images via Indigo BuntingI find I’m inevitably most delighted by the small, simple (yet utterly genius) ideas… especially when they’re executed in such a lovely way. My latest crush is this seriously perfect bride’s gift by designer Erin Jane...
Erica dreamed up something old, something new, something borrowed + something blue for a dear friend getting married and wrapped each gift in colorful tissue paper, but it all became even more genius when she veered from the tradition that the gifts had to be something you’d wear on your wedding day.
The result: a unique, meaningful, creative, lovely gift…
***
Ok now time for a little confession. While it goes without saying that I get loads of inspiration from all the amazing creative energy going on in blogland, sometimes I walk away a little overwhelmed and (wait for it…) jealous. The insanely beautiful room re-do, the lovely party, the gorgeous meal, the handmade (insert covetable crafted item here, i.e. skirt, necklace, invitation, bunting…) sometimes leave me creatively paralyzed, sitting on the couch, watching a tivo’d episode of Glee and thinking about things I’d like to do…
Tell me I’m not alone here.
Tell me I’m not alone here.
40 comments:
Oh you are sooo not alone in this way of thinking. I feel that way so often after leaving your site. So as you are inspired and a wee jealous of others and their progress on paths that you would like to explore - just know that others are feeling the same about you. I'm not sure if that helps but try to remember that your creations inspire others on a daily basis. (and there is nothing wrong with a little veg time on the couch with Glee - so good).
The chocolate wrapper is gorgeous!
And I can completely relate to watching Glee on the couch :)
You are most definitely not alone here. I often think, sigh... I wish I knew how to sew and didn't have two left hands with crafts. Sigh... I wish I worked from home and had a job like that. Sigh... I wish I made more money to have a closet full of those awesome fashion/home finds.
Now just to channel the energy into the correct places.. slowly getting there!
Trust me, I know exactly what you mean. I have a bulging folder of DIY things to try that seems to grow everyday, but when I get around to going through it for a creative idea I end up feeling very overwhelmed and more than a little inept.
I just started reading your blog a couple of weeks ago and I completely feel your pain about the couch. So much so that I let out a little "ha!" in my office. Thanks for letting me know I'm not alone :)
I think we've all been there. I know I frequently find myself feeling stymied by the wealth of ideas but lack of confidence or determination to emulate them. However, Glee is always a suitable salve. :)
I suffer from serious blog induced jealousy. I mean, I look at all these lovely pictures of perfect, clean, spare white homes with rustic wooden tables covered with beautiful crafts and perfect meals and I live in a jam packed apartment that will never be minimalist because I would need an additional 1000 square feet to get that look.
But I try to take a deep breath and remember that I love my little apartment and my messy, busy life and it's fine to have weeks where I don't feel like making anything crafty or cooking anything beautiful and I don't live in a photograph so it really doesn't matter.
Whew.
I wish I had an episode of Glee to watch, but alas our power went out just as it was starting last night. Off to watch it on Hulu!
pretty package colors. I just got into Glee, love it!
Nope you're not alone at all. I most often times feel the same way. The creativity that is out there is astounding!
I know exactly how you feel. I look at so many beautiful photos on blogs then I get home and feel paralyzed, not knowing what to do with my own space. I usually sit down and watch cooking shows on PBS and do nothing at all. I have to remind myself that most of the lovely photos don't reflect how a room looks most days of the week and that it's okay to have a pile of magazines on the coffee table and shoes on the floor.
You are not!
And I literally just watched an episode of Glee, so I'm serious here :)
i'm with ya! i probably have over 200 blog posts which i've bookmarked to do, one day... but in the end i usually end up feeling too overwhelmed with where to start that i don't end up doing any of it. i do have some creative outlets that i turn to (making jewelry, baking cupcakes, taking pictures) but i always seem to want to do moremoremore!
i haven't seen glee yet... probably not a good idea for me to start now either :)
Oh my gosh, so not alone. Even with the focus on scaling back, reusing items, zeroing in on what's really important, we still somehow manage to put pressure on ourselves to make even simplifying life be perfectly presented.
My recommendation - take a step back and remember to go easy on yourself.
To echo everyone else: you aren't alone.
I've been following seriously creative blogs, like your own, for a few years now, in the hopes of doing crafty things myself.
You see, I work a very boring 9-5 job in marketing, but my true love is graphic design. I want to be free to create beautiful things all the time.
Blogs like yours help introduce me to beautiful things, since I haven't figured out how to make my own beautiful things. I knit scarves while watching TV (I adore Glee too), but that's it. I have a collection of 15-20 or so scarves that I have no idea what to do with because I'm too scared to try selling them in case people think they suck.
A few times it has occurred to me that reading blogs fuels my desire to consume - I need that lamp, that pillow, that cookbook - but I keep reading because they bring beauty into my otherwise boring life.
I don't know why you feel that way. I mean the blogosphere is so-so, ho-hum, take it or leave it.
Just kidding. I certainly suffer from over bookmarking paralysis. "I want to try that, and that and that..." And, oh, I have to feed my family, and help with homework and acknowledge my husband...Maybe later, after I have covered the daily duties of keeping this ship afloat, which sometimes just barely happens.
The good news is, it's all optional. We only click if we want to. Sometimes a break is in order.
You're not alone, and for the record, I love your confessions.
