Pinterest was one of the first social media platforms that I used when I was younger. It was a great place to seek out references for places, people and outfits for my writing. I liked to get a visual for my characters in my creative writing pursuits. There is also some beautiful, imaginative artwork that serves as inspiration as well. I was never really involved in the community on Pinterest. I used it for my own inspiration and writing purposes.
Now, Pinterest has become a home for my style boards, haircut inspos, meaningful quotes and funny videos or memes. I enjoy scoping out the different hairstyles that I want to try. I’ve probably shown my hairstylist so many pins on my board as I attempt to describe the style I’m looking for.
I also found some fun, quirky outfits that I would like to try. Over the years, I have continued to develop my own general color scheme (largely greens, yellows and pastels) as well as style. One of my favorite parts of clothing are the sleeves and cut. I love big, puffy sleeves and turtlenecks.
Now, I find it enjoyable to share my pins and interests with my one friend who uses Pinterest, too. We share makeup styles, funny memes and more. Pinterest really gives you an opportunity to share a little bit more about yourself with other people that you know. I think that is one of the cool features that the platform has to offer.
However, I do find it hard to be forever pinning and creating boards for things that I may/ may not be able to find in stores. I constantly find something new that I’m chasing after – new clothes, hair, etc.
I’m sure that is a quality of social media that we often have to come to terms with: is it making us only focus on what we want rather than what we have?
Contentment has always been a hard concept for me. I am an idealist, dreamer and planner. I am always focusing on the next step to my goals rather than enjoying the moments leading up to it. I think that Pinterest can kind of pour into those parts of my personality. When I’m not in the place of my plans or dreams, it’s easy to escape to a little world you create.
Not just Pinterest, but social media as a whole, is a powerful tool. It doesn’t have to become a form of escape or solace for us. It doesn’t have to take us away from the things we already have in our lives. I think for me I have to learn even when it comes to my academic goals that I need to be content and live in these moments as the momentum towards the end of my college career quickens.
I hope that we all can learn to be content in the moments we are given each day. It’s not bad to dream or to wish, but oftentimes we can let social media inflate that desire to make us forget what we do have in our lives.