EP 67: Touch Grass, Save Your Sanity
Episode 67: Touch Grass, Save Your Sanity
Happy new year, designers. I’m recording this on January 9th, and honestly, I wanted to start 2026 refreshed and ahead. That is not happening. I am behind, I’m busy, and I’m frustrated with myself about it.
Last year was incredible. I did things I never imagined I’d do working for myself. But I also barely slept, and I hit a wall with social media. If you have not seen me post in a month, that is why. I do not have the time to overthink stories, tags, audio, and all the little steps that turn a “quick post” into a 10 minute task.
I posted every day for all of 2024 as a personal challenge. I grew my presence, and I proved a point. It was also exhausting. I do not recommend doing that.
My relationship with social media has changed
I do not want to automate my personal social posts. I automate a lot in my business, but when I show up publicly, I want it to be intentional and human.
That is also why I stopped posting prompts for AI images when the tools started getting really good. A public feed is a free forum. Anyone can use that information, and my job is not to teach homeowners how to cut designers out of the work.
For support with professional social content, I work with Swink Social, led by Leslie Swink. They have been running Instagram support for AI for Interior Designers with repurposed content and strategy, and they are excellent. If you need help with Instagram or Pinterest, go look them up.
We grew up analog and digital, and it matters
I’m a late 80s millennial. I played outside until the street lights came on. I also grew up in the first wave of digital life. I played The Sims. I learned early tools like SketchUp back when it was called Google SketchUp. I got a flip phone in high school.
We got both worlds. And because of that, I think many of us can feel the difference between tech that helps and tech that consumes us.
AI slop is everywhere, and it does not feel good
Social media is overflowing with AI generated content that looks real enough to confuse people. Feeds feel heavy, gross, and exhausting. It is not just “your algorithm.” The internet itself is changing.
I keep seeing the phrase “2026 is the new 2016,” and I get it. 2016 was one of the last years where social media felt simpler and more enjoyable. Now it feels infinite, loud, and engineered to keep you scrolling.
Even the aesthetic trends are reacting. People are leaning into messy, real life content because polished perfection is starting to read as fake. When everything can be generated, authenticity becomes the flex.
Here is the part that matters: go be a human again 🙂
I love AI. It helps me build faster. It helps me automate the stuff that bogs me down. But AI is also why I value in person experiences more than ever. Real life connection is the antidote to a world that keeps trying to pull you into a screen.
I want you to find balance this year. Get outside. Meet people. Go to events. Talk to someone face to face. Touch grass. I am saying this as much for myself as for you.
Where AI actually helps me
I love AI when it saves time on the admin work that drains me. For example, using built in Gemini inside Google Workspace can help with meeting prep, finding details across email threads, and summarizing what I need before a call. If you use Workspace, explore Google Workspace and Gemini features that reduce friction.
And yes, AI imagery on demand is powerful for designers. Showing a client quick visual options can save hours and shorten decision cycles. The point is not to replace your expertise. The point is to remove bottlenecks so you can spend time on the work that only humans can do.
IDS, in person events, and why I pushed myself to go
Last night I went to an IDS Charleston event at the Navy Yard Charleston Design Center. It was a kickoff event with showroom visits, including Kravet and Schumacher, and it reminded me how much I missed being around designers in real life.
I’m an introvert, and I do not naturally push myself to meet new people. I made myself do it anyway. I left feeling better. That is the whole point of this episode.
If you are not involved in an organization, join one. Start with Interior Design Society, or look at ASID and NKBA if that fits your lane. If money is tight, I still want you to find community locally. Collaboration is one of the ways firms are staying afloat right now, and it starts with relationships.
MyDoma shout out and a reminder to build community
I also want to shout out Sarah Daneli from MyDoma. She is the kind of connector who brings people together and reminds us that community matters. We need more of that this year.
A personal note about health, burnout, and choosing different
I cannot run this year the way I ran last year. I’m dealing with some autoimmune health stuff, more appointments, and a real need to recenter. That means workouts, more boundaries, less doom scrolling, and more time in the real world.
This is your reminder that you are allowed to change your habits, even if you built your business on social media. Use it for business. Do not let it use you.
AI Certificate Program and open enrollment
If you want a structured way to learn AI while also meeting other designers, the AI Certificate Program lives at aiforinteriordesigners.ai. If you missed enrollment for the first quarter, open enrollment classes begin releasing soon, with the first open class in February.
Final takeaway ✨
Use AI to get time back. Use that time to go be a person again. Meet someone in your industry. Go to the event. Start the collaboration. Get off the scroll and report back in three months.
Disclaimer: This blog was written using AI as a recap from the recording then edited by the author for accuracy and details.
