (gulp). It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve made. I wrestled with it for months (if not years) but in the end, I knew I’d regret not giving myself at least one year offline.

Now, six months in, I can say this:
It was the end of one chapter, and the quiet start of another (much needed one).

I’m only now beginning to scratch the surface of what this separation from the online world is giving me. The benefits ripple into every part of my life.

6 benefits I feel after quitting social media

(a very incomplete list in no particular order)

1. My identity is no longer tied to social media (and the successor failure of my efforts)
   For over ten years, I lived as a content creator. My sense of self was woven into metrics, algorithms, and constant output. When I stepped away, the silence felt unsettling at first. Who was I without my community?

   Slowly, I’ve been rediscovering the answer.

2. I have more time.
   Obvious, yes. But I wasn’t just a casual user. I was a content creator. That meant hours of researching, filming, editing, and, of course, scrolling. Now I get those hours back. I spend them with my daughter and my husband. I spend them on things that matter in the moment. And for once, those moments aren’t overshadowed by the thought: should I post this?

3. I’m calmer. My inner rhythm slowed down.
   Before, my brain was always spinning: What should I post next? Is this moment shareable? Will it help someone? Every thought became potential content, every quiet moment interrupted by a quick grab for my notes app. Even the “slow life” I tried to cultivate wasn’t actually slow, my mind was always on. Stepping away gave me back the ability to just exist.

4. I can finally focus on long-term projects.
   Things I kept pushing aside now have space: writing a book, building a family, exploring ideas that don’t fit neatly into any niche.

5. There’s less negativity in my life.
   You can’t scroll without being hit by headlines or content you never asked to see. Even when I logged on just for inspiration, I left feeling drained and yucky. Now, I carefully curate what I consume (and news are very low on that list).

6. My friendships are deeper.
   They’ve moved beyond “life support” mode—beyond memes and quick likes. I actually talk to people. I see them. We share more than screenshots. (Though, yes—memes are still very welcome. Please keep sending those.)

But there are also things I do miss. Because of course social media is not all bad.

5 things I miss about quitting social media

1. I miss being “caught up” on the lives of people I admire (hi Mimi, hi my Malkas).

2. I miss the accidental inspiration. Seeing someone’s post that nudges me to read a book, start a journal page, try a workshop, or pick up a paintbrush. Without that constant stream, I’m simply less exposed to what creative things people are doing around the world.

3. I miss the learning. It may sound silly, but Instagram taught me so much: from birth educators who shaped my own birth experience to parenting experts who helped me understand child development. The access to bite-sized wisdom from real experts was incredible.

4. I miss some of the perks of being an influencer, too (is that too honest, lol?) Getting access to events, opportunities, and places I might never have otherwise.

5. And most of all, I miss the community. I miss reaching women with my words, hosting workshops, and knowing it made a real difference in their lives. Not for the validation, but for the impact itself.

I’m sure there are more things I could add to these lists.
But the real question remains: will I ever return?

So will I ever come back?

I don’t have a black-and-white answer. Life could shift. Maybe one day I’ll start a product-based business that needs promotion (though, honestly, my dream is to have someone else run it for me). Maybe a publisher will insist I rebuild my presence for a book launch. Maybe some unexpected reason will pull me back into that network.

Right now, though, the answer is no. Whenever I log on for work, I feel drained almost instantly. The overwhelm comes rushing back. I don’t want that in my nervous system again.

Yes, every so often I feel the itch to share. A bullet journal spread, a system I’ve built that works beautifully, some neat piece of life optimization. But then I remember what it costs: the hours, the pressure, the constant pull. And the itch fades instantly.

So for now, I don’t want to go back (and the feeling is like: OMG NEVER EVER PLEASE!!). But… maybe in April 2026, when I hit twelve months of this “no-social-media-sabbatical,” I’ll revisit the question. By then, the wiser version of me may have a clearer answer.

