Who is the person You let people see?
Just a few random thoughts today. Since starting blogging I have rapidly realised that it is very easy to present to the world exactly the sort of person you think they want to see.Someone who has it all worked out. It is easy to hide the parts that aren't so good. Thats the joy of blogging. Or is it?
I don't want my blog to set me up as someone who has it all , because I don't! Whilst I have a wonderful family and life in so many ways ,there are also the usual struggles and daily challenges. My house looks like a bomb hit it on a regular basis, my kids will have pasta for tea at least three times a week, I row with my husband and yell at my kids, I don't keep up with the ironing and I do eat chocolate in bed! Just saying.
The blogs I find easiest to read are the ones that don't have perfection written all over them, but have real people, living real lives, that sometimes fall apart.
I agree that it is easy to hide the parts of you that aren't so good, but I'd think that the 'anonymity' of the net would encourage oneself to be him/herself without inhibitions. It could be almost 'cathartic'. To just let go and be yourself without having to prove anything to anybody, as we sometimes are pressured to do by our peers in the 'real' society. At least, this is how I see it! And I'm definitely not perfect (not even close)! Nobody is!!!!
ReplyDeleteI agree - I have found it quite interesting seeing how different people use blogging for different purposes - some it does become an outlet for all their frustrations and troubles, some a business, some sharing a passion...etc I do just love finding out about people - nosey really. And for the record I love what you share on your blog! X
ReplyDeleteHi there. I don't know! Would you post a pic of yourself in a baggy tracksuit that you've worn to clean the house? Do people want to see that? I think it's nice to have an outlet where we can all discuss how we would like to look and what we do to try and achieve that. Not for a second do I believe that there's anyone out there who doesn't have bad hair days, or shouts at their kids, or have fat days where you bemoan your weight gain whilst eating your way through a tub of Ben & Jerrys (personal weakness!) .. but that's the humdrum of daily life and sometimes it's nice to break with that and have our aspirational moments online. I also think that in general, most of us will comment on the fact that we need to get on with the housework / stop spending money on clothes! / wish the school hols were over ... so a little reality creeps into our blogs whether intentionally or otherwise!
ReplyDeleteI think you hit the nail on the head when you say reality creeps in - thats how it can be natural as long as we let it! I'd never scare anyone by putting a photo of me in my joggers , but I love the pictures of normal people on Blogs - all shapes and sizes, not the same shape/size models we are presented with to aspire to in magazines! The sense of real people being stylish and well dressed - yours is a great example! X
ReplyDeleteThanks a mil - you're so kind!
DeleteI so agree with your feelings.
ReplyDeleteToo true.
ReplyDeleteI sometimes look at other mums at the school gate and think they look like real mums whereas I do not. Today for example while they stood looking crisp and collected I was chasing a plastic bag round the school car park that had escaped from the boot of my car. Everytime I thought I had got it, it blew away again. Then my youngest son smacked the head teacher round the chops, cry!
ReplyDeleteThat made me laugh so much - how many times have I done something like that or my kids done something to make me look like a rubbish mum ( which I'm NOT, really i'm not and neither are you!!) X
DeleteLove this, Claire. I think all of us are a bit guilty of showing people what we think they want to see. I love your blog and am thrilled to know you. Thank goodness you're not perfect! I always wondered how much of myself I should throw out there...Now, I just blog when I can, about what I want. If it helps, I just pulled twenty-two pictures of my family off of my digital camera from the last year..I'm wearing the same brown sweater in 18 of them...Oh dear :(
ReplyDeleteLove that! I have a fav cardy that keeps appearing in photos - even when I didnt think I had worn it! X
DeleteI think most people know that when they read a blog, they get to see mainly the good bits. It's why I love the crop tool on the photo editing suite. No head shot - you can't see how rough I look and what a bedhead I really am ... but my shirt is nicely ironed! We all drop in hints about ourselves and our homelives - the good and the bad - you've also got to read between the lines sometimes.
ReplyDeleteNo ones perfect.
I love the crop tool too! My ironing pile is shameful - my neighbour has an ironing lady that comes in . I may have to ask her to do a one off rescue iron for me to reach the bottom of the summer pile! X
DeleteLove this post! (Little bit of reality is good/ reassuring.) x
ReplyDeleteNobody is perfect, we're all flawed in some way or other (me probably more than most) - see that's one of my many flaws - putting myself down all the time! Seriously though we're all real people living real lives with all the usual good and not so good bits and I do enjoy reading these sorts of posts because it keeps it real I suppose. Am I just repeating what everyone else has said? It's your blog Claire (which I enjoy immensely)so exactly what and how you choose to show yourself to the 'web' is up to you and no-one else! Fancy eating chocolate in bed though.....;) (see this is another of my flaws - waffling on!) xx
ReplyDeleteI must say as well that since starting all of this I have 'met' some of the nicest people ever and connected with people I would never have done otherwise - just love the power of technology to allow us all to do that from the comfort of our own homes ( and bedrooms - eating chocolate again!) X
DeleteI so agree with you! Those are my favorite types of blogs too. When I first began reading blogs, the polished ones appealed to me...then I 'met' real life bloggers and that's when I really began to appreciate the blogging community. I'm so glad you posted this!!
ReplyDelete