What does your “top 6” look like?
How many “followers” do you have?
NO comments on the blog itself?
Which post has the most hits?
Just a few of a million ways we bloggers measure ourselves. That first one got me thinking. A while back someone said “your top six is looking really good right now.”
And here’s the deal the top 6 they were referring to were the top 6 photos of my Instagram reel. And when I went to take a look… they were probably the most conscious, edited six photos I had ever taken. It made me realize – enough is enough. It was then that I pretty much stopped using filters. I decided to embrace what it is. Less cropping, more real life.
And boy is it colorful. That’s my life. A brunette, a blonde, and a (so far) red head. Brown eyes, blue eyes, toys, parks, pjs, lots of food, a home in constant motion. And that’s also my top 6. Vibrant.
So here’s the deal. The photos here on Inspiration Clothesline are my real life. They are taken on my iPhone, no fancy camera or lens. The only real editing I do is to occasionally lighten a photo that is just too dark, maybe switch to black and white because it helps you focus on what is going on in the image instead of conflicting colors, or truth be told that lovely little sunshine on the Instagram application that makes each photo just a bit more vibrant. I DO use that.
Compared to most that isn’t much. No white wall background, no carefully placed accessories. Just us. Sometimes I ask a kid to “stick your hand out,” “grab” that or “smile” but since I am parenting 3 little boys who are 4 and under often it doesn’t turn out like I want.
When I measure what I’m doing here I’m choosing to focus on how it makes me feel to share. How you respond and reciprocate. In fact I’m really focusing on not measuring. These comparison games just are not doing us any good. So here you’ll find me. Albeit a bit rough around the edges.
Vibrant, Alive, Present, Connected, Engaged, Inspired. That is the Top 6 I’m committed to focus on.
That is what you’ll get here on Inspiration Clothesline. I quit with “the top 6.” I quit looking at statistics and only occasional peruse that to see which categories you guys check out most, I do want you to enjoy reading. I quit trying to keep up. I am just sharing and hoping to inspire. I hope you choose to try something new, share in a new way, or quit trying to compete.