In her New York Times Magazine piece, Pinterest, Tumblr and the Trouble With 'Curation', Carina Chocano describes how the "visual catch-bin blog" has become increasingly common, and how "curation" has gone viral. Chocano herself spends a lot of time on this blog (among others: Ffffound, Poppytalk, Oh Joy) as well as the ever-popular Pinterest, a site that provides "a clean, well-lighted place to collect found images and share them with others."
According to the article, people use "web sites like these to escape, de-stress, perk up, calm down, feel something, not feel something, distract themselves and (they don't call it "lifestyle pornography" for nothing) modulate pleasure and arousal."
Chocano goes on to define this curation phenomenon that she describes: She calls it "sehnsucht" — a German word that translates as "addictive yearning."
Well, are we? Are we really addicted to yearning? Do we find these idyllic-image-filled sites compelling because they fill a void in our lives? The perfectly appointed dream living room we fear we'll never have. The lovely garden we won't get off of our own behinds to start. The one zillion and fifth DIY project we find inspiring, but will never actually do.
Call me cheesy, naive, or corny, but when I see an image on Pinterest, one that I really love, something strange happens to me: I smile at my computer. I gaze at it like a child and say a silent, "Well, aren't you just the cutest thing I've ever seen." (Counterpoint: there are also those pins which make me scowl, like the recurring "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" pin, in which case I say: Have you ever tried a cupcake?)
Pinterest has inspired me to try a lot of new things in the last year. I made orange painted Jack-o-lanterns for Halloween with my kids. I braided a green jersey headband from an old tee shirt. I learned how to knit. And, I found countless sources of inspiration for the posts I write for this site. My DIY pins inspired me to make some handmade jewelry for my five-year-old daughter — though much to her dismay, I must admit. As she pulled out the beaded necklace I labored over for hours she said, "Is this really my present?"
My food pins also inspired me to cook a Christmas eve feast for my family, an act which was highly out of character. This point was clearly illustrated by my father's comment as he bit into my herbed mashed potatoes, "Well, I hope we don't have to wait another 35 years for the next meal!"
On this site, I have felt similarly inspired. Writing for this blog has inspired a number of firsts in my life: I started making my bed for the first time in thirty-six years. I completed DIY projects at which I normally would have balked. I organized my closets and bookshelves, upgraded the pillows in my bedroom, and tackled chores that I'd put off for months. But there were failed attempts, too. (My husband finally recycled my shoebox-tops-turned-painted-white-canvases that I left for months to dry in the garage, forever paused in "step two" of the five step DIY chevron wall art.)
So, let's consider it again: Are we addicted to yearning? Well, maybe. But is that such a bad thing? In my humble opinion, visual inspiration boards do exactly that — inspire. I believe that a collection of images, no matter where you find them, is up for interpretation. What might beg more careful scrutiny is our individual reactions to the images we see of picture-perfect homes and wooden sculptures chiseled by hand with a toothpick.
It's like the story of a bus driver who yells "HURRY THE FREAK UP!" to three people getting on the bus. Person number one thinks: "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! I feel terrible for holding everyone up! I'm sorry for being late! I'm sorry for being alive!" Person number two thinks: "Chill out, buddy! Could you tone the anger down a few thousand decibels?" Person number three thinks: "Oh, poor fella. He's tired and overworked. Someone needs to give that guy a break!"
My guess is that, in a similar way, individuals can look at the same beautiful image — a gloriously well done DIY project completed after twelve arduous hours spent hot gluing seashells onto a giant styrofoam ball to create a glorious hanging pendant — and have a variety of different reactions. One person might see that image as a reflection of what they think they are not, and will say to themselves, "I am so incredibly lame! I'll never do that! Imsolameimsolameimsolameimsolame! I'm. The. World's. Lamest!" Another person might see that diligent hard work and say to themselves, "Wow. I'm inspired by that. And one day, I'm going to do it, too."
Or, maybe I won't, they might think. Maybe I don't want to spend twelve hours using a hot glue gun. Maybe I don't have one, maybe I have a strong aversion to glue, or maybe I don't even really want a pendant. But I'll still choose to be inspired by the person who did.
(Image: Geoff's Southern Exposure Studio)
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"'I am so incredibly lame! I'll never do that! Imsolameimsolameimsolameimsolame! I'm. The. World's. Lamest!'"
Whoever is thinking that should get off pinterest and go to therapy
Excellent piece! I have files full of "yearning."
There is a fourth person getting on that bus who quietly notes the bus and badge number of the verbally abusive driver and reports it to his or her employer. That's me.
