I’m sure you read ” Creatively Honest” & wonder where I’m going with this. I’ve learned the hard way from trying to make everything look perfect in my life, especially on social media, that the weight of that pressure can make you feel like you are drowning among the filters & beautiful things. What do you feel when you look at other women’s Instagram feeds when their lives look like your dreams? I immediately look around my house & wish I was there haha. I am just as guilty too, I try to show only the pretty. You might see a beautiful shot of me knitting with a delicate blanket, it will look dreamy. But I promise you, just out of frame there is my 3 year old son playing with his Rescue Bots or Paw Patrol. I’ve learned to be creatively honest with how I show my life.
I have dipped my toes in so many roles within the creative industry in the last 15 years. Everything from sketching, photography, editing, to now creating handmade props for newborn photography. I have an immense respect for the structure of this intricate community. The way the experienced teach the beginners, guiding with care. This can also be a highly competitive community for photographers, crafters, graphic designers, & workshops. I don’t know about you, but I have run across some wonderfully honest blog posts over the years from these women that really ring true for me. They help me realize that I am not alone in feeling like it is a juggling act to be a homemaker, wife, mother, business owner, creator, designer & some where in there take time for self care.
There was one blog post I read recently, written by a woman that looks like the epitome of “has her shit together & looks gorgeous while doing it”. She wrote of some pretty personal struggles. It felt like she & I were sitting down with tea, just talking. I identified with her, I admired beyond measure her bravery for posting this. I thought, this very well known & influential woman is literally saying “this is me” to her entire business following. I was so inspired.
After that I literally said “screw it”, what am I so afraid of? I am enough, I know that & yet I was terrified to be real. I have been trying so hard for over 10 years to look perfect & act perfect on social media both personal & business. I started posting short honest paragraphs on my facebook wall. Things that I will probably share here over time. Every time I hit post I thought about deleting it 50 times. But I made myself keep them up. The response was so refreshing. I didn’t get out casted or heckled like my subconscious feared. People were kind. I can tell you slowly bit by bit, the weight that has been lifted off my shoulders makes me feel like I can take a deep breathe.
I’m going to be sharing my experiences as a mom, wife, small business owner, creative & a woman who’s finally starting to love her 30’s. I would love to have guest writers as well! If you would like to share your experiences, please send an email under “Contact Us”. You can either have your name credited to your post, or it can be anonymous if you’d prefer. I’d would love to hear from you!
My goal now, be creatively honest. Not to make everything perfect but show honestly what goes into being a creative woman.
~Heather Ashley
owner of Every Bit of Sunshine
Creatively Honest 