Confessions from my Un-Pinteresting life…{Finding Happy

Yep..that’s right I said it.
My life is Un-Pinteresting.

If you are a professional photographer stuck in the middle of this industry…or heck even on the fringes these days…
You have probably know what I am talking about..
Last week I posted this to my FB wall:

“Is it just me or did the rules for being a “rockstar” photographer changed up while I have been missing from the scene the last year in baby world.
Online it would appear that to be a good photographer you will need :
to be a size 8 and under,
have long flowing hair that looks great in those self portrait sunset shots,
wear only designer clothes,
and well basically look like your life is a ginormous Pinterest board….
I feel for you guy photographers….seriously.
Glad my clients like my size 12…living in a ponytail with a boring shirt from Target self. Cause I am more than likely never going to change that…lol! Good thing I have zero desire to be an online photography rockstar;)”

I have to admit I pay very little attention anymore to anything photography related.
It just became sooooo flooded with products and people screaming “look at me!  look at me!!”
I just shut it off.  Life is easier without the noise.
The more time someone is online talking about how great they are the more I question how much they are actually shooting or even just spending time with their family?
After 10 years in this industry the one thing I know for sure…to become an online rockstar/celebrity you have to spend hours upon hours networking, kissing butt, showing your work to anyone that will look and gossiping.
Yes, gossiping.
I SUCK at all of those.
I swear it feels more like high school than an actual career at points these days.
I stepped away from all but a few.
Best thing I ever did.  Seriously.

After I made the FB post I knew two things for sure…
1~I was NOT alone.
2~That coming out with a statement that honest and bold would do one thing for sure.
Guarantee that I will never be an internet photography rockstar.
Amen and just fine by me

The work of being perfect online must be exhausting!  Making sure you know “who is who” and that your name gets in front of the right people.
Yep I would suck as an internet “rockstar” of any sort.
I shoot because I truly love it.  I am sure most of the big names are the same way but I know several who truly aren’t passionate about the actual art of photography…more about the art of being a “big name”.
I blog because I love documenting our little, boring (I like boring actually) life for my kiddos.
Too busy to scrapbook these days but I sure can print off this blog into a blurb book.

After the post what ensued was nothing short of comforting to know I was not the only one feeling this way.
I have had more e-mails, posts, chats etc… from fellow photographers saying “I am sick of it!”

Apparently I am not the only person noticing that being a fantastic photographer just isn’t enough to be noticed within this industry anymore.  After all there are sooooo many amazing photographers now.
This market is flooded to the point of industry doom I feel like some days.
So one friend pointed out that it isn’t JUST the photography industry.
This really is a trend that seems to have taken over just about every aspect of daily life.
Bringing up insecurities and feelings of inadequacies throughout girl world.

I blame it on Pinterest for the latest blast of insecure folks in the world.
Before I go into this let me start by saying I love Pinterest!  I really do so this isn’t about them.
It’s about what people are doing with this massive, motherload of eye candy and perfection.
Woman especially compare themselves to others all the time.
I am here to tell you stop that!  You are perfect just the way you are!
Who really cares if you can’t:
Decorate a cake to Pinterest worthy…
Do your hair in magnificant works of art…
Afford all of the latest and best name clothes…
Have a puppy that smiles at you while cuddling with a baby pig…
On and on and on

The truth of the matter is that Pinterest is nothing more than people filing away,
and making lists of their favorite things.
Often pulling them from bloggers, artists and amazing people all over the world.
Putting them all in one location.
This is where I am going to tell you please know that internet personalities, myself included,
are only going to show you what they want to show you.
I personally am a positive, upbeat gal both in person and online.
I have never really met a stranger…
I chose to keep my blog the same way I live my day to day life BUT I do leave out lots of details of my life!
What does that mean?
It means I am normally only going to share the happy stuff!
Trust me my days are often long, boring at times and often hard.
I figure blogs are about escape from your own life and a peek into someone else’s.
Do you really want to hear about a day where the most exciting thing I did was clean a bathroom?
Or how Lucas’s birth may never be paid off because the insurance company sucks?
Probably not.

I hear it alot though “I wish I could be like you!  How do you do it all?!”
I don’t “do it all”…lol!  At least not perfectly and my life is very Un-Pinterest worthy most days!
I figure it is time that I sit down and share the corners of my real, everyday life.
I totally understand if you never visit this blog again after you read all of my Un-Pinteresting dirty secrets…
Let’s call this “Confessions of my Un-Pinteresting life”

I have had gals e-mail and say “your kitchen is always so clean!”  LOL!!
NOT!  I have 6 people living here!  It’s a kitchen nightmare!

Shall I point out some things you maybe missing out on in this image?
The half eaten banana on the counter?  Why?
Leftover party streamers on the light fixture from Aunt Jill’s birthday party.
The missing drawer in front of the sink…It just fell off.  I see super glue in my future.
The concrete counter tops are a nightmare…I could write an entire post just about the horrid countertops.
How about the sink?

