I have, fairly recently, found Pinterest. I know. I am late to the party…always….but, I am here now. And, all I have to say is, “EVIL!”
That might be a little over the top, but you need to understand that I am not ‘that’ girl. I only went to Pinterest to see what all the fuss was about; why everyone was talking about what they made/did because of a pin, etc. I was overwhelmed the first time I went to the site. Where the hell did all the Martha Stewart-like clones come from… Holy Shit, it was the Stepford wives (old ass reference—look it up) for crafting. Does everyone have a crafting blog???
But, it was fascinating—like an accident is—at first, and I found myself wondering. So after a few forays into pins, I tried one. FAIL!!! It looked like I was having some sort of “episode” (the medical kind) while making the damn thing. “Great,” I thought, “a site to make me feel completely inadequate and lacking in creativity.” The tragic thing about that thought, is I have never given a shit about crafts or my creativity before. So, who cares???? Well, I did. I am kind of an overachiever.
So, like the trooper (aka--obsessed individual) I am, I tried again. FAIL!!!! Seriously??? Do I really need to throw away another t-shirt for trying some dumbass no sew project? YES…. And, I decided that Pinterest wasn’t for me. Amen!
A few weeks later, in the midst of probably the most turmoil my life has seen (while I believe I live an uneventful everyday life….)—a lawsuit with a narcissistic partner, several government agency surveys at work, more broken than fixed at work (including a somewhat hostile workplace—as if the complete lack of order wasn’t enough), not a clean spot at home, raising two boys who are crazy – and still trying to maintain the relative normalcy that is supposed to exist in suburbia, I sought solace in the happy structure that lives in the PIN. My life might be utter chaos and a mess, but isn’t that the most amazing use of a milk jug? Or, what a novel idea for old books. And, I think if I tried, that craft project could work….
I went back to a site with good outcomes—even though they hadn’t been mine—and tried to garner some semblance of order. The holidays only helped me along, because I didn’t have friggin’ clue one about what to do for so many in my life when I would rather die than go to a shopping center between Black Friday and New Year’s. (Someday, I will share THAT joyous story.) What I found was enthusiasm and hope, with some good tutorials and positive encouragement. And, I made some kick-ass homemade gifts this year for my friends and family (maybe I will join the masses and blog about that—do NOT hold your breath). If you find the right pin, it is pretty reaffirming.
But, the reality is, it isn’t about how evil Pinterest is with all those amazing people creating awesome things that I could never fucking do….it was about the upbeat vibe that comes from those who post the projects and assure you it is a “great idea.” And, MORE than anything else, it was about being able to focus on a project that didn’t require me to spend hours contemplating…but, did require focus and determination and ended with an actual, real, useful and positive outcome. Something that distracted me from all the unbelievable day-to-day shit, but still had a result and could be fairly simple. Have I become a clone? NO…
What I have become, is someone who is able to suspend the mental torment of thinking of all the things I need to do all the time, and just put together a really neat usable item….and, forget all the bullshit for some time (however long the project took). I still have my same challenges (e.g., lawsuit continues, ugly behavior between co-workers, crazy kids, etc.), but I also have some nice gifts that provided me with a moments piece of mind, a feeling of accomplishment and some really positive feedback from people who know how AMAZING it is that I did anything remotely crafty, ever.
I think that I came out ahead, in this regard….thanks to all that EVIL
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