How real do we want to be?

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Matt and Nico, Big Basin CA State Park, Santa Cruz, CA, Canon Digital Rebel XSi

In telling a story, especially for public consumption, I am always aware I have a choice. Do I tell you the gory details? or stick to what I loved most about it? Do I talk about how crabby I was? how the kids wouldn’t stop whining? how Matt and I were ready to wring each others’ necks? or how majestic the redwoods were?

All these stories are true. And it’s a question I ask myself often. What story wants to be told? Am I telling you a story about visiting the redwoods and why you should go too? or is this story about something else?

I have a tendency to get triggered by certain blogs. My I’m-not-enough meter goes haywire when I see their beautifully decorated homes, their immaculate children, their seemingly storybook marriages- what I perceive as their perfect life. I want to be inspired (and sometimes I am) but I usually end up wondering why my life doesn’t look like that, or more specifically, what’s wrong with me that my life doesn’t look like that. Have any of you had that experience? OMG, please tell me you have.

Don’t get me wrong. I am all for celebrating our lives, highlighting the good, and giving thanks for what’s working. These people are doing nothing wrong in their lovely blogs! but when I find myself in that moment when I get to choose what version of the story I want to tell you, I am tempted to provide the public service of making all of us feel normal and better about what our lives actually look like.

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Me and Ben, Big Basin CA State Park, Santa Cruz, CA, Canon Digital Rebel XSi
It feels like a risk even as I write it. Keep up the mythology! a voice in my head shouts. Just show the pretty pictures and be done with it! The shiny version is more inspiring! But is it? It’s the blog equivalent of something Matt watched me do at a party last year. I had just had Nico a few months before and some girlfriends were complimenting me on how I looked. “Oh thanks you guys, but really it’s just these pants,” I said conspiratorially. By this time I had lifted up my shirt and shown them the extra flesh on my belly. “See?” In the car later, Matt and I agreed I should have just said thank you.
Ah, well. That’s me.

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Ben, Big Basin CA State Park, Santa Cruz, CA, Canon Digital Rebel XSi

What I really want to say is that I could have written a neat little post about visiting the redwoods, about watching Ben’s delight as we entered the park, about his unbridled glee as we came upon ginormous tree after tree, so big you could literally step inside the room at the base. I could tell you about Nico, and how his legs kicked wildly in the Bjorn every time Ben got excited, aware that something extraordinary was happening but not entirely sure what it was. But somehow that wouldn’t be the whole story.

Years ago, I heard Ira Glass (from This American Life) speak about storytelling at a local theater. I remember him saying that to be interesting, a story has to be universal. It has to touch on something that connects us all. The story itself is specific, but points to something bigger. I don’t always succeed, but this is what I am listening for every time. What’s the nugget of truth hidden inside? What’s the tiny revelation? What’s the real story living just below the surface?

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Big Basin CA State Park, Santa Cruz, CA, Canon Digital Rebel XSi

In the case of the redwoods, the story is more of a question, or something I wonder about. In blogging, there is a fine line between airing our dirty laundry/complaining and telling the real story. One is uncomfortable (like oversharing) the other connects us in our humanity. Telling the bright side of the story rides the thin line of either super-inspiring or coming off as pollyanna and without depth.

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Ben, Matt, Nico, Big Basin CA State Park, Santa Cruz, CA, Canon Digital Rebel XSi

By the time we arrived at the redwoods, the kids had been in the car way past their expiration date. They had been alternately crying and whining for HOURS and Ben had literally been asking, “Are we there yet?” so many times he fashioned it into a song. Landing ourselves in a hundred year old redwood grove with 300 foot trees towering over us, is possibly the ONLY thing that could have made that drive feel okay.
I felt bad for Matt in regard to his birthday this year. We ended up spending it in the car, in massive traffic, with two crying children (wait, this sounds familiar!) while all of our friends waited to celebrate him back in Berkeley at a park. The next day I told him that I was sorry his birthday turned out that way… He smiled and said, “It was just really real. A little too real.”

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Hi, I’m Andrea

On this blog you’ll be learning with me how to use our voices, share our creative superpowers and live life in full color.

As an artist, photographer, life coach + mentor, I’m redefining what it means to be a SUPERHERO — ‘cause in my world, it’s got nothing to do with capes, spandex or sidekicks and everything to do with tenderness, intuition & baby steps of bravery.

