In 2012, Kate Carroll de Gutes found herself at a rest stop "ruined with anxiety. And when I say ruined, I mean in a car, in hundred-degree weather, with all the windows rolled up, sobbing and crouched in the passenger's seat rocking and waiting for the Ativan to take effect. I posted on Facebook, 'Hello, Redding. Dear gods yer hot.' A funny post that let my family and friends know where I was, but not how I was."
De Gutes didn't yet understand how insidious social media had become-with pictures of risotto and bike rides, images of nights at the theater-all of it curated to show a wonderful life, regardless of what was really occurring. But when, her editor, her best friend, and her mother all died within ten-months of each other, de Gutes could no longer keep up the charade.
She began The Authenticity Experiment as a 30-day challenge, wondering if she could be more honest about her days. She used social media as her new back fence, a place where she could stand and talk to her "neighbors" about the good and bad. The essays resonated with a wide audience, so de Gutes kept writing, chronicling the dark and the light, and putting it out there for everyone to see.
