my IG account was hacked

Hello! Welcome to my journal. I am SO glad you’re here. First and foremost, I wanted to apologize for my lack of activity lately. 2024 has been one of the most challenging seasons of my life thus far. But seasons change, and so have I. I’ve been wanting to start a journal for quite some time now, and I NEVER though my first entry would be about this. Hacking. I was HACKED! I’m still in disbelief that my journal led me to one of the biggest heartbreaks I’ve experienced in a long time. On January 16, 2024, in the midst of Portland’s worst ice storm in years, my Instagram account was hacked and held ransom. It’s been a very difficult time for me during these last couple of months. I feel violated, uninspired and honestly, really hurt that someone would do this to me. I’ve come a long way mentally since it first happened, but I felt devastated, depressed and hopeless for weeks while I waited for answers and support from Instagram. During these dark days of winter, I found myself questioning my dream to become a full time artist one day, wondering if it was the right path for me. But regardless of the many years of hard work, sweat, and tears it took to create a community with my art, I know now that my art will live on with or without ownership of my account. I’ve accepted that I will have to start all over and build a new page from scratch, all the while seeing my original page managed by the stranger who took it from me. I don’t know if I’ll ever gain control over my page again, but I continue to remain optimistic and pray that everything will work out for the best. Since I haven’t heard from Instagram, I’ve been brainstorming ideas for a new handle; wondering if it’s worth to rebrand. Fox In Woodland holds a special place in my heart and it would be a shame to give it up. I remain open to creative solutions to the endless questions I have about next steps and what direction I want to go in. In the meantime, I will be working on adding new prints to the shop and posting a few originals for purchase. Would love to hear from you and connect - feel free to reach out and say hello! My email is sarahlynnedraws@gmail.com.

Thank you for your love and support.

x

Sarah Lynne