I understand the compulsion to view Pinterest, at times, with a skeptical, even annoyed eye.
For those of us who lack the motivation for those picture-perfect party favors, decorations and themes, Pinterest might play to an insecurity. It is quite interesting that the joy someone else takes in making a pretty party for their child would make someone else feel inadequate. If we learn nothing else from Pinterest, we at least understand that tastes vary as much as snowflakes.
So while I understand that some folks feel annoyed by those things, the truth is that feelings of inadequacy that Pinterest may induce are much more a reflection of a pissy mood than of Pinterest itself. Because the lovely, joyful truth of Pinterest is that it is nothing more than a collection of things that give us joy. Pretty nail polish colors, cute animals, quotes that stir our hearts, recipes that look wonderful, crafts we’ve never tried, beautiful rooms decorated with tender love and care. Some of my favorites today: instructions on how to make a cake that looks like a hamburger, 7 tips on how to grow an extraordinary basil plant, beautiful photos of pygmy seahorses and delicate fractals, advice on foam roller workouts for runners….and I could go on and on.
Most often I find myself smiling absent-mindedly looking at all the beautiful things, rather than pinning anything at all. To borrow a phrase from one of my all time favorite movies, American Beauty, Pinterest reminds me to “Look Closer”–and not just at the pins themselves, but the people who have pinned them. “I am here” they say. “I love. I have joy.”
Pinterest is a place to dream. To enjoy. To put our passions in a visible place for all to see. It gives us a simple, visual way to remember all the little things that make us smile in this breath-takingly short and precious journey. It is a place where we all say, Enjoy the beauty. It is all around us.
And I am grateful for that.
stantose 