Hi, I’m Nata. I’m an ex-influencer figuring out what life feels like without the constant need to perform. Here, I share honest stories about slowing down, creativity, healing, and building a life that feels good offline—not just online.

One week off social media—and I still can’t believe how good this feels.

After ten years of being (almost) constantly online, I stepped off the hamster wheel. No posting, no scrolling, no checking how many likes something got.

And you know what? I feel weirdly amazing.
Like… wait, are people just living like this?
Enjoying their lives without documenting every second?

Here are 7 super normal (but surprisingly satisfying) things I did this week—completely offline:

1. Crocheted (like there is no tomorrow)

I started a new project and immediately became emotionally attached to a ball of yarn. It was repetitive, relaxing, and 100% for me. (Can’t share the actual image because it’s present for someone who is subscribed!)

2. Read a book (on my Kindle, but still counts)

I read without switching apps mid-sentence! A plot! Characters! No algorithm trying to sell me drawing supplies!

3. Drank cacao on my balcony

Just me, a mug, and the smug feeling of being present.

4. Hung out with my daughter—like, actually hung out

No phone. No background scrolling. Just lego, reading, laughing, nursing and cleaning food off the floor.

5. Sketched random stuff

No pressure to post. No need to make it “content.” Just me and a pencil doing whatever feels alive.

6. Fixed some pants by hand

Fixed a hole. Felt like a wizard. No video tutorial required.

7. Took some photos

Used my professional SONY camera with the manual focus lens to capture some beautiful moments in nature.

Honestly, I didn’t expect to love offline life this much. I knew that it will give me space to breathe, but I didn’t expect this much freedom.
I thought I’d feel irrelevant, invisible, bored. But all of these thoughts were for nothing, because I don’t even think about what I am missing out on.
Instead, I just feel… normal. And peaceful. And kind of powerful. I hope these feelings will last.

If you’re thinking about logging off for a bit: 10/10 would recommend.

What’s one small offline thing you did recently that made you feel good?

Love,
Nata

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The Rise: 10 Years of My Digital Life

Ten years.
That's how long I showed up—almost every single day—to share something real, meaningful, and useful on social media.
I created illustrations. Wrote heartfelt captions. Posted personal stories. Built a community of tens of thousands.
And quietly? I hit over 300 million views. Probably more.

I didn’t post for fame. I posted to help. I shared wisdom, self-growth, and real stories that cracked people open. My inbox was filled with women telling me I helped them change their lives. I mentored some of them, and watched transformations unfold that still blow my mind.

Hit subscribe for real talk, deep thoughts, and life beyond the scroll.

And I’m not going to lie—being seen felt incredible. There’s a high in it. When your transformation is witnessed, mirrored back with applause and hearts and comments—it’s addictive.

🧠 “Studies show that social media activates the brain’s reward system in ways similar to substances like sugar or even drugs (Harvard Medical, 2020). Dopamine spikes when we’re liked, followed, shared.”

Our brains want more. And so did I.

The Shift: From Creative to Contorted

But something changed.

The algorithm changed.
The platforms changed.
And then—so did I.

I had to keep adapting just to stay visible.

No longer were posts shown to the people who followed me. I had to learn TikTok trends, keep up with “hooks,” shorten captions, add punchy transitions, sacrifice depth for reach.

I started to water myself down to stay relevant.

And that’s the thing: the more you bend yourself to fit a machine, the more distant you become from your own voice.

I lost my rhythm.
Not my content rhythm.
My soul rhythm.

I call this the shift from “authentic rhythm” to “algorithmic rhythm.”
One follows truth. The other follows performance.

But it wasn’t just the algorithm that rewired me.

I became pregnant.

And something ancient and irreversible happened inside me.
It felt like a thousand doors to wisdom opened at once—and none of them had anything to do with likes or reels.

🧠 Research shows that pregnancy triggers profound neurological changes in the brain, particularly in areas related to empathy, social cognition, and emotional regulation—lasting for up to two years after birth (Nature Neuroscience, 2016).

