Monday, March 5, 2012

In Praise of Pinterest

For a long time I fought the very idea of joining another social network.   

Friends and daughters kept telling me I should join Pinterest - I'd love it. they said.

I always responded that I have enough excuses to spend time on the computer - I didn't need any more.

Well, not too long ago I succumed to the pressure, and my own curiosity, and requested an invitation to join.

What I found was an amazing gallery of beautiful images.  I was able to pick and choose my very favorite ones and store them in my own 'closet' to be taken out and gazed at when I needed something I love to cheer up my eyes and brain.

I've become a hoarder of things that please me - without having people feel the need to do an intervention and come to my house with boxes, bags and shovels with which to dig me out of my obsession.

I love the idea of having images of things that please me, things that make me feel good, sayings, funnies, thoughts to ponder, at my fingertips.

When I get frustrated at my inability to take a decent picture of a hummingbird, I go to my "Birds and Owls" board and look at all the beautiful pictures I've collected of my favorite birds.

 
When I've come in from shovelling snow and have a longing to be back in Arizona, I go to my "Arizona" board and daydream a bit.

 

Conversely, when I'm cooking in the Arizona heat and long for Alberta's more moderate temperatures, I go to my "Alberta" board for a little mental trip back.



And don't get me started on recipes!  People have posted their best, tried and true recipes there for me to grab and pin into my "Recipes" board.  I've made a few of them and none have failed me.



When I'm scrapbooking and need ideas for layouts, I go to my "Scrapbook Stuff" board and get inspiration from ideas I have posted there.



 
Similarly, if I'm stuck for pleasing color combinations, I to go my "Colors" board and find answers to my problems.



 
If I need a quote or shot of inspiration, I head over to my "Things To Think About" board and sort through all the pithy sayings there


 
And if I just need a laugh, I look under "Funnies"

My main problem with Pinterest is that I'm finding too much.  Just scrolling through all the pins there reminds me of so much of the beauty that exists around me and I keep wanting to start new boards for things I love, like butterflies, and interesting architecture and amazing photographs.  I'm learning to limit myself or else my personal board would be as busy as the main board!

I've learned not to spend an inordinate amount of time browsing, grabbing just those images that speak to me and storing them in my own board.  I don't have to interact with anyone else.  I just take what pleases me and post images of what I think might please other people. 

So thanks to you friends and daughters who encouraged me to join Pinterest.  I now have my very own happy place where I can go and be reminded of all that is good and beautiful in my world.  And there's a lot of that.  Life is beautiful.  It's good to share.



13 comments:

just call me jo said...

It's a happy place for sure. No thinking. Just pinning. I love it. Glad you do too.

Anonymous said...

Get thee behind me Satan - do not tempt me with more ways to pass large amounts of time online instead of getting on with things!!

Bev said...

So thats what it is...maybe one of these days I'll have a look:)

Laeli said...

I'm glad you've found it to be so rewarding. So far I've resisted but you make it sound..useful:)

Desiree said...

I only recently learnt what Pinterest is all about from my daughter. She has been working on me to join as well. You present a very good argument for doing so, but as with you, I'm also digging in my heels at this stage as I don't feel I really have the time to fit that in, too ;)

It certainly sounds as though you are enjoying it as much as my daughter seems to.

Haf Dozen Reasons....... said...

So far I have stayed away from Pinterest. But my daughter is a Pinnie addict. She too has had alot of success with projects and recipes she has tried.

Ellie said...

I've not tried Pinterest but it sure does look interesting.
You certainly seem to be enjoying it.

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

I haven't started my own pages at Pinterest but have looked through a lot of them. It would be addictive to me. Thanks for sharing some of your finds. Maybe it's time I got into it a little more! Nice thing to do on a cold winter day.

BB said...

Good for you for having a place to go! Maybe someday I'll sign up. Right now too much is going on in life!

Magpie said...

I'm afraid I might get lost in there and never come out. :)

MIckey said...

Ditto everything you said Pat! We love the same things so we are often sharing each others pins!

RoeH said...

I must be missing something in my brain or whatever. I have been in there and I can't figure out why I don't 'get it'. I'll try again.

TARYTERRE said...

This was a lovely post, straight from your heart. Although I have been to the pages to see what it's all about. I have not been invited and have not gotten to pin. Sounds like fun. I could use a place like this myself.Facebook has held no appeal to me, but this Interest sounds intriguing. Take care.