LEARN MORE ABOUT ME >

115 Comments

  1. Frau Haselmayer

    Honestly, most times I don’t get inspired AT ALL when I read about the glorious, perfect lives of some bloggers. Instead I get kind of depressed and feel sorry for myself and my not-so-perfect life. And I ask myself all the time what’s wrong with me. Why don’t I have this beautiful, always tidy apartment? Why don’t have I enough money to buy all these pretty things others buy? Why isn’t my blog successful? I have stopped reading tons of blogs because truth is I can’t handle all this perfection! I much rather read about real life than a good story how great life is…

    Reply
  2. debbie

    I was recently thinking about how honest and open some folks are when they blog and how I hold back a bit. Not in what I am learning or how hard it may be or how I hold myself accountable for my actions and words, etc — but in the details. It feels like a violation for the others involved. And truthfully, there is always someone else involved.
    So I try and focus on what I am learning. What my stuggle is. What I’m trying to let go of. Sometimes it comes off as vague or generalized — but on the other hand, maybe it’s not the details so much as the feelings and what it’s bringing up for me and what I want for myself and my life that matters most?
    I also use my blog as a way to redirect my thoughts – to work through whatever I’m dealing with – to hold myself accountable in a kind way. If I just need to vent or be angry – I stick to my non-public diary/journal. I honor those feelings, but don’t feel the need to put them out there into the cyber world. I want to add light, not darkness.
    And I absolutely have gotten sucked into the “I’m not good enough” thought process when I read other people’s blogs – especially if she is super crafty and cool and her marriage/relationship seems perfect.
    But then again, I have had people comment admiringly on my life from an outside perspective – and my life is filled with imperfection and struggles and questions and self-esteem speed bumps — so I am reminded that it’s never really good to compare what’s happening inside of me and in my life to what other people choose to reveal to the outside world.
    I have always felt your blog was a beautiful balance of honesty without over-sharing. It’s inspired me and helped me feel less alone in my own struggles – and never once, as far as I can recall, has it left me feeling less adequate. You remind me it’s ok to be human, to be flawed, to dream and to care more about the question than the answer …
    Thanks for that.

    Reply
  3. Charlene Kingston

    Thanks so much for sharing this.
    I am experimenting these last few months with how much to tell my real story and how much to tell the inspiring myth. I’ve been dabbling deeply into the real story. I’ve found this guideline works for me: I will share something real as long as it’s about the story (and not about me needing to vent–I have a diary and friends for that) and there’s a take-away I can summarize from my story.
    I find that because of the challenges I’m facing (unprecedented in my own life), I’m craving the real from people around me. Last night, I was feeling overcome with fear, and knew that the best way to break its power over me was to say it out loud to someone. Only my friends were all asleep. So I tweeted that I was feeling scared with tears streaming down my cheeks. And three people I would never have guessed replied to me. It was the real moment I needed.

    Reply
  4. GailNHB

    Oh, girl, girl, girl, girl, girl. I hear you loud and clear on this. It is so hard to let it all hang out when there seem to be so many stories of deep and passionate romance, cool clothes, amazing trips, beautiful new babies, and huge success in art, business and writing. Yikes!
    Plus, I think about things like: what if my husband reads this or my kids or people from church or my neighbors or…??? What will he -she-they think of me?
    In the end, the stories I like the best are the real ones, the ones that are “too real,” the ones that we are all living, but often trying so desperately to cover up. The ones where we all cry, throw tantrums, and wonder if we are there yet, wherever “there” is…
    Thanks for being willing to tell the truth as best you can. And for challenging me to do the same.

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  5. Beth

    Thank you so much for this. I have said so many times in the past week how badly I wished my friends could just be honest with me. My mom friends, they’re wonderful, but they make it sound like staying home and taking care of a baby is the only good thing in this world. As a woman who might never have my own children, it really bothers me that they can’t just admit some days motherhood isn’t perfect. Instead of saying, “It’s different when you have your own” and “You don’t know what you’re missing!” I would love for them to shrug and say, “I’m tired. I really needed to get out of the house tonight” or ANYTHING real for that matter.
    So my own girl friends might not be honest about the occasional frustration of being a mom, but you, dear Andrea was real with this post. And it made me feel a tony bit better.
    Thank you.

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  6. Jean

    THIS is what inspires me! Thanks for keeping it real.

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  7. hippittee

    Whenever I think the gloss has gotten to be to much, I recall this scene from Desperate Housewives (I’ll apologize only to a point for referencing pop culture, but for me it proves Ira’s point).
    “we should tell each other this stuff”


    We are all subject to feeling that everyone else makes it look so easy — the truth is, whatever ‘it’ is, we are usually only getting a glimpse into another’s reality. Whether they are our neighbor, coworker, or blogger, there is always a deeper truth and set of