I've been feeling so creatively zapped the past few months and what's worse is that I know it shows. I can't put my finger on it specifically but no matter what I do it's been hard to will myself to make something basically because I have, for one reason or another added this unspoken pressure onto my shoulders that if I am going to use my rare, precious free time to make something than it has to be perfect. Completely unique and original, photographed and made into a tutorial, be featured on craft gawker and adored by pretty much everybody…ha! Wow that's probably a little more revealing than I wanted to be but hey we're all friends here and I am in a creative slump so I am letting it all hang out like a sloppy glue gun.
Truthfully blogging and crafting has taken on a different shape for me mentally and if I am honest I sort of miss the old days. The days were I let it all hang out about my dire need for a fresh faced style after a mortifying shoe shopping trip when my second born was just a few months old (read about that here)…the days were I would share about how I stuffed some ugly dried roses in a jar and shared a mediocre picture of them to my friends online because that's what inspired me during nap time..I wasn't really worried about the numbers or the promotion of it all. I really have always been bad at that. I miss the days when a bunch of us kind of all just jumped in together and started searching for the beauty in the everyday and called it Ten on Ten, not because it was the best name in the world but because we wanted to work together on inspiring each other to do our days well in whatever shape and form they looked…I loved that season so much.
I still love blogging but the creative juices ebb and flow - I just hate it when I get fearful of not being enough, not producing enough good content, not having the most instagram followers or whatever. Is this making sense? Anyways this morning Levi asked me for a pom pom to glue onto a face he was making and it all of a sudden spurred my heart on to figure out how to make the loopy fork version because I have been wanting to for so long and never really had the time.
These took me like ten minutes and so far have been a ton of fun to play with. I don't know what I am going to do with them when I am finished…maybe just give them to my six year old to glue onto things or stuff em in a jar but all I know is it just felt good to make something out of nothing for no reason. I felt inspired again and I loved it!
Stacy and I had a long talk yesterday about creativity in the age of social media. Feeling deeply passionate about both but struggling in that balance of how not to find our identity wrapped up too tightly in how it's all "suppose to look". We are just missing the old days of blogging when it was all a bit less polished and more about sharing from our hearts. For the next week or so I think I am going to just try posting about what's going on in my brain as I juggle four kids and a husband who is deeply passionate in ministry. Giving myself freedom to have fun here and not worry so much about what everyone thinks, you know what I mean? Does any of this resonate with you? I would so love to hear your thoughts…feeling kind of vulnerable but really wanting to push forward and share freely like I use to!
Also I am willing to post a tutorial on how to make these little fork pom poms if anybody is interested just let me know…hoping you're feeling inspired in some way today!
ps. they kind of look like Seahawks pom poms :) can't wait for the game Sunday!
Those are great! And I totally understand the "creativity funk." And then it's like you know you just need to make something to get out of it but you just feel blah, so it's this spiral of unproductiveness! That's not a word... but I like it. Ha! And YES show the tutorial! They would make a really awesome banner to string on a wall somewhere!
ReplyDeletethis is so perfect. i - for one - love hearing your heart. it's so fresh and honest and lovely.
ReplyDeleteand in your slumps - you still have more creativity, pure/original creative genius than most all of us have in our thumb!!
I prefer just to hear your thoughts- you write beautifully. And your photos are lovely.
ReplyDeleteI love what you wrote! I have never had the pressure about blogging about my creativity but I found out when my kids were younger that I felt happiest creating when it had no strings attached - free materials, throw it away when I am done, or even purposefully using products that were impossible to make anything "perfect" like using kids water color brushes and ugly tempera paints to make pictures. It felt so freeing to just create and not fret about the "result". My friend used to take pictures using a camera with no film (or memory card) - she found just using the camera and composing the shots more fun than the pressure to download, edit and delete them later. (she was a painter though) This is making me realize how long its been...guess I should find some creative time tomorrow. Anyways, I love the ideas behind your thoughts, and always love hearing what you are thinking. : )
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to seeing your post and would love a tutorial on how to make those cute fork poms poms! Have a blessed week! xo Heather
ReplyDeleteI think we all feel the same more or less - we start because we just want to and after blogging evolves into something else.
ReplyDeletePS. I'd love to see fork pom poms tutorial!
I really appreciated this honesty, Rebekah! I have always loved your blog--from "Orangepoppy" to "Sunshine," you've ALWAYS inspired others. I love your idea of just sharing life right now. Just think how it will feel, years from now to look back on your thoughts! Thanks for being willing to share with us. :)
ReplyDeleteI admire your vulnerability, as that's something I struggle with. I hope you keep sharing from your heart and keep creating in whatever ways you find fun and fulfilling, free from any expectations or pressures to be perfect. I personally think the pom-poms are adorable and love that they were inspired by your son's request. I hope your week brings you much encouragement and peace.
ReplyDeleteI'm a new(er) blogger - going on short of a year, and I often feel lacking in my abilities and content. I totally hear what you're coming from. I have no sponsorships, and just post when I feel the words. Sometimes I feel like it has less purpose that way. Sometimes more.
ReplyDeleteI love your post, and really think the loopy pom-poms are cute! I would like a tutorial...
ReplyDeleteI love you, Rebekah. Such a beautiful, honest post. I am cheering you on! I'm so grateful to be in this journey through life together as friends and sisters. Proud of you, girl! And so excited to see what the future holds. xoxo
ReplyDeleteRebekah, I have been trying to start a new blog for months and have been imprisoned by what you just described. I am not a huge instagrammer or twitterer or facebooker. But I enjoy writing and have a ton of ideas. I have just been very stuck. I was encouraged to know someone who has been doing it for a good bit of time has the same struggles. I vote for the fun floppy posts that make your heart glad, but in saying that I need to do the same thing. Thanks. Suzy
ReplyDeleteI'm a fairly new follower of your blog...sometime last year (already can't remember..ha!). This post completely describes me, too, though. Blogging has changed SO much over the years. And it's almost like it's hard to get someone to truly 'read' your blog...because the only reason they're visiting your blog...is so that you'll visit theirs. Common courtesy, right? I've been blogging since 2007. And I still have less than 100 followers. :) But I keep trucking along....because...at the end of the day...I've decided that I do this for me...and for my family. As my outlet. For our memories. Sure...I'd like more people to read. It makes me feel 'good' about myself. I love comments...and they are very few, too. SO.....all of this to say....I agree with you. And thank you for sharing.
ReplyDelete