The Pinterest Challenge

I was thinking to myself the other day about the facets of Pinterest. I remember back in my grade school days when in class or sunday school, we'd be doing an art project and I'd be doing creative little quirks that I thought were oh-so-special and ingenious. I'd snicker to myself, "Mine is so cool...I put two different shades of green glitter on this tree instead of one."

But then...ohhh then...I'd look to my left and see that my friend had not only used two different shades of glitter but had used cotton balls to make clouds as well as the sheep!! I'd be filled with envy and want to beat my head on the table screaming to myself, "Why didn't I think of THAT?!  How could I be so stupid?! Mine SUCKS." I'd spiral down into a self loathing creative funk and begin smoldering my paper with my hate filled laser-glare.

I was having trouble a few weeks ago, in which I was feeling just like this, again. I was on Pinterest, scrolling through craft and organization ideas and I just felt worse and worse with every amazing idea that I saw. "That's incredible! I should have thought of that...stupid..stupid..stupid." I was sick that everything I had been making lately had been based off of someone else's ingenuity and creativity. Sure, I changed things up a bit, but seriously? Where's the creativity in that? Suddenly, all of my drive to create was gone. I knew I could never think of anything original because everything has already been pinned.

I told my boyfriend about this and he challenged me to go all day with not only not going on Pinterest,  until I had kicked this funk. He knows me so well, it's crazy. The first day I did this, I created five things in the space of a few hours. Normally I only have time for one thing a day, but I was a machine! It's amazing how much time I had when I wasn't getting lost online looking for "inspiration" or replacing my own good ideas with "better" ideas I had found.

I have all of the inspiration I need inside of me already. I am creative, I am ingenious, I am crafty, purposeful, and resourceful. It was challenging to do something I hadn't done before and have to think of how to do it without the help of others. It was fun, invigorating, and confidence boosting.

I still love Pinterest and I still go on there frequently but now I watch how much time I spend and my attitude while searching. I make sure that I find happiness with two shades of glitter, because sometimes the reward of creating something all on my own is all that I need to kick start my creativity again.

Rachel