dear hacker, 

when you stole access to my account, you weren't stealing from someone who didn't work hard for what they had.

You didn't steal a spam account with fake followers that were bought.

When you stole from me, you stole my journal. you stole the place that I could count on to keep track of the progression of my art practice for years. You stole my log of achievements and growth over the years, my portfolio. You took from me my archive of inspiration on days that my mind isn't able to figure out what colors to paint.

You stole places I wanted to remember to travel to, and writings that I deeply connected to. You took from me time that I can't get back, and now your spam name is linked to my business. Your spam name on everything I've tagged myself in, and a platform I've used to expand the audience that sees my artwork.

You've taken more than just a page with followers. I wish that was all you took. I wish that was all it meant to me. 

when you stole from me, you probably didn't realize that there are limits on the amount of people you can add on a new account per day. You didn't realize that what you stole will take months for me to rebuild. You didn't realize that I tried so hard for this, and did it on my own, day by day.

You simply took from me something that you had the capability of taking, just because you could. Something that you will likely sell for your own benefit. You have access to a timeline of my Memories that you can delete whenever you choose to. You also took my ability to link to another page for my business, so I will have to recreate this as well because I can't connect it to two accounts.

the hardest part for me is that I'm just an average person. I can't hack my way back to where I was, and I know instagram may not ever help me to get my account back because you have changed the email, username and password associated with it. I have been unable to contact a representative, and my greatest hope is that they will reply to one of the countless emails and messages that I've sent over this past week. The chances for me look slim. 

Next time, just please try to think about who you are taking from. Think about the blogger who uses her following to make a living for herself by posting photos and links to products she believes in. Think about the photographer who couldnt afford to frame their work until their social media gained a following and they began selling work. Think about the thinker who Shares their most vulnerable and intimate writings with the world. Think about the chef who quit their job to open up a restaurant of their own. 

Think about the shy girl who Has been making art for as long as she remembers. Think about how posting her work has made her become more confident in herself and her ability. Think about her dreams of sharing her art with the world, and how day by day she reached more and more people. 

that girl forgives you. She just wishes she could talk to you and tell you how she feels. She wishes she could just speak with you. She wants to show you the way she sees the world. She wishes you knew what you stole from her wasn't just a replaceable account you could sell with no personal value. 

Whoever you are @qiababracadah9683, just know this girl will be okay. She will work at her goal again, day by day, and hopefully this fresh start will grow her into something better than before. Hopefully it will make her stronger, and her audience more authentic. Hopefully it will make her steps more fearless. Her words bolder, and her voice unwavering. They do say everything happens for a reason, and I know one day it will be clear.

 ❤️@artbyayla