My brain was literally rewired.
And with it—my identity.

There was grief in that. A sense of dissolving.
But also, a profound rebirth.

I wasn’t just a “content creator” anymore.
I was becoming a mother. A vessel. A leader.
Someone who carries archetypes, not just captions.

My value system shifted.

Suddenly, presence meant more than productivity.
Depth meant more than performance.
And I could no longer justify spending hours perfecting a post while life unfolded, raw and beautiful, just beyond the screen.

The Toll: What Is the Cost of Being Constantly Seen?

There’s a blessing in being seen, no doubt.
I’ve formed soul-deep connections, skipped the small talk, met women who felt like instant sisters. I got opportunities I couldn’t have dreamed of—conferences, collaborations, even celebrities in my DMs (that’s a STORY for another time…).

But here’s the part nobody talks about:

The price of being seen is that you forget how to see yourself.

Because you start living your life in third person.
You edit your life before you even live it.
Every moment has a caption forming behind it. (YUCK!!!)
Even your healing starts to feel like content. (EVEN BIGGER YUCK!!!)

🎭 “A study by the American Psychological Association found that ‘performative self-presentation’ on social platforms correlates with increased anxiety, disassociation, and burnout, especially among women.”

It’s exhausting to live like that.
I was always “on.”
Even when I wasn’t posting, I was planning, scripting, illustrating, filming, editing. Even when I tried to rest, I was thinking: “Should I share this?”

And Now?

So… am I off social media and leaving all my dreams behind?

Not at all.

Yes—a lot of my old goals were deeply tied to success on social media. The metrics, the growth, the reach. I thought that was the only way to make an impact, to be heard, to succeed.

But I’ve realized:
Success doesn’t have to be loud to be real.
And visibility isn’t the same as value.

I’m not abandoning my goals—I’m realigning them.

I'm rethinking what success actually means to me now.
Motherhood changed that. So did burnout.
But at the core, what I want hasn’t changed:
To create meaningful work.
To help people transform.
To express truth and beauty and depth.

Now I’m doing it slower.
More intentionally.
More sustainably.

I’ve embraced what Cal Newport calls “slow productivity.”
Creating from wholeness—not hustle.

This isn’t me quitting.
This is me committing—to a different rhythm.
One that’s rooted in truth, not trends.

So now I’ll ask you:

• How many hours have you given to platforms that don’t give back?

• When was the last time you created something that wasn’t for performance? And how did it make you feel?

• Who are you when no one’s watching?

• And who would you be if you stopped optimizing your life for algorithms—and started aligning it with your soul?

It’s uncomfortable, I know.
But so is living your whole life as content.

This isn’t just my story.
It’s a mirror.

LOVE YOU!
Nata

But somewhere along the way… something shifted.

What once felt like genuine self-expression slowly morphed into something else.
A game. A fight. A never-ending chase for visibility, relevance, and reach.
I tried to adapt, to pivot, to niche down, to niche switch.
Some of those pivots worked—one even brought me millions of views, thousands of new followers, and cool opportunities.
But each shift left me feeling more fragmented. Less like myself.

It started to feel… not real.
Not art. Not joy. Not aligned.
Just another rat race—except this time, it lived in my pocket and never let me rest.

And the truth? I’m exhausted.
Not just of the content treadmill, but of the pressure to keep performing in a space that rewards burnout and punishes stillness.
If I step back—even for a week—the algorithm makes me invisible. And to become visible again, I have to pour in months of effort, time, energy… just to maybe get seen.
Who needs that kind of pressure in their lives? Not me y’all.

So, I’m stepping away.

I’m taking a one-year sabbatical from Instagram.

And if I’m being honest: When I think about leaving social media, the first thing I feel is relief.

Not to disappear, but to reclaim:

• my creativity

• my mental space

• my time

• my joy

I’m still here—on Substack.
This will be my quiet, slow, intentional corner of the internet.
A place to write, reflect, and share what’s real.
If you’ve resonated with my voice, my work, or my journey—I’d love for you to stay connected here. Let’s keep growing, just without the noise.

