Saturday, August 14, 2010

Introspection.........

Over the past few days I've noticed a raging quiet debate doing the rounds in the blogosphere...it concerns the "good life" that is being portrayed in lifestyle blogs. I have to admit that it stopped me in my tracks. Does my blog too pander to the "buy this and you'll be happy" diktat? I certainly hope not! My sole purpose in posting things here is to have an inspiration folder of stuff I like, maybe a few DIY projects that I can sink my teeth into, and generally ogle at all kinds of pretty things that make my head turn. Will I be tackling every  project I post? I doubt it..my home would look like a mish-mash of unrelated stuff (not to mention the time and money I would waste trying to get everything done). Ditto for the gorgeous stuff I find and post...again If I bought everything I talk about, my home would start to look like a warehouse- neither would I have the time, space or money to actually "use" all that stuff in this lifetime. When I post pictures of stuff that caught my eye, I'm in no way telling you to go out there and buy them ( though if you do love something very much and it manages to support an artist or artisan, go for it, babe!!!)


So why do I do it?....its strange, but looking at all this pretty stuff has made me lose the need to shop as often....it's akin to a virtual window shopping expedition with my best  friend. I have you along to chatter with, we're looking in at the shop windows, exclaiming at pretty stuff and then we move along. Did you ever have these outings with your best friend (our fave haunts were Sarojini Nagar and CP), where you did just that--- wandered around, talking your heads off, looking at "stuff", stopped for a quick bite at golden bakery or Wenger's (are they still around??? I really hope so!) or the chaat-wala around the corner. Yes, sometimes we bought stuff, but on a limited budget, it was usually a well-planned purchase--something we'd been hankering after for ages. But most important, we had fun and enjoyed each other's company. And that is what I wish to recreate here.....

Is it materialistic? yes, I guess. But the ride wouldn't be fun without a buddy. That's where you come in, and that's why I blog. Sometimes it is to look at and exclaim at gorgeousness. At times it is to "bookmark" an idea for future reference. Sometimes I feel like going over to a friend's for a virtual tea party (home tours). Sometimes I just want to marvel at their talent as they create. Some things, I just want to lust after....and that's okay with me too. I have my budget and I really, really do stick to it, so please don't feel pressured in any way to look a certain way, do up your home a certain way. These things will not really change your life. Only you can change your life with your own attitude and outlook. (I'm actually reacting to this post here in the last couple of sentences).

Wow. that was a very wordy post. but now I can sleep at night.  :D thanks for listening!!!

Have a good night my darlings. Remember, you're amazing, just the way you are. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise!!

12 comments:

  1. Hey GB....first of all right off the bat, let me assure you, you are not succumbing to any "buy this and you will be happy" diktat! And neither are you telling us to succumb to it either! I can only speak for myself when I say that what your posts do, is open our eyes to all the, as you say "gorgeousness" out there....whether it is to inspire us, give us ideas, go out and buy (if we have the means to do so), window shop...whatever. If posting all this wondrous stuff for us to ogle at gives YOU pleasure and fun, then i say GO FOR IT! If anyone reading your blog feels "fulfilled" only if they buy all that lovely stuff, or inadeqate because they cannot afford to buy them, then the fault is not yours! You are only the messenger! So blog on baby, blog on!

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  2. I agree, you're not at all. I've been thinking about the same thing, lately - I read so many blogs, and it was seeming, for a while, so shallow, so materialistic; it made me wonder about myself, too, and about whether (and why) I'd been allowing myself to get sucked into the whole thing.

    For my part, it called for a small return-to-self...I took a week off from the usual internet fare. I read a couple of my favorite books, painted a gift for a friend, and worked in the garden.

    Which in turn reminded me of (a) why I'm into this whole decor/design thing in the first place, (b) why I blog, and (c) why I love your blog so much - because there can't be enough beauty in the world, whether it costs a fortune or is completely free, whether it came from a store or was made by someone's own hands.

    :)

    P.S. - sorry if that sounds really sappy. :#)

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  3. Gagan, you write very well. I totally echo your sentiments. We all often talk about stuff or things that capture our interest. In my mind, it is not a platform to promote any kind of materialism or impose any specific ideas and thoughts. Its simply an outlet for our everyday thoughts on things that interest us. So for people who think its some kind of propaganda, its entirely their loss as they are really looking for something that does not exist. So blog on for yourself and for all of us who like reading your blog as it brightens our day :-)

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  4. @Kamini: Thanks!!! I have to tell you, after I finished writing this, I went right to be all happy and satisfied. I just needed the catharsis I guess. The truth is the blog does give me happiness. I like "talking" to my friends out there and I like going back to my happy place. Come to think of it, a positive, look-forward blog is so much better than the hate-and-bile kind and I'm glad to be on the positive bandwagon!! So YES to your advice. I will blog on!!!

    On another note, I never would have "met" you or all the other wonderful bloggers out there if I weren't blogging, isn't it? all the more reason to blog! Thanks for listening and being there...:)

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  5. @Laura: I so agree...there really can't be enough beauty in this world!!! and gosh no, it wasn't sappy at all. This little "exercize" sure made me realize just how much joy this new hobby of mine was bringing to me...

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  6. @Anu: Thank you!! I'm so glad that you understand where I'm coming from, here...it was tough reading that article and I really needed to make sense of my role in the larger scheme of things...and no, it is certainly not to promote any materialism...

    Thanks for understanding and listening in to my soap-box...

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  7. Thank you for sharing your thoughts in this post. It would have been a very difficult subject matter for me to write about but I have thought about this. I won't bore you though.

    I will tell you though why I read your blog :). I read it for our camaraderie, so that we may bond even more. I read because I sense a certain pride you have for Indian inspired decor, a style that I love. And I am here to see how creative the world can be :). And to enjoy your ideas, your viewpoints and your world.

    That article was insightful and provocative and true in some aspects. And I read it for a different point of view. Priv-lit, what a big word :). Almost as big as the word feminism :). But sometimes we do need things to explode before we arrive at the middle ground again. So I appreciate what they have written and that they have given us food for thought. But as long as we write from our hearts, I think we can at least say we have been true to ourselves and sleep better at night. :) Too simplistic perhaps?

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  8. @sans: not at all...its the simplicity I crave!! and that's all these are, simple pleasures. No trodding-on-feet, no hurting any feelings.

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  9. Gagan - I am with you. My blog is simply a place for inspiration. As an Interior Designer, we all have 'inspiration' files somewhere (mine used to be magazine clippings in a giant folder - now it is online).
    In a profession that demands creativity at the push of a button, it's nice to have somewhere (my blog and 'blogland' in general) to be inspired.

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  10. you cannot posses everything nice and beautiful....there are lot things that can be feast for the eyes..... they are to be seen and enjoyed...and also we get to learn lot of things from what we see.... I think that ,makes your blog great!! keep going... cheers!!

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  11. @Leigha: that's partly why I started the blog too, as an inspiration folder for myself!! I'm glad to go paperless!! :)

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  12. @Akshatha: Sometimes just "seeing" something pretty is enough to feed the soul isn't it? :)

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