i sent out a tweet yesterday that envy was eating me alive. while this is not something very attractive to admit, it is true none-the-less. this month, i should be filled with christmasy goodness. yet my mind is constantly taking inventory of my (un)accomplishments throughout the past year. the areas where my dreams have fallen short. i am constantly comparing myself to other artists online. i think it is easy to go down this path when the blogs and tweets i read are mainly focused on the good things that happen to their writers. constant. sugary. sweetness. but isn't that one of the main purposes of blogs - to share your joy with the world? or is it?
but then i read a post over at whipstitch. and it all suddenly made sense. bloggers (or the blogs i read) rarely show their unsightly hem (read the post and you will understand) they are more of the "fake it 'til you make it" variety. so this is it, this is my unsightly hem, my hidden truth. i often get the "why not me?" blues. and. they. are. not. fun.
regular scheduled cheery posting will resume soon. because i do strongly believe that what you put out in the universe is what you receive back and i certainly don't want the little green monster sticking around for very long :)
I recently had my own moment like this and also learned the truths out there. I have since learned to surround myself with those well, like me (honest and flawed) so we can cheer each other on and not feel envious or compare ourselves. My feed reader is lighter because of it.
ReplyDeleteWell you know how I feel about all this, and I certainly lay it all out in my blog. It always makes me feel better after writing it down. So hopefully this will get out the green monster in ya. So will eggs benedict.
ReplyDeleteHi, I ran across your stitched postcard from the Flickr group... it was SO gorgeous! (I would pay you for a t-shirt with that on it--and it totally makes me want to learn about canvas transfer prints). Made me want to take a peek at your blog. I have enjoyed reading it. I saw this post about the "truthful vs happy" blogging and I have to say: I'm in your camp of Keep It Real. I, too, have ups and downs and think my readers appreciate knowing that it's not all sunshine, all the time. (Incidentally, I can't even allow myself to look at Ceramics Monthly for more than 7 min. because I get so depressed and wonder why I even bother!) You do lovely work and have great ideas, and no one else can do exactly what you do. Bravo! Dash those comparisons! Stay focused on your work and your fans and just ride the waves.
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