Sunshine, July and Daily Tangents #19 Umbrella
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| Original painting by Buddy Summer |
Hello, good afternoon and welcome to another Sunshine, July and Daily Tangents post.
Today I have been working on bunting which I've been commissioned to do. It's always a really lovely feeling when someone asks me personally to create bunting or any personalised item for them as it means they have faith in my ability. Of course, that can also add little pressure sometimes but mostly this is if I've never made before what they're asking me to create. I definitely have found a love for making things for people, giving it to them and then knowing what they think. I always work so preciously with each thing that I hope they are utterly in love with the result.
It's very apt that today's word is umbrella because It has been drizzly and dark all day today. I would like to say that I've been cuddled up in warm blankets, surrounded by snacks and watching my favourite films but maybe this is exactly what I will do later on. I have been craving to watch The Hunger Games Mockingjay part two for about a month now so possibly this evening is the day to do so.
So I thought for a while about today's theme and tried to think about what an umbrella actually does rather than what it looks like. An umbrella is essentially a shield. It's something that protects an individual (or as many that can fit). It is something that can hide you from whatever it is you're shielding yourself from or you can choose to show your face to it. Above all, it's what you hold and have the power over. Bearing in mind this isn't the case all of the time, I was once walking along the street when the wind took control and turned my umbrella inside up. I have not used this umbrella, or any for that matter, since.
I've heard a lot recently about social media and putting things in place to make it an enjoyable positive experience that makes you feel good. I agree enthusiastically that this is what the internet should be and I also see how you should feel ok to put up a shield. This can be interpreted in many ways but how I mean is posting then walking away. Not continuously checking likes, statistics or comments and basing your worth on the amount of positivity or negativity received.
Many businesses and brands are filtering (see what I did there?) into our social media platforms to promote and sell. This is just how the internet has come to be. For me, if something doesn't feel organic or I can't see a genuine intention- if the brand/business feels like it only cares about selling- I lose interest. After a while, I get quite sick of advertisements.
On the other hand, there are posts with true intentions and people wanting to share with the internet or a business that was set up with a purpose that does good in the world. An example being myself, when I share my things it's because I love creating, writing and making blog posts. I want people to see the thing I've worked on.
However, there comes a time when I will post something then check how it's gone down. I know other people do this too.
With my Penguin post, I posted in the morning then left it the entire day. Later on, I checked once I was ready for my next blog post (because they come late in the day lets be honest) I found that there was a good response; people liked my work. This was amazing as I really loved my penguin painting too. On the flip side, it can be really disheartening when you create an art piece that you love and you don't get the response you think matches how much you love it. It becomes about the quality of that piece and to me, that's not why I love creating. I love creating because of the process and inspiration. I love feedback because I've been working hard on the said thing and it's nice to get that response. I want my art to stay fun for me and not have this heavy self-worth sign attached to it.
I think any creators out in the world, be it bloggers, Instagrammers, YouTubers, there's a feeling of wanting to get that response because it is just you working on that thing with no indication on whether it's good or not. But does the opinion of others decipher whether it is good or not? When it's put in this way, no. But me checking on what others are saying and how many likes something gets is me acting on the opposite of what I've just been saying. It becomes about what other people think and I almost lose sight of what I think.
I think there needs to be a balance of looking at social media because you want to and not for the update on personal stats. This also means following the accounts that make you feel good rather than envy.
I'm going to make an effort to post and calmy whip my umbrella out and get on with my day. Just a few moments ago I posted my painting from yesterdays post to Instagram. I posted, scrolled for a while then put it away. I can feel it's going to take a bit of self-talk and maybe even distraction but it's important to stick to creating for myself because I love it.
As ever, Thank you for reading day 19. I will see you tomorrow with day 20: Space.
Love,
Buddy xx
Yesterdays Post: #18 Peach
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