So once again am bouncing off something Petra wrote over at Indivisualism.
Her post on authenticity, bloggers and consumerism brought back to surface my own feelings about this blogging business stuff.
I have always felt I am not "easy" enough to be a have a wide readership. On the one hand, this is not a big problem as I am not looking into making a career of it, but then again it would be nice knowing I reach a wide audience with my illustrations. But, even though I agree with Petra that a lot of lifestyle blogs have become just reviews of different products (advertising and product placement has taken over blogs like cancer), I still enjoy reading some of them. I enjoy the personality of the writer, I enjoy the choices they make and yes I enjoy the escapism. But here is where authenticity comes into play: some people are just like that. Some people are just THAT light and breezy and love their shoes and their cute dog and buy beautiful vintage armchairs. But me... I have been "accused" of thinking too much way to many times to even give it a go. I tried it a few times, I tried staying light and fun, but ran out of things to care about pretty early on. So if I did it, my in-authenticity would be obvious very soon. I would be unhappy and I would not bring any escapist joy to anyone.
On the question of perfect lives some bloggers seem to live that Petra also raises, I am not sure of my opinion: for one everyone has right to fake and glamorize their own lives as we have a right to look at. But then, for a medium whose core is personal contact and "truthfulness", to be inauthentic is a sin. It is to lie with bad intentions ! When you fake a life to make it pretty so other people would start believing your truths, which you learned form TV and magazines and which have never made you happy, is to perpetuate a truly corrupt system. I personally wouldn't want to have that on my conscience.
interesting!!! I'm not even sure I would go as far as calling inauthenticity a sin. if it's a conscious choice to present your life a certain way, why not. I, too, like the product reviews and information some of these blogs provide. but I don't expect anything else from them.
ReplyDeleteI'm much like you. I couldn't do the easy-go-lucky blogging. I've tried, but I guess I'm guilty of too much thinking, too :) I also admit that I sometimes wish I could reach more people but that I'm probably not superficial enough to ever achieve that.
what bothers me is when blogs that made a conscious decision to present themselves a certain way, all picture perfect and happy, all of a sudden do a 180 degree turn and pretend for one or two posts to be just like everyone else, to then go back to the picture perfect and happy blogging. that's not even inauthenticity. that's another review. spring 2012 - we wear neon colours, watch Hunger Games and are authentic. what's it going to be in summer? cynicism??
OMG Maya, this is one of your best illustrations, if not THE BEST illustration so far!!! It`s just PERFECT; the intensity of the purple, which hightlights the shape of the blue lines, the detailedness, the intensity of her expression, her Mona Lisa-ish mystery - the entire composition. I LOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteAs for the topic, "to be inauthentic is a sin" I fully agree. Thing is, we ALL have grown used to "faking & polishing our lives" in social networks. Just check out your friend`s Facebooks: 99% raise the impression that everyone is living "such a happy & active & glamorous life. With tons of unique friends." - PFFF HYPOCRATES! The successfull bloggers do the same - and nobody even notices it because 99% of the people are the same kind of hypocrites. That`s the reason why my page is strictly on fashion only and not on me. I won`t fake having "such a glamorous & happy life" either. Baby, this is the internet - it is not about "reality" - it`s about the reality WE FAKE...
Pfff...I`ll stop now, this topic is getting me too angry *grr*
Love, Jen
I wouldn't want you to post about anything else Maya, and I love your illustrations, and the exposure I get to them via the blog.
ReplyDeleteI often struggle with this concept.
I definitely do not live a perfect life- but I find that I only want to share the positive on my site. For a blogger, sharing yourself and your life with posts is a very open act. I feel like I need to preserve the personal for me only, so I don't share too much via the site that is negative, or too deeply personal. It would be putting too much out there on the nets for me to be comfortable with. I also think blogs are a form of escapism. I like to see what people are up to, cooking, making, dream I would one day have the time to create 50 DIY projects, haha, but lets face it, time is at a premium.