This isn’t the end.
It’s the beginning of something more honest.

I definitely have fears around this change, but also hopes…

My fears:

• That I’ll be forgotten.

• That I’ll miss out on opportunities or clients.

• That I’ll lose touch with people I’ve connected with.

• That when (or if) I return, no one will care.

But also...

My hopes:

• That I’ll create from a deeper place, for no one but myself.

• That I’ll slow down enough to hear what really wants to emerge.

• That I’ll reconnect with inspiration that has nothing to do with metrics.

• That I’ll feel free.

What I hope to do during this sabbatical:

• Learn to sew the dresses I’ve always dreamed of (mostly flowy linen dresses)

• Knit and embroider

• Paint and illustrate more freely

• Write consistently here

• Curate what I consume

• Create for the joy of it—not the performance

• Be more present with my daughter

• Breathe

This isn’t a dramatic exit or a rejection of everything that came before. It’s just me following a quiet (or super loud) tug in my chest toward something slower, more grounded, more real.

I’m stepping back to tune in—to get clear on what matters, what feels aligned, and to intentionally design the life I know I’m meant to live.

Thank you for being part of my journey.
I’ll see you in the stillness and the fun!

With love,
Nata

Ever heard the philosophical question: If a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?

Lately, I’ve been living through a similar question:

If I create beautiful art, transform myself, or grow in ways that no one witnesses, does it really matter?

Can I create just for the sake of creating? Why is there always this tug-of-war within me—this desire for inner peace and serenity, juxtaposed with an equally strong yearning to share my creations and personal evolution?

Living for impact vs. living for peace

I really, really, really want to make an impact on the world. I want to help people live fuller, better lives. But here’s the catch: I can’t make that bigger impact if I keep everything to myself.

Take right now, for example. I’ve been working on myself intensely—changing my diet, reshaping my mindset around food and self-image. I’ve created the “dream version” of myself and am taking steps every day to embody her, inching closer to the life I want to live. This is deeply personal work, the kind of work that brings me joy and alignment.

I’ve also started bullet journaling again. It’s helping me organize my life and reflect on how I spend my days. All of this work is happening quietly, in private, but here’s the thing: when I’ve shared glimpses of my journey online in the past, it’s been empowering—not just for me but for others.

It worked in the past

Every time I’ve opened up about my struggles or shared tools that have helped me live better, I’ve seen how it inspires others to take similar steps toward their own transformation. It’s deeply fulfilling to know that my story could be the spark that helps someone else move toward a fuller, happier life.

So you see, this desire to leave an impact is big. It always has been.

Where does it come from?

A large part of it stems from a genuine wish to leave the world better than I found it. To know my life wasn’t “for nothing.” But, if I’m being completely honest, there’s also a smaller, more fragile part of me—my ego—that’s terrified of insignificance. That fears I’ll die without leaving any good behind, forgotten in the tide of humanity.

A life not tethered to apps and algorithms?

And yet, there’s another part of me that craves a different way of living. A life not tethered to apps and algorithms.

I want to crochet blankets for my baby and nephew. To embroider and create art that doesn’t have to be shared online. To enjoy quality time with loved ones without phones in hand. I don’t want my life to revolve around likes, shares, or an endless feed of updates.

I want to make the world better. But I also want to live a better, simpler life myself.

So here I am, still wrestling with this inner conflict. Still asking myself: Who do I want to be? How do I want to make the world better?

What about you? Have you felt this same tension between wanting to share and simply wanting to be?

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

LOVE YOU!

Nata

For context: I posted a few stories and I shared a political post that I created. It got 50.000+ views. I’ve got numerous DMs, from new people and my old friends. Comments. Good, bad, triggering.

