Posting into the void: Down the pub with Bluesky
Having flown the nest of X/Twitter, I wandered into the pastures of Bluesky. Would it be a cure for tirades and conspiracy threads? A platform not at the mercy of a narcissistic man-child (yes, Musk — Trump has his own soapbox)? Below are my thoughts and Bluesky tips for creatives.
To be honest, I was never a regular poster on Twitter, so was this a fresh start or the same chaos in new wallpaper? So far, Bluesky feels refreshingly ‘normal’ — like Twitter in its early days. This contemplation needed some liquid lubrication which, of course, led me straight to the pub…
Bluesky feels like a quiet pub
Posting on Bluesky is a bit like telling a joke in an empty pub (and there are plenty of pubs here in Stroud). You’re never quite sure if the laugh didn’t come because it wasn’t funny, or because no one was there to hear it. The carpet’s still sticky, the pint’s still flat, and the fruit machine blinks away for no one in particular. You keep talking anyway, because what else are you going to do — stare down your pint glass?
Every now and then someone does wander in. They catch you mid-sentence, give a polite nod, and carry on to the bar. Maybe they heard you, maybe they didn’t. Maybe they just think you’re mad for cheerfully chatting away to yourself. You get the occasional thumbs-up — the social-media equivalent of a grunt over the crossword — and you wonder if that counts as connection.
“Maybe they just think you’re mad for cheerfully chatting away to yourself.”
From empty seats to a sudden crowd
And then, just as you’re getting comfortable with the silence, the place fills up. Loud, suddenly. So loud you can’t hear yourself, let alone anyone else. From one extreme to the other: quiet as a crypt, then everyone shouting over each other to be heard. Your carefully placed joke — the one you told an hour ago when no one was there — vanishes under the noise of fresh arrivals ordering pints and shouting across the room.
Maybe that’s just how pubs work. And maybe that’s how Bluesky works too. Sometimes you get the quiet pint, sometimes the noisy crush. You never quite know what you’re walking into, but you keep showing up anyway — hoping the next person through the door might finally get the joke.
Why designers should post on Bluesky anyway
So, if you are a designer, below are a few small things that may help you get noticed at the bar and, maybe, a chuckle from the regulars.
5 tips for creatives posting on Bluesky
1. Keep it short
One-liners win; save essays for blogs or articles.
2. Wry over worthy
A dry quip lands better than a polished slogan.
3. Show it
A quick sketch, snap, or screenshot beats plain text.
4. Tease, don’t tell
Drop breadcrumbs; let the blog carry the weight.
5. Join in
Replies build more presence than solo posts.
Now if only pubs served engagement with the pint.
Pictured: The Woolpack, Slad — my local pub and Laurie Lee’s old watering hole (image © The Woolpack, via Facebook)
