Happy Holidays, Tweeties!

Merry Christmas! Very best wishes for the holiday season to all my readers – especially followers and friends on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

A lot is written about social media and its benefits in terms of business and personal branding. And we read in the news about the court cases and other worrying consequences of tweeting unwisely, which raise important questions about its impact on freedom of expression. There is also an awful lot of advice about what we should and should not do, particularly on Twitter.

But social media is so much more than a virtual megaphone or a place to find unsought ‘advice’.

Here are a few personal reflections.

Professionally, social media has helped me reach people and organisations who have brought  expertise, insight and intellectual clout to my articles and creative work. I have met outstanding people whose guidance, friendship and support have boosted my profile as a writer, helped turn my screenwriting ambitions into reality and kept me going in my darkest hours.

It’s amazing to have made genuine real-life friends. People who are there in the middle of the night to offer a virtual hug and moral (and sometimes practical) support. It’s also about shared creativity and fun and inspiring each other with music, photos, videos, poetry and silly jokes – as well as travel, fashion and fitness tips, recipes, great (and not so great) movies, shows, books, restaurants and more.

How else could I have met so many talented, creative, inspirational people from all over the world? And meeting in real life is even better, every time. I hope to meet more social media friends in 2013.

My Christmas card is a blend of the professional and the personal. It was inspired by Society for Computers and Law, who in a recent blog post which included my technology predictions for 2013 described me as a ‘word dealer’ – which I liked a lot. It was designed by Sam Mardon, who brings my ideas and inspiration to life in countless ways.

Thank you, Tweeties, and Happy Holidays!