1. Social media has a huge impact on my mental health. But it’s more complex than that. I immediately feel the pressure to create. To stick to a niche. What? Am I going to shift niches again? To create content. How am I going to manage my time? My husband’s in the army full time, I work full time and have a baby…? So my mind is overflowing with all these thoughts and…

2. I also miss my community. I love the people I connected with through social media. Some have become friends. I’m also part of other communities - which I love. And the thought of leaving them and giving up social media - huuurts.

3. My voice on social media can have a huge impact. Over 50k people saw my post. It was an important one. Some got triggered, but many felt seen and resonated with it. The main reason I started my account was to empower people and to make the world a tiny bit better.

4. It feels almost impossible to find a good balance. How can I create meaningful content while also engaging with my community but ALSO staying sane with the amount of hate online (which I get so easily triggered by)? I love the people I follow, but it feels overwhelming to keep up. But I love them and I want to keep up!

5. People don’t have a filter and it can be such a toxic place. If I wouldn’t have a filter on in my DMs, I’d still be getting death threats for the content I sometimes post. I get the biggest ick from some comments. Sometimes it’s overpowering but then it also inspires me to create a space online that goes against this hate. To have a place that stands out for the high vibes, the positivity, truth. My friend Malka Klein inspires me a lot by her presence. By not commenting on all the shit that does on in the world. She is just living her life as good as she can (and oh she can, yes even through all the hardships), she exudes this vibe of a goddess which truly uplifts the spirit of anyone entering her world. Just like her, I don’t believe that it’s right for us to be immersed in the darkness but rather to spread light, embody the light and make the world better by example.

6. I felt calmer, less stressed and way more present being offline.

So yeah. So many pros. So many cons. So many open questions.

What do you think? Should I stay on social media? What would you do? And (more importantly how would you do it?)

Love,

Nata

I’m on a digital detox journey. For a couple of months now I decided to step away from social media and to dive into digital minimalism.

It was time to calm my mind. But this desire to scroll less and to reassess my life came from a difficult phase in my life (being on maternity leave, looking for a job, becoming a doula and realizing I need TIME to build a new business, needing a second family income, war etc).

Here’s what I gained from my digital break

Instead of scrolling I started to get creative.

• I picked up my camera and started taking pictures again

• I started up bullet journaling (again)

• I’m creating comics based on my day to day experiences

I realized that I need to do more things for ✨ myself ✨

After becoming a mom I don’t really feel like me yet. And those creative things are meant to fill up MY cup. Bring more joy into my life. They’re not meant to be done for the acknowledgement of others.

But then the pressure started creeping in

I started feeling the pressure to share my illustrations, drawings and insights. To share my photography and embroidery and all the things I was up to.

Why do I feel like the stuff I make (for MYSELF goddamn) is only legit when others get to see it too?

Why can’t I just live my life quietly without feeling like others need to know the lessons I’m learning or the journey I’m on?

There is a big part of me that feels like I have to share my lessons and experiences with the world because the world (aka you) does benefit from certain insights.

But jeez, why can’t I just chill? Enjoy a calm life?

Here’s why I want to slow down…

Ultimately the question is always: what does really matter in life?

And the answer will vary for everyone.

For me it’s: family life, living life to the fullest through the simple every day moments, leaving a positive impact on the world, being creative, being present, to learn.

Social media (and other distractions) are taking away time and mental space from all those things.

The worst thing is… I also LOVE a lot about social media (the community) and as a creator who has built a community of over 65000 people, it hurts to just leave (so I don’t yet).

Ugh.

I don’t have an answer. If you do have one or any thoughts, feel free to share them in the comments. I really value your input (always 🩷).

So yeah TL;DR:

I’m slowing down to live fuller. To feel like myself. To savor time with my family. But also this comes at a cost.

I don’t know what’s right or what’s wrong. Time will tell.

Love,

Nata 🩷

Today I want to dive in immediately. No introductions. I’m sure, you won’t even need it.