First off it is NEVER empty more than 5 seconds before “poof” it is full again..sigh.
Bottles…I HATE you bottles.  If I never see another bottle again it would be to soon.
But alas it is my punishment for not being a good breastfeeding mommy with Lucas.
He lived though and is thriving but I sure do hate those  darn bottles! Grrrr….

Let’s talk laundry…
Yes, every mothers enemy.
It is endless.
ENDLESS.
My bedroom couch will never look Pinterst worthy.  Ever.
At least it is clean laundry..that counts for something…doesn’t it?
But we all know the real headache with laundry is the folding and putting away…rarely the cleaning part.

I admit it…I am embarrassed by this next one.
I went back and forth on whether to share it or not but this post is about being real.
On Pinterest you see these glamorous pictures of these breathtaking bedrooms.
My friends have bedrooms like that!  I have seen them for real and in person.  I have longed for matching pillows.
Me?  I am a homeschooling mom with three kiddos.
If I have even $50 extra bucks, trust me, it’s going to the kids.
To their clothes, their field trips, their sports…it’s going back out that door just as fast as it walked in.
God has blessed us with just enough to have just the life that leaves us happy.
But in reality a nice bedspread with matching pillow cases…it’s just gonna have to be “a dream” for now.
I am not a fancy girl…I am just thankful for a clean, soft place to lay my head.
Some folks aren’t even that lucky.  Not having matching this and thats in the grand scheme of life…
Not important.  Really it’s not.  It’s just “stuff”.

Toys in the living room…gasp!
With the first two I never thought twice about it.  The babies toys were all over the darn house.
That was just the way that I thought all families did it.
Or do they?
It has come to my attention this go around that some mothers are adamant that the babies toys
NOT be in the living room.  Huh?  What?  Why?
This idea is lost on me. I am still standing by my post a few years back  about being able to tell where someone’s priorities are in life with in the first few rooms of a house.
(the images on that post aren’t working for some reason..boo.  But you get the words stand true)
Toys in the living spaces scream “a child is part of this family and we love having them in every room!”
Probably sounds snobby…but I swear those baby toys are only in the living room for a very short few years.
Before you know it they are up in their room and you are begging them to come and see you.
Enjoy them folks…don’t blink.

I own dead plants.  Can you believe that?!  I know I am always sharing my lovely gardens…
How about my unworthy plants?  Poor pansy.
Never stood a chance with the Va. heat.

And then their is the crazy dog…
Neurotic actually.  She HAS to be beside her people at ALL times.
Try to pet her and she will run from ya…but she will need you in her site anyway.
If not?  She poops.  Yep…she poops from nerves.  Gross.
Oh but we love this silly little thing.
Lucas isn’t always kind to her yet she still waddles over to lick him hello first thing every morning.
(Granted she is actually checking to see if he has dropped any food but it is a friendship just the same.)
Sweet. Shy. Totally neurotic. Lump of fluff and love.

I think that about sums up enough to show my point…
My point?
What you see of an internet personality is only half of their story.

Maybe they are working extra hard online because every other area of their life is a hot mess?
Maybe they are focusing on the good parts of their daily life instead of the poo poo parts?
Maybe they are seriously lacking in self confidence and wearing the perfect clothes, hair and makeup to make them feel better about themselves?
Maybe they are just driven to “succeed”…an endless, blinding drive.
Maybe, just maybe, they stumbled into being a “rockstar” and they fit that “perfect” mold as a God given blessing.
I think the majority of the online celeb’s that most compare themselves to are actually pretty decent folks.
I am sure they are perfectly flawed like us average folks.
Showing their real life, everyday, Un-Pinteresting moments simply won’t sell their products and services.
I get that.
I would just love to see some good old fashioned, normal, average folks being put on that pedestal of talent and worth more often.
Or maybe the folks that are already there could be more “real” from time to time? ( I can’t be the only one with the couch of shame and dirty dishes)
Instead of posting a million self portraits of themselves in perfect…everything…maybe just say “you know what..this is me minus all “the stuff” today. “

What I really want new photographers and folks all around to know is that just because you aren’t an internet rockstar, all over forums and mass e-mails as the face of a product, class or workshop….
That those things will have NOTHING to do with the kinds of photographs YOU will take.
Or the happiness YOU can find.
The kinds of jobs YOU will have.
Or the way YOU have to work in order to “make it” in this crazy, ever changing industry.

Trust me…you have seen the scary corners of my house.
Yet somehow I still manage to find happiness and jobs that leave me feeling blessed everyday.
My secret to having a happy life? (  I prefer “happy” over “successful” any day by the way)
Turn off this computer for as much of my day as possible.
I don’t spend my days and nights endlessly comparing myself to others.
Don’t wrap up the “who you are” with “who someone else is”…
Awe.  Yes.  That is the key.
Now go live your life and stop comparing it to the perfect people