I have been reading a bit lately about the push to be successful and about the art of the hustle. It seems there so many people feeling the pressure to capitalize on every element of their lives, even their hobbies. That if we are good at something we should promote it and work out a way to value add to it and build it up.
Grant is the king of the pancake making here. A title I'm happy for him to have if it means brekky in bed. Ha! (photo credit to Will.)
I'd be lying if said I didn't at times feel the pressure too. I think many of us do.
We hear about the importance of taking beautiful Instagram photos, of having a unique and recognizable style.
It's noisy out there.
We can use google analytics to work out who our target audience is, and when they are most likely to be online so we can upload our content at the optimum time. Tools that once upon a time were only available to big business are now at the fingertips of every single person who has access to the internet.
We live in an amazing time when these free platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and blogs can be incredible tools to tell our story and spread our message, whatever that may be. I for one am deeply grateful for them. I am grateful you are here and that blogger gives me the opportunity to freely share our story with you.
But I began to wonder if I should start to do things differently If I too should start to do more. If I love writing so much, (which I do.) is it really still writing if I'm not published somewhere? What if your self published? How many pieces do you need to get published to be a writer? Does it count if its a short article? Or do you need to write a book? How serious does that book need to be? Does it need to be a non-fiction high brow masterpiece? Then how many copies do you need to sell of that book to be able to call yourself an actual writer? The bar is potentially endless when we sit to really examine it.
What value does faffing about here actually have? I began to think if I spend so much time writing here, then I should be working out how to make an income off it. Because perhaps if I'm not earning money off it it's not really valid at all, because in today's modern world we have this obsession with being able to measure things, with clicks, views, shares and likes.
And I began to wonder if I should be doing things differently. Should I focus on making my Instagram feed more beautiful? Should my writing here be shaped so it is marketable? Perhaps it should. Perhaps I would do better if it was.
But then I thought about all the beautiful blogs out there, the ones subtly selling us expensive products. There are entire Instagram accounts with gorgeous and stylishly dressed children in muted tones and perfectly rumpled linens.....I'm amazed by parents who can manage to get their kids dressed, in matching attire and keep them clean AND happy for long enough to take a stylish photo of them. I'm happy if my kids are dressed and clean and we manage to get to the car without getting muddy or covered in toothpaste.
Seriously, I have NO idea why bathroom designers aren't flocking to our door to flog their stuff, I mean really...We have clearly nailed the whole natural/luxury spa vibe here.
I absolutely support these accounts and I too enjoy looking at them from time to time. All makers deserve and need the space to get their stuff out there. Hell, if a blogger can make money from their space by advertising things that align with their values then more power to them.
It's just I often look at those blogs and covet the things I cannot afford.
I'm tired of coveting things in this world I cannot afford. The beautiful kitchens, the perfectly imperfect home decor, the stylishly dressed children. It forced me to examine what I brought to the blogging world, and what I wanted to bring into the future.
After much consideration, it dawned on me that my heart lies with writing. I am a writer. The pictures I take will never become perfectly styled nor something you see in a beautiful magazine. Instead, I hope they are clear and good and are a true reflection of our lives. My desire is not to show you a highly glossed version of the life we live. Instead, it is to simply create an honest window into our imperfect and sometimes messy world. I hope at times you come away feeling encouraged to try new things, to feel encouraged in your own simple living journey. I hope you feel encouraged to stay true to who you are inside and to follow the beat of your own unique drum, no matter how odd the beat may be. I hope you enjoy your visit here and come away feeling good. My resounding belief is that there is beauty within the ordinary, and that life is better when we strive to find it within rather than looking outwards.
In the end, I write here because I love to write. I sew because I love to sew. I create because I love to create. It doesn't have to bring in an income or to be Instagram worthy for it to have value. It doesn't have to appeal to the masses for it to be a worthwhile and valid endeavour. Because why does the world get to decide what is valuable and what isn't? If something we do brings value to us, then it is valuable. It's that simple.
When you visit here I want you to come away feeling that you have enough, that you are enough. Because in my heart of hearts that's what I believe to be true.
Much love,
Em
xx
