“If you’re having difficulty coming up with new ideas, then slow down. For me, slowing down has been a tremendous source of creativity. It has allowed me to open up — to know that there’s life under the earth and that I have to let it come through me in a new way. Creativity exists in the present moment. You can’t find it anywhere else.”
-Natalie Goldberg
I’ve shared before my history of blogging – how it began in 2001, the early days before social media and platforms and curation and all the catch phrases that often appear in our inboxes each morning, promising endless Internet fame. And it’s funny how I can look back and see emerging themes and thought processes for every year I’ve been blogging. I hadn’t realized how much this blog has changed until I look at this post in chronological order. And I see it so clearly, the evolution of it all.
And if this is true, if I continually re-invent myself in some small way each year (whether intentionally or not), then I want 2013 to do the same. And in 2013, I want my blog to come full circle. I want to return Design for Mankind to its roots: of thought, of thoughtfulness.
We live in a world of more; this much is obvious. More things, more information. More time-saving tricks we use to find the time to uncover even more time-saving tricks. We live in a world of Pinterest, where visual images shoot out like firehoses of pretty, manifesting themselves in the parts of our brain we reserve for planning elaborate feasts and fetes. We have hundreds of RSS subscriptions to blogs creating amazing tablescapes and Halloween costumes and DIY floor lamps. And we take it all in, bookmarking each project for future use when “someday” is finally today.
Yet friends, I fear that someday will never come. Because there will continually be more to do, to see, to buy. And our someday file will slowly become outdated with a new sea of ideas and thoughts promising to fulfill our lives in ways we never dreamed possible.
I want less. I want less for this site; I want less for my life. I want to return to the days when I didn’t feel the need to “keep up” with the Internet. Where less truly was more, where editorial calendars didn’t exist and the words “I should totally blog this” were never uttered.
I miss the days when blogging itself was my muse. When the simple act of sharing something I stumbled upon was the joy itself, rather than a frenzied race to click link after link in hopes that I’ll have discovered something truly amazing.
There is more noise, and my ears are tired.
This year, one of my personal resolutions is to live a slower, more thoughtful (meaningful?) life. Less travel, more adventure. Less work, more challenges. And I need this to translate into all areas of my life: Less blogging, more learning. Less links, more inspiration. Less projects, more processes.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking time off to enjoy my family, friends and this beautiful holiday season. And when I return in 2013, a new Design for Mankind will be greeting us.
I encourage you to add the site to your RSS feed, as posts will be much more infrequent in this coming year. Instead, they’ll be more heavily curated and story-driven, harking back to my first love: writing. And I am thrilled.
I can’t wait for you to come along. Much love to each of you this holiday season; I wish you many moments of slowness.
XO,
Erin Loechner
This is a wonderful heartfelt post, thank you for your honesty and insight. This very thing has been on my mind as well, and I think (hope) there will be a turn in what is out on the Internet. More honesty, more genuine thoughts and ideas, more living.
Yes!
I had not checked my google reader in almost 5 months since my baby was born. I went straight to your blog because I enjoy all of your posts, but this one made me breathe deeply and smile. I completely agree. Since becoming a mom I felt this internal battle feeling like I am falling behind, but then feeling guilty that I am not satisfied to just stay in the moment. I need less in my life too. Cheers to that!
I love this very much! You’re my hero today.
K
As creative director who works in the social media world, this post was music to my ears. Well-resolved and well-done.
I love it. I feel you and yearn for my own slowing down. In that slowed down state we are able to examine all we have on our plate and really see the infinite intricate delicacies of life.
Here’s to that!
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I just stumbled upon you on Pinterest & loved your quotes. I followed you on Google to find your blog which is just want I need in 2013 as I struggle to find balance. Thanking for keeping it simple with less as a message of more meaning.
@Liza – Thank you so much; such a kind note to receive!
Erin, I am new to your blog but I feel as though we’ve been reading each other’s minds. Last year I made a conscious effort to post less but put more into each post. This year, after marking a 4th blog birthday, I feel even more strongly the need to re-assess, recalibrate, and recapture the joy of blogging, rather than worrying about the social media stats race. Thank you for giving me the perfect words to capture the idea of quality over quantity and passion over numbers. The Slow Blogging Movement — just love it.
Ah, thank you for sharing your own experience!!! Here’s to slow blogging for us both. :)
This speaks to me also though I’m not a true blogger. I quit my job in 2009 to spend more time with my kids. Through this I learned I AM actually somewhat creative. My creations overran the house so I decided to try to sell online. This has been the beginning of stress and anxiety. Instead of enjoying the creative process, I’ve reverted to the business world and have been trying to learn SEO and meta tags and social media and blah, blah, blah and even more blah.
Less IS more – always has been. I am going to apply the principal “slow blogging” to the creative process and return to the joy of making something beautiful from broken, discarded pieces of our past.
Thanks. Debora
Great post! Nothing is better than a heartfelt writing.
Thanks, Julia. :)
Vilket livsverk! Det ser otlorigt fint ut. Me5ste komma och he4lsa pe5 snart :)Jag le5nade ne5gra av bilderna till min blogg, kunde inte le5ta bli.Lycka till!Kram Johanna
Hello PeteIt has been over 37 years since we last spoke but I have thought of you often since I left Cornell prramtueely. I wish you a speedy recovery and I hope we will have an opportunity to cross paths again in the near future. Keep a postive attitude. Everyone is sure that you will be up & back at it again soon.Get well very soon!Peter Skillins
I like that I am starting to regularly blog at a time when there are people like you who are wanting to go back to the essence of blogging.
Brilliant! I may be joining this late, but I’m in on the slow blogging movement.
I’ve just read this and although i’m new to blogging and selling my creations on Etsy, It has made so much sense. Slow blogging sounds great if only I could lay down that nagging desire to keep up with everything.
This came along at exactly the right time for me. I love that there’s a way to describe what I want out of blogging . Thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome! :)
So pleased to come across a blogger who’s happy to hold their own against the deluge of messages out there. I’ve heard of slow food but who knew of slow blogging?! If this is about creating quality content for the long term then I’m in! :-)
Ah, thank you, Mary!!