Truth be told, I am still on my "high" from Alt Summit NYC. I understand it sounds a bit cliché, but it is the absolute truth. Being surrounded by inspiring people from every corner of the country {and world} isn't something that happens often. When it does, I make every effort to soak up as much as I can. In this case, it may take me a few posts to adequately capture my takeaways from Alt. My first takeaway came from Alt's closing keynote speaker, Garance Doré. In her fabulous French way, she touched my heart--and offered a poignant everyday reminder for me, the queen of all perfectionists:
At a certain point, we all have to step back and realize we don't know it all. We can't be it all. These imperfections are what make us unique. The blog world can often feel like one big hamster wheel of competition, but in the long run, the only person you should be in "competition" with is yourself.
My nerdy quirks make me different--and for once, I'm not trying to shed them just to "fit in". The blog world can have a tendency to feel a bit like high school: the cool kids sit in one table {and have their inside jokes on Twitter}, the artsy kids all hang out in another corner {and curate joint Pinterest boards}...you get the picture. What I took away from Garance Doré was that this doesn't matter. AT ALL. The sooner we stop trying to fit ourselves into a particular bucket, the better our blogs {and lives} will be. I wish I could have told myself this when I actually was in high school, but I digress. I'll leave you with this...
This is my thank you note to all of you, whether you've been following for days, months, or years:
You are so much more than a reader to me. You are a friend. You take time out of your day to spend with me, be it reading one of my posts or pinning from Pinterest. However you spin it, you're there. There are plenty of times when I question why I blog--and the answer is reading this post. YOU. Thank you for giving me a little place on the internet to call home--and one where I can finally feel comfortable to be me, nerdy quirks and all. Thanks again for the advice, Garance! Much love to each of you today and every day.
xoxo {av}
there are days when i question why i blog as well, & my answer always lies in the fact that i need to stop comparing myself to others. when i remember what my blog is really about, i fall in love with it all over again.
ReplyDeletereading this today has inspired me to keep going down the path i've etched out for myself in this crazy blog world - thank you.
Great advice! Everyone gets hung up on what others are doing, but I think the key is to do your own thing. Because at the end of the day would you rather be someone else or yourself?
ReplyDeleteI love this quote! For every mean comment (whether I see it or someone says it to themselves in their head), I just take it with stride. You can't please everyone and once you embrace that, you'll be happier!
ReplyDeletelove this and could not agree more!!
ReplyDeleteGreat message!!
ReplyDeleteLove this post. New reader over here :) I love this, and Its weird that we create a space for ourselves, then let other blogs take away from our space. Did that make sense? :)
ReplyDeleteOmg, Garance was the closing keynote speaker!!! WOW! How awesome!
ReplyDeleteall your nerdy quirks are why i like your blog and you. i like that you don't try to be everyone else. and if blogging is like high school, can i sit at your table? i'll bring the dessert. :)
ReplyDeleteGarance was my favorite as well and her message isn't a new one but what made it so poignant for me as well was her handwritten presentation, peppered with some trucker talk and all delivered in that fabulous French accent.
ReplyDeleteas I tell my kids: you do you.
PS - thanks for hanging with me and I need to know more about your Mailchimp ninja skills
The perfect take away from such an amazing woman. Cheers to being yourself!
ReplyDeleteAs a fellow perfectionist, this is an excellent reminder! And I'd love to hear more about your Alt experience!
ReplyDeleteGreat thoughts to take away from it! Glad you got to go!
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. I can totally relate... I am a fairly new blogger and everytime I view other blogs, I feel overwhelmed and think "is this really what I am supposed to be doing to be successful?" Today actually, fitting that I see your post as well, I realize that I just need to be me and write what I want. It is my own online space afterall.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend :)