I was about a year into an unexplained Instagram break when I got a DM that struck me more like a judgement than observation.
“I noticed you ghosted this account,” she wrote, referring to the Instagram business page I grew to more than 60K followers through sharing storytelling content marketing tips.
My nervous system goes to DEFCON 1.
Anger: “This is a question she’s too cowardly to ask.”
Insecurity: “I left because I was overwhelmed and under-joyed,” with a side of please forgive me.
Defensiveness takes a pass: “Meta is using its users, we don’t need it.”
I watch these valid arguments fly around my mind, breathe, and respond with a bigger truth I could only know from trying.
“I use it when I want to.”
That was a few weeks ago, and the conversation stuck with me, eventually, revealing not just that I'll use Instagram when I want to but how I want to.
On Saturday, Halloween, I posted to my feed for the first time in a year.
There was this old part of me that insisted I wait until I have the perfect post to capture a year of silence.
I imagined it’d be a photo of me holding up a newspaper proof-of-life style, which I honestly think is a great post idea, except…
I was scrolling my camera roll waiting for trick-or-treaters when I stumbled upon a screenshot I grabbed while recording a passion project.
The smile on my face in that photo said everything I wanted about leaving Instagram to restore your soul without a single word.
And that was the one, on a whim.
I did of course share a few words in the caption.
A woman responded:
“This is the best case for ghosting I’ve ever heard of.”
And that’s because there’s no defensive.
That’s the thing about owning your story:
You go into it thinking you have to justify your actions, over-explain so people don’t misunderstand, and present a picture-perfect outcome to prove you’ve got it together.
But once you process your experience, you walk away with a grounded sense that your “questionable” decisions serve your values and that’s the only explanation you’ll ever need.
Here’s to creating the life and livelihood you love,
Cyndi
P.S. If you're not interested in over-explaining or trying to prove yourself in your content anymore, join me for STORIES THAT SERVE where we’ll look back at your most memorable moments from 2026 to distill your one-of-a-kind insights into stories that serve you—and your audience—in 2027.
Cyndi Zaweski, Founder of StoryCraft
Cyndi is a start her career as a journalist, spending a decade in newsrooms before trading her press pass to teach entrepreneurs how to spread their message through storytelling. Following traditional digital marketing tactics, she grew her Instagram to 65K—and promptly burnt out. Six months after she quit social media, sales increased 176%. That’s when she realized that the mainstream narrative about what it takes to succeed online is just a made-up marketing script. Today, she helps business owners bypass the pressure-filled tactics to build a sustainable business that moves their mission forward with memorable narratives.