In my current state of affairs, I would side with Carina Chocano. Going through a mindfu**ed separation, alone in a foreign country where I dont even speak the language, with unsupportive friends and family back at home, my daily dosage of design blogs is a much needed source of order, beauty and calmness. Yes, I've gone to therapy, but the need for companionship, family life, the sense of building up something, is not what I get out of that. Its not the same, but sorta similar to why I watch old 30 Rock and W&G episodes over and over again.
I know that I will oget over this, but I need to give my heart enough time to mend. Till it is ready (and maybe even after that, maybe for a different reason), my design blogs are a source of creative inspiration to me.
This article speaks to me.
I don't know... I like to scout for ideas, but it's not "yearning" so much as part of the continual tweaking I like to do in my environment.
I realized I can make an awesome work station that looks like the picture and it looks rather cheap to make. Addictive yearning yes but it also improves my personal spaces because I do motivate.
Speaking of yearning, anyone know where I can pick up a desk like in the picture? Preferably with drawers!
I need a wall mounted desk since the heater is against the bottom of the wall, so the desk can't go flush against the wall. I saw the thread of wall mounted desks on this site but they were all way out of my price range. This one looks more affordable (maybe?)
@cactina, I understand wanting to "veg" in front of the computer to escape from what's going on in your life. I often do the same. But maybe if we actually took what inspires us and put it into practice, we might help ourselves heal faster and simultaneously help fill a void by accomplishing something that we did solely for the purpose of saying we did it. Best of luck as you move on in your life. Better days are on the way...
@firewontquell Yes! This desk is definitely an affordable DIY. In addition to your desktop and support (1x1 wood would work), you can get everything you need online. It's a very satisfying project!
--Find hairpin legs here.
--Top-mounted pencil drawers can be the pre-made office type or custom wood.
--You can attach drawer fronts to your custom pencil drawers with adjustable screws.
--If you want full-extension glides with a custom wooden pencil drawer, you might have to build the pencil box yourself with a custom drawer box, Blum 230M Series drawer glides and adapter top brackets. Get the longest glides your desk will allow so that you can make a full-extension pencil drawer. That way you can get to the very back.
@firewontquell Forgot to add the grommet info. Check out the fancy stuff at Doug Mockett though your local hardware store might have plain black or brown grommet sleeves.
I've said this before, but the word "curate" must die. It's so overused and devalued (unless you are actually a curator, that is).
I like this. My motto lately has been, "I can appreciate something without
(buying, tasting, doing, etc.) it myself."
This is a topic that has been on my mind a lot lately. Thanks for the post, I really enjoyed it!
I've been collecting images that inspire me since I was a high-schooler, taping them to my bedroom wall. That evolved into a binder where I stored pages torn from magazines and catalogs, and organized them by room, function, category, etc. Pinterest is just the most current form, for me. It takes up much less physical space in my house and I can browse tons of stuff more easily, including what my friends are inspired by. I guess I just don't have that inferiority complex, because none of this makes me feel like my life isn't good enough. It just inspires me to be more creative and to look at everything around me more creatively. And when I have an idea for something, I have TONS of inspiration at my fingertips to help me make it awesome!
As a current dorm-liver, I definitely use my RSS feed and Tumblr to yearn. I also prefer to think of myself as the "someday I'll do this" person. One day, I can paint the walls, make some nail holes, replace my light fixture, and buy furniture. Until then, the internet helps me with ideas and even gives me little ways to improve my current space (embroidery hoop turned earring holder is the next project in store).
Great post! And absolutely right, every person will have a different reaction to a picture.
And also the SAME person may have a different reaction to their inspirational images depending on their mood. Some days it motivates me, some days I'm content to just look over some great design and admire what others have achieved, other days I feel a bit sorry for myself for being lazy :P
I think in most cases, looking at this kind of stuff doesn't trigger a glum feeling towards our own life or house or clothes. Especially in the house department, I think it gives us ideas and a boost to start our own projects and it also triggers a brainstorming activity that is only healthy. But then again, I still live with my parents (aged 20), and the looks of my house, while elegant, are very far away from the most whimsical appearance that I would like to go for. This and other sites show me a different way of life and decorating. I think it's only good. P.S.: Excuse my English, I'm Portuguese
I think yearning is the perfect word for what a lot of people do on these sites. I have seen countless Pinterest accounts with albums labeled "My Dream Wedding" or "Nursery Ideas" and the women are not even engaged (or dating anyone) or pregnant.
@erikakn -- thanks for the advice! I will definitely check it out. Two questions-- you think one inch thick wood would work? and how would you attach the back piece to the wall?
Thanks!
yearning rules!