Translating Pinterest to Real Life: Part 2

Last time we talked about the emotional challenges of Pinterest. We are tempted to expect every project, decoration, DIY, recipe and anything else we find to turn out as perfect as “Pinterest Perfect”

What this can lead to is frustration, or even feelings of inadequacy.

But maybe you do not feel this at all! Maybe you know exactly how, the expectations we put on ourselves because of Pinterest, are not fair. But if you do struggle with this then keep reading!

Today we are going to talk about how to properly think about Pinterest and how to effectively use it. This is not an encyclopedic article on every possible way to use Pinterest, but we will try to give some good advice and let you take it from there!

1. Think of Pinterest as a piece of the puzzle and not the whole puzzle. Pinterest uses pictures to help you find ideas. We are visual creatures when it comes to the internet. Anything that is visually striking catches our eye.

The temptation then, is that when we see an amazing project, all we see is how perfect it is. We see it in its isolated environment on Pinterest. We only see it in all its glory!

Which means, when you go to setup that amazing organizational chart in your kitchen, it doesn’t quite look as perfect as what Pinterest seems to show. The reason is, because your emotions are impacted by so many things in your life! The cleanliness of your house, the mood you are in, the way your children are acting are all part of how you feel about something. If you feel a little overwhelmed, the organizational chart won’t be as impressive.

Your Pinterest project is just one piece of a very big puzzle. Pinterest ONLY shows the perfect project that solves just one problem. Pinterest ONLY shows one amazing picture of everything working in harmony for one moment. Long enough to get a great picture! Your life is so much more than one picture, and in real life things aren’t Pinterest Perfect.

Understand that one Pinterest project will not make you feel good about everything else going on in your life.

2. Look at Pinterest for SPECIFIC NEEDS. Isn’t that what most of us do? Yes, but what tends to happen is that we look at all that Pinterest has to offer and we start to wish all of our lives should look like Pinterest.

We get caught up in the world of Pinterest and compare our world to it. This can lead to a lot of frustration!

Instead, think about Pinterest in a very specific sense. Persevere mentally! Only look for specific needs and more importantly, only compare what you have done with that specific need. Pinterest is a great tool but you should never compare your whole life to Pinterest. Take on small piece and see if anyone else has had an idea and pinned it for that very specific need.

3. Spend enough time on Pinterest to enjoy it, but not enough to be controlled by it. This principle could be used for any social media channel. We are too often controlled by something and not often enough in control. Make sure you understand Pinterest and the very specific role it fills. It is not a standard whereby you measure yourself against the vastness of the internet, but a tool to help you solve specific problems.

 

WinterPromise