Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Hah hah Hah..it 's a Blah Blah Blog

It sure seems Everybloggy is talking about blogging and Reality VS. Image and all that fine, high fa-lootin stuff.

My friend Michelle is talking about it.. and my "super bad" blog buddy Alice is too.. and several other folks I have spied on from time to time are also writing about it.

So far be it from me not to put in my two cents:

I am an adult.. and at the ripe old age of 37 ( and 3/4) I have been around the block enough to know
that most of the people who have those super beautiful blogs are either Martha Stewart style insane ( hello, she's crafty and she sleeps only 4 hours a night.. with no infant influence) or, are only telling us what they want us to hear.

Big Deal. That is cool with me..
I don't want to know what people don't want to share..

When I look at those sites, am I occasionally intimidated by the appearance of glossy and breezy perfection? Hell yes. There are some great photographers, making killer stuff and their sunshine-y lives with their adorable kiddles seem so reflective and lovely and all that. If it is the whole story, that is so great for them. Personally, I suffered from chronic depression as a stay at home mom. I had severe migraines. My husband was gone for 12 hours a day. I was lonely and mad.

Do I think people really want to read that stuff while I post pictures of the hand stitched felt photo albums I made for my sisters? Sure, maybe. But I don't think I would owe total strangers the whole story unless I felt like spilling my guts. (Not to mention, the internet 2.0 wasn't really up and running, such as it is now, 7 or 8 years back... So I didn't really have that dilemma..)

When Michelle turned me on to all the craft bloggers.. did I hate them because they are beautiful?
Sure, maybe for a day or two.
Like I said, I was intimidated...

It was a lot to absorb. These bloggity people are so damn talented. I felt like a craft hack.
My day job takes so much time and energy that, basically, I craft because I have a compulsion to do so...
(..and no conscience about housekeeping What-So-Ever.)
That doesn't always give over to brilliant and detailed craftiness.

Certainly, my crafting causes problems. It becomes all consuming. It makes a tremendous mess. My husband gets jealous of my soldering iron, or computer or even my felt.

So why make one more "Me too" craft blog when all the rest look perfect??
Not because I was intimidated and had to prove myself, or because felt I had soooo much talent that I needed to share.
I blog because I like to craft and I like to write and because it is really great to not be creating in a vaccum.

And why don't I talk about the mess and the guilt and the crap that comes with being compulsive and creative and VERY VERY busy?? I do whenever I feel like it.. but it is more fun to celebrate finishing stuff. I don't avoid the unpleasantness to look slick. Nor do I assume others are.
I blog because I relish that the people I have been in contact with because of my blog (and their blogs) are talented and inspiring people.

I love Laura 's blog because she is so honest and her honesty is funny, and sometimes painful and brilliant. And she uses song lyrics for her titles and that is so cool.

I love Alice's blog because her craft is impeccable and she has a delicious independant edge to her.

I love Ulla 's blog because she apparently sees everything... and she is a modern day muse.

I love Stephanie 's blog because she writes about all kinds of goodness... and she makes a mean craft.

I love Simmy 's blog because it makes me wish I lived next door to her...or wish I was one of her kids.

I love Michelle 's blog because I am lucky enough I know her and I like seeing what she loves enough to write about.

I hope they all keep blogging and share whatever they care to.
Blah Blah Blog.

7 comments:

laura capello said...

Love this post... by no means am I perfect person, and I find it laughable that I could ever live up to the Martha Stewart image (and who'd want to, anyway?).

I got an email once from someone wanting to know why I wasn't crafting as much. I responded and said, "durr... I broke my foot. Life's getting in the way right now."

And that's my biggest lesson learned from blogging -- life. Life is what happens. Have fun and roll with it, but keep your priorities straight.

Anonymous said...

I just love the way you wrote this post. I wrote a whole post too about this subject so I won't bore you suffice to say how glad I am to be blogging because I feel SO connected to people like you ...I wish you lived next door to me too but don't wish you were one of my children cos I shout a lot. Like you I'm not over the top happy about being a SAHM, my life feels like drudgery sometimes and I get stressed so that's why I make things and blog to keep me sane. It also stops me from feeling lonely...I hate the nuclear family.

ruby-crowned kinglette said...

great post! if i showed all that was messy and left undone i am certain people would call the crazy ward to make me a reservation... i love your 'cut to the chase' no nonsense attitude - you could teach me a thing or two about being bolder... one day i will tell you about my dream about martha stewart, barbequing chicken on the beach and her yelling at me because i wasn't doing it 'right'... damn woman.

Kat said...

Well, well, well. I'm so glad more people are thinking about this...

Now I am careful to post more reality, and it feels sooo good. But I still like to make it look pretty too.

futuregirl said...

I totally agree. People should share what they want to share. :) There is more than enough room for all of us. And, in the scheme of things, the bright and shiny bloggers are very popular. Very. popular.

Still, I'd rather get one heartfelt comment on my blog, than fifty "Adorable! Thanks for sharing." comments. I want grit! I want real! I want pain, and feelings, and awareness, and insecurities, and strength, and insight, and conspirators.

... exactly like you, Bitterbetty ...

jungle dream pagoda said...

What an interesting post. I just joined "the housewifey blog" world, and I guess I'm still an optimist. I kinda want to aspire to creating an interesting and hopefully somewhat artistic place to visit. I am actually learning the computer this way and needed some creative way to keep my attention.Your certainly no" craft hack" and I have "lurked" on your site quite a bit. Bitter Betty is a blog I aspire to.

eireann said...

this is so great to read. thanks for it.

just found you via michelle at green kitchen, and i'll be back.

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