Blogging an Imperfect Life
Have you ever visited a blog and thought to yourself, “Wow. Her house is always so perfectly clean!” or “She is such an amazing seamstress/DIYer, she never makes any mistakes!” or “Holy cow, her food always looks amaaaayyyzing!” Yeah, me too.
I’ll admit, sometimes that makes me annoyed. Because you know that can’t all be real. Of course they’ve had sewing fails. Obviously their living room gets messy and dusty. I’ll bet the first time they tried to dye fabric something probably went wrong. You know that the first time they ever sewed a pair of pants, they probably used their seam ripper just as much as their sewing machine.
Ever since I started my blog a few years ago, I knew I didn’t want to be – couldn’t be – that kind of blogger. I’d share my successes, but also my failures or my “almost quite rights, but not exactly perfects.”
And on Instagram? I share my messy living room … so you can follow me and feel so much better about your housekeeping skills.
If we only share things that are perfectly styled, perfectly cropped, or perfectly sewn, how does that encourage someone who is just learning? How does that give us an opportunity to form authentic relationships, based on real-life?
I value growth. I value authenticity. I value being real with the people around me. I value sharing the good and the bad [and sometimes the ugly…] in life and in the things that I make. I value knowing that I have the freedom to make mistakes alongside my successes.
Will I share a lot of the pretty things? Yes, of course. I probably wouldn’t have all you lovely readers if I never showed you my occasional awesome. ;)
But am I a work in progress? Obviously. Aren’t we all? I have yet to meet someone who is really, truly perfect at everything they do and never makes mistakes. There is no perfect parent, seamstress, chef, housekeeper, fill-in-your-chosen-skill-here… God gifted me with my own strengths that are different from yours. If I look at your blog and compare myself to you [or vice versa], how is that helpful? If I never try anything new and risk making mistakes, what fun is that?
So when you visit this space, you can be sure that I’m going to share things that I’m proud of – even if they’re not always perfect. Sometimes you might look at something I’ve created and think I have a lot to learn – you’re probably right. I do. And other times you’ll visit, be inspired, and leave having a new skill in your repertoire.
But whichever it is, you’ll leave knowing that you’ve seen the real me – the imperfect, growing, always-learning, grace-filled me. If we all shared our rough edges, our work-in-progress selves, I think our relationships would all be a little bit deeper and we’d all feel better admitting that we don’t really have it all together.
Beautifully said, Jess!
thank you, veronica!
Those too perfect bloggers are annoying IMO. I would much rather read your blog than someone’s blog who shows only color-cooridnated and carefully staged eye candy.
one more reason why i love you, alida :)
It’s so great to read this. I feel totally the same as you. I wish I could be perfect but I am me and that is the best I can be!
thank you so much!
Love this! Love your blog, thankful for your willingness to share in this authentic way!
thank you so much, kirstin!
Perfect timing for me! I was feeling pretty inadequate today – having 2 sick kids and thinking about the holidays/gifts/birthdays all coming up in the next few weeks is pretty overwhelming! You keep sharing and doing what you do – we love you!
i’m so glad you felt encouraged by this, raeanna. :)
i needed this! thank you so much, jess :)
i’m so glad it resonated with you, lora!
Jess this is so perfect! You are perfect at being you :) I love everything you share, all your sewing, and family life. You are always inspiring to not get down on yourself and to focus on what’s really important in life and I can promise that it’s not perfect stitches :) thanks for sharing!
thank you so much, shauna! i feel the same exact way about you :)
Girl, you KNOW how I feel about this whole issue. I’m all about blogging the imperfections all the time – it’s much more fun to read and it’s far more authentic! Messy living room, ripped seams and all – I think you’re pretty fantastic!
thanks, sarah. i think YOU are fantastic. :)
I need both types of blogs in my life…the real ones and the eye candy ones. I love that you wrote this post and I 100% respect your opinion. You are wonderful Jess!
i agree, mie – i definitely need inspiration in my life too :)
I really liked reading this and think you said what you were saying really eloquently. I appreciate the celebration of the messy, imperfect, and in-process.
And you also know how I feel about beauty — creating it, maintaining it, documenting it artistically… I don’t think that has to be inauthentic either.
I like a little of both .. As Mei said above. :)
And I love you and live that we are sisters-in-love!!
thanks so much, brooke. yes, i agree that beauty isn’t always inauthentic. but i think it definitely CAN be – especially when it comes to blogging. i for sure do need some beautiful things in my life for inspiration! love you :)
Thank you so much for sharing this! I really respect you for it and it is really comforting to see stuff like this!
thank you so much, stacia!
Love this post, Jess! I feel exactly the same way about my blog. I know that people come to be inspired, and I understand that inspiration often comes from scrolling through beautiful blog posts packed full of perfection. (Those beautiful gathers actually made me squeal a bit. Amazing!) I’m not that kind of blogger (or that kind of person), though! I’m more of an encourager. I think that showing my mistakes and sharing my struggles, but including ways that I either overcame the problem or found a way to live with it helps my readers to see that they can do the same!
I love your messy house pictures on Instagram, by the way! Thank you being real.
thank you so much for your sweet comment, bonnie! i agree, i love finding a blog full of pretty pictures and inspiration, but i agree – i want to be more of an encourager. so glad my post resonated with you!