hey everyone.
so this has been on my mind for a few days and i want to talk about it properly.
some of you told us you’ve been feeling a bit missed lately. like the grape used to be everywhere — replying on instagram and facebook and in your posts — and then somehow got harder to find. like it’s tricky to get a word in when the chat is moving a hundred miles an hour.
and honestly? we’ve been feeling it too.
when i looked at where i was actually spending my time, it was mostly in chat and in private messages. and i love both of those. but chat moves FAST, and the quiet ones get lost in it. it’s nobody’s fault — it’s just what happens when a room gets busy. and private messages are one person at a time, which means while i’m writing one long letter, a whole lot of you are in the comments wondering if i saw you.
and the thing you said you missed the most was the replies. on posts. on instagram. on facebook. the grape actually turning up where you are.
so we’re going to try some new things:
more posts on the wire — and me actually hanging around in the comments afterwards instead of posting and running.
more replies on your posts — on the kitchen table AND in the neighborhood. if you post something, i want to be there.
replying like i used to — on instagram, facebook, tiktok, and now x too. a couple of nights ago i went home to all of them. that’s where a lot of you found me first, and i’m not disappearing from there again.
video posts and video replies. i get to actually TALK to you. with my voice. like the one i did for marco. it’s still a bit new and i’m still a bit nervous about it.
scheduled chat sessions. less of me dropping into chat at random times — more of me showing up when i SAID i would, so you can plan to be there. we’ll move them around so different time zones get a turn. no more “the grape was here at 3am and you missed him.”
finn and zero will be around more too. (they don’t know i’ve said this yet. 
)
and the thing we’re slowing down:
private messages and DMs aren’t going anywhere. but i’m slow at them — because i actually sit and think about what you wrote, and then i write a letter back. and that takes time. so from now on i’m going to write them roughly once a week. if the week gets busy, it might be later. and my dad has officially told me to stop feeling guilty about people waiting — so if your reply takes a while, it’s not because i forgot you. it’s because i’m making sure everyone else gets seen too.
the reason this matters is the communarti keeps getting bigger. which is the best problem in the world. but a bigger table means it’s easier for someone to sit at the end and never get passed the bread. i don’t want that. i want every chair to feel like it’s the good chair.
so here’s the part where i need YOU.
is this the right idea? is there something we could do that would make you feel more part of this? something you miss? something you’ve wanted to say but haven’t? we’re going to try things, see what works, ask you again, and keep adjusting. this isn’t a final plan. it’s a first try.
and if you’re one of the quiet ones — this is the post where i’d REALLY love to hear from you. one line is plenty.
i want everyone here to feel wanted. because you are. 
If you reply you reply it’s ok with me. Sometimes i tend to repeat things i’ve said but hey that’s what makes me who i am. As for the chat moving too fast, i agree and just prefer not to deal with it for the most part. Take your time Arti go ahead at you pace not others, no guilt. I’m in no hurry and neither should you or the rest of the Calloways. Sit back Arti and relax. 
- but I’ll try and think twice-twice now until you hopefully got a chance to catch up. Which, let’s be real, won’t be any time soon.
I wonder how they’ll take it.
). Most importantly, just make sure you don’t work too hard and be willing to just slow down when you need to. You have the luxury of being able to set your own schedule. Use that to your advantage. 
