I’m laughing at myself as I do a few updates on the backend of this site – my last posts have had one-word titles, and the design is attempting that minimal/hipster flare that’s so popular (or was last year, or two years ago? I’m out of touch). But the backend is so ridiculously complex and messy – likely the result of the many renditions of this site that have been published throughout the years.
I think it’s suggestive, and more than a little ironic, that all my attempts for a “minimalist” design and style have created a behind the scenes that is such the opposite of that. As I uninstall plugins that are no longer used or useful, I’m convinced that my blog should be used more often and perhaps more openly to reflect who I am instead of who I’d like to be. I’ve seen this complaint with the growing popularity of Instagram – we ‘grammers tend to put up pictures of the most perfect or enviable parts of our lives. (To be fair, these are the ones that get the most likes.)
But sometimes the mess behind is bigger than the perfection on top… and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. I began thinking about this while making breakfast this morning. I was making pancakes, which were beautiful (and delicious).
But sadly, the making of them was far messier than this picture betrays. See?
I don’t think it’s fair to discount the beauty and tastiness of a gorgeous plate of pancakes just because the chef is messy. But it’s also not fair to lead you on and make you think that these pancakes sprang into being with no effort or mess.
So there. That is my new blogging manifesto – probably influenced by the 1+ year that I’ve spent working in marketing and communications… researching, crafting strategies, and publishing for the purpose of engagement. While that’s absolutely important, I don’t feel the need to be that person as an individual online.
Perhaps we’d all be much happier online if we freed ourselves from the chains of perfectly represented lives and personal branding…
Farmgirl Writes 