3 quotes from great minds

1. “I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work.”
   ― Thomas A. Edison

2. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
   ― Albert Einstein

3. “There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.”
   ― Leo Tolstoy

Don’t get distracted from what really matters

We all carry dreams and desires in our hearts. Some are big others are small. But no desire is accidental. A dream either comes from the essence of your soul or it was planted by society.

Desires like a big house, a fancy car, X amount of money are all desires that likely come from years of living in a society that promotes the same values of status, power and safety. These dreams feel safe to pursue even rational. And there is nothing inherently bad about it.

The only problem with these desires is that they distract you from pursuing the dreams of your heart.

The dreams of your heart feel different. They energize you, and fill you with excitement, hope and an inner feeling of calmness. They might also feel a little scary and uncertain.

How not to lose your happiness

The joy of living is not found in the big moments and achievements. When you finally buy that house, publish that book or get the job… your satisfaction will be temporary.

Unless you make sure that it lasts.

Think about all the things you once really wanted and now you take them for granted. Did the joy last as long as you’ve anticipated it? I guess not. But you canmake it last by truly savoring the present moment and savoring the simple joys of life.

Got that new house? Amazing!
Now savor every moment in it. Going down the stairs and see the sunlight hit your furniture in pretty way? Enjoy it. Making pancakes in your new kitchen for your partner or family? Bathe in the gratitude for all the tools you have to make it. Enojoy the smells and the fact that you have a loving family to cook for. Doing chores? What a blessing that you get to take care of your home and fill it with love.

Finding joy in the mundane is actually very simple. And should not feel like an innovation. What is an innovation is our extremely fast paced society that doesn’t allow us to take moments for ourselves. To enjoy the simplicity of life.

Fail and then fail some more

The more you fail the more you learn.
You’ll learn through success as well. But failure is healing. You get to let go of your ego. You get to laugh about your mistakes, your obsessive need to be right or to appear a certain way. Failure will humble you and show you a much better way to move forward.

If you enjoyed today’s post, please leave a like and share it with a friend that might benefit from some of these words.

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As always… I’m sending you love and wish you a beautiful week ahead!

- Nata

I have been doing a lot of introspection lately. As you can see based on my recent Instagram post I have been feeling sort of clouded lately. Whenever this happens I like to bring things into perspective again.

One highly proven way for me is journaling.

So here are the questions that I think EVERYONE needs to answer for themselves, no matter if you’re feeling lost or not.

15 questions

Self-Discovery:

1. What are my core values, and am I living in alignment with them?

2. What are my strengths and weaknesses, and how can I leverage them effectively?

3. What are my passions and interests, and am I dedicating time to pursue them?

Career:

1. Am I in a career that aligns with my long-term goals and aspirations?

2. What skills or knowledge do I need to acquire to advance in my career?

3. Am I open to exploring new career paths or opportunities that may arise?

Relationships:

1. Am I actively working on my communication and empathy skills in my relationships?

2. What kind of people do I want to surround myself with, and how can I attract them?

3. How do I prioritize and maintain relationships with family, friends, and significant others?

Financial Planning:

1. What are my short-term and long-term financial goals, and how can I work towards them?

2. Am I adequately preparing for potential emergencies or unforeseen circumstances?

Life Goals:

1. Where do I see myself in 5, 10, and 20 years, and what steps can I take to get there?

2. What experiences or achievements do I want to have before reaching a certain age?

3. What legacy do I want to leave behind, and how can I start building it now?

4. How do I balance my personal ambitions with contributing positively to society?

Go ahead and answer the ones that most resonate

And then go live your life in alignment with your answers. Take action and don’t look back.

If you want to go deeper I have created a downloadable PDF with journaling prompts that will help you (re)discover your life’s purpose. And it’s only $2.80, so less than a coffee!

Get the PDF here!

I have personally used these prompts at multiple times of my life, and every time I found myself with more clarity and trust on the other side.
If you get them, let me know what you think!

Sending you love, always.

Nata

(PS: if you found this useful, leave this post a like!)

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