too much
Lula, #13
Even though my two-week break involved shopping, and I wasn’t exactly free of the internet (we had an iPad with us), it was interesting to be away from internet fashion inspiration, coupled by a limited quantity of clothing.
I admit it: blogging and reading blogs make me think about clothes more. In fact, it makes me over-think it sometimes. And overwhelms me. Other bloggers have talked about this. But I think I hadnt fully understood this.
I maintain that all this blog stuff isn't all bad - I’ve gone on at length about why thinking carefully about what I buy and wear is good thing and how blogging and blogs have helped.
I like the inspiration from blogs – people sharing inspiring pictures and personalities and design – but being away from all that made me realise how there is such a thing as too much inspiration: you can feel weighed down by too many “references” in your head. Instead of picking up a grey sweater and having a deluge of images from various Tumblrs running through my head, it felt nice to have a single image that wasn’t result of having seen it repeatedly on the internet. It was just something I saw once, ages ago, and remembered. A quiet, serene pleasure.
A few weeks after I started my Tumblr I decided that I would post only when the image felt like exactly what I wanted that day, and not simply reblog every pretty picture I see. Another rule I set for myself was that I wouldn’t post anything I wouldn’t wear. That significantly curtails how much I post. And I appreciate my Tumblr more as a result.
The problem with the Internet is that people tend to not remember where they see or read something - often I find myself saying "I read this somewhere on the Internet, I forgot where." Because we can immediate Google something and find out, we forget things. That's a sad thing, when we're talking a beautiful photograph. It's also my bugbear about Tumblrs, and the reason why I caption even the things I reblog. So that I remember.
I clean out my Google Reader list regularly, and I think my trip crystallised for me the importance of doing so. Just like how having a well-curated wardrobe makes you appreciate what you have better, it’s important to avoid sensory overload.
Comments
a: I agree, I like Tumblr because it's such a nice way of organising inspiration, without having to make moodboards and scrapbooks. And thanks for the compliment on my photos, I only show the better ones and hide the terrible ones.
Ammu: I'm trying to do that as well, I pulled out a shirt yesterdat I proclaim to love but haven't worn at all this year - it's probably better off with a friend.
miss sophie: I did, haha. So much for the joys of a small wardrobe. I spent more on gifts for my family and good friends, but I did indulge myself, of course.
We need clean slate once in a while, don't we?
And it seems that after the fast from all that internet stuff during the trip, you come back stronger and clearer. I know what you mean when you say sensory overload.
I dont have a tumblr but I do keep a folder of images I like. It could be an outfit/place/expression that resonates with me. I visit it regularly and delete what seems to be just a passing fancy rather than something that is truly ingrained in me.
kate: i agree, you have to have a bit of both, or else life gets so rigid and you're closing yourself off to new ideas.
ginta: i know, i marked as read most of the new things that popped up on google reader without reading. it made me realise which blogs im genuinely interested in and which are just passing fancies.
cato: i always have fun shopping for people on holidays - it's my way of bringing them with me when i'm away from them, and making them part of my trip. this is not to say i don't love buying things for myself...
justeileen: thanks, that's high praise!
Our thought processes will always slow down when we are away from the stimulus, which often occurs for me when I am too buy working. Still, to come back to the fashion blogs always feels like a treat, like indulging in my favourite chocolate! It is also a lovely escape hatch, for when the harsh realities of life begin to overwhelm me.
I suppose the trick is to fond that essential balance. There sure is an exhausting amount of inspiration/data, etc, which seems to challenge my sanity at intervals, but just 'switching out' some of the excess, mentally, has enabled me to continue.
Glad to have you back!