Yesterday I was talking with a friend who’s hoping to set up a new blog soon. I asked her why she hasn’t done it yet as her ideas are so lovely and I think it’ll be a great success. Her answer and reason was quite simple and interestingly profound. She was worried about the time it would take to curate her spaces so her photos would be appealing and “perfect” for her blog content. It got me thinking about how much we worry (as women) about being perfect. Having perfect lives. Or at the very least, hoping to attain a level of perfection in at least a couple areas of our lives.
There has to be a place for authenticity alongside aspirations to have a perfectly curated life. Surely our homes are places where we are meant to be our true selves and live our lives. Lives filled with children, pets, noise and mess. That’s not to say we can’t have aspirations. To have a gorgeously styled home office, living room, kitchen or bedroom. Even after a good clear out, tidy up and cleaning spree, how long does it stay that way? Not long. Even less time if you have a houseful of kids and pets!
I have an empty nest. I aspire to have my home looking like it’s straight out of the pages of Country Living. It’s neat and tidy some of the time but most of the time, it’s untidy and messy. Even with just the two of us. It’s lived in. There are books everywhere. I move from my office to the kitchen to the living room with my laptop as my mood dictates. I love that I can work anywhere but that also means I take a trail of books, pens, drinks, snack plates and other paraphernalia with me. It’s not a perfect space. Oh and don’t get me started on the kitchen. I try very hard to keep it tidy and the dishes put away. More often than not there are two days of dishes in my sink. The dishwasher needs emptying and I struggle to put the laundry away. It usually sits on the utility room side for several days before I even think about putting it all away.
That’s my life. It’s the reality of living authentically. Without perfection. Don’t get me wrong, I love, love, love looking at all the gorgeous pictures on Pinterest of people’s homes. I love pretty things and places. I love seeing beautiful clothes on the seemingly perfect bodies of fashion models. Stunning interior design and gorgeous creative spaces. I have boards like that. I love them. They also inspire me. It was talking to my friend about her worries of starting her blog that made me realise how much my own photos of my home/office are somewhat curated before I take them. And I’ve never really given it much thought. I know now it’s because I want them to be more appealing. I want people who see them to be inspired. But maybe there’s also a place for photos of less than perfect spaces, rooms?
I told my friend to start her blog anyway. To not worry about having a perfect space when taking her photos. They actually might be more inspiring for other women to see that we all have less than perfect homes. What we do have are beautiful lived in homes. Homes where it’s more important to do the things that make us happy; where we have many projects on the go; children’s toys and bits and pieces scattered from room to room. It helps to know there are others like us living true authentic and sometimes messy lives.