Definitely not alone! In fact, I feel a bit jealous and overwhelmed after leaving your SITES - the great parties you throw, the incredible recipes you make, the pretty clothes you buy, and the necklaces you make (see, I still think of this one often!), not to mention all your great foodie articles! So see...to us, your readers, your life is pretty fabulous too! And all this greatness of creative minds in this big world make me scream with glee! (and sometimes, sigh as well!)
I want that chocolate bar just for the wrapping.
And just like your other readers have already assured you, you're not alone. I pretty much feel like this everyday.
NOT AT ALL...
Yeah, i take a serious hiatus now and then from even looking at blogs, including..... yours, by the way, for all the reasons you mentioned. i get to feeling a little underwhelming and opt for the old notion that ignorance is bliss. and then, when inspiration needs some kindling, i'm back on the blog wagon,happy that others are so much better at things. most of the time.
First, that is an amazing gift! I clicked over and read the post and am way impressed.
Second, you are most definitely NOT alone! I often feel overwhelmed, too. Especially since I look at blogs during the day while I'm at my desk job and feel wonderfully inspired and ready to do stuff, but by the time I get home I'm tired and hungry and have a mountain of laudry to do and the compost to tend to and the bathroom to clean. So I end up going to be without getting my creative outlet. I need to work on that!
Yes! I end up feeling that way all the time. I made a conscious effort to narrow down the number of blogs I do read for that very reason. Overstimulation was leaving me feeling zapped of energy to do anything myself, and afraid of making a mistake. Nobody shows the mess-ups, they mostly show the finished product. It's hard to remember that when you see one thing after another that appears to be perfection.
No, you are not alone. I totally agree with sk's comment too. Thanks for sharing.
you are not alone. that is all i have time for but no, not alone.
Thank you for your confession and for creating this confession forum. You are definitely not alone. Sometimes I regret ever learning there was such a thing as the blogosphere b/c I do at times come away from it feeing jealous, inferior, shown up, you name it. But that certainly has more to say about me than all of the lovely bloggers out there. And I do keep returning because of the plethora of positives. Better to be inspired and unproductive than just plain unproductive, I guess. Thanks again for being so honest!!! And for being so inspirational in your own right!!!
you are not alone.
So not alone!! Blogs like yours are the reason I started my own. :) (rubyflats.blogspot.com)
The most amazing and unique ideas I've gotten are from these incredible blogs!
Thanks for the inspiration!
Jackie
Yeah, TOTALLY not alone.... down to the exact show...
oh wow! talk about serendipity, i have in my blog window (right this instant and waiting for me to hit publish) a pitiful post/rant of feeling overwhelmed by all the creativity out there. i feel all muckity about it. love the creativity but then want to pull the covers over my head. thank you for sharing!
you are not alone here.
that was me on the couch last night with glee.
so many things i wanted to do, looking at a list and not knowing where to begin, thus i turned to my dvr.
sinful.
i think the most important thing is remembering to spend time with our kids. sometimes all those things we do that make us feel fulfilled (creating, decorating, crafting, etc.) even get in the way of that.
and look at the lovely date you had yesterday... you are doing mighty fine, indeed.
ditto. I just started blogging and sometimes the more time I spend looking at all the blogs I love the more I doubt myself. You are such a huge creative inspiration for me the most simple post by you is always original and lovely...of course.
what a perfect and heartfelt gift... just lovely.
my wedding is coming up in just under a month and i find myself with creative wedding envy all the time! there are some truly amazing ideas and talent out there!
for the record, so many of us think that you are creative and inspiring! keep it coming.
every.single.day.
you are one of the ones that inspire me, (and yes, jealousy is wrapped up with all the good inspiration) and by the looks of the comments left so far, you do the same to many other women.
i hope to one day be even half as stylish, poetic, engaging, and loving as you are!
oh my, i completely agree. i often have to close my google reader to get any work done.
I can tell from the other comments that I am not the only one that is here to say that no, you're not alone. Some nights after I have visited the blogs I usually read, I'm ready to take 3 weeks off work and just make stuff. People out there are wicked crafty and talented. I love to see it and wish I could half the things some people out there do.
Enjoy your weekend!
Of COURSE you are not alone ! *sigh* Doesn't everyone feel that way sometimes? :)
xo
Melis
I do try to unsubscribe from "braggy" type blogs and keep those that give me more energy. Anyone that is showing the "real" and including even just a little tiny bit of how their lives/homes aren't perfect are very affirming for me. Nonetheless, there is a certain kind of "wanty" feeling that can creep in sometimes after reading even my favorite blogs.
I adore the look of these simply wrapped, bright and colorful gifts. Great inspiration.
Not alone at all love! It's so easy to look at other projects and be totally flabbergasted and jealous.
It's ok. I do it too. I think we all do....
Sigh. I feel that way all the time!!! I get inspired by lovely blogs like yours, feel excited and then totally deflated when I realize I am craft/cooking/creatively challenged, along with a serious lack of time management skills.
I can't relate to watching a tivo'd episode of Glee as I live in the UK.
But I think from reading your comments, it seems we all feel this way!
I think as women we will always sort out what we think is better...as someone else stumbles across our blogs and thinks the exact same!
Maybe we should just all admit that we are all talented ladies in our own way.
Fee x
Ps. I have to admit I did come away from your blog last week atad jealous after looking at your own home.
Very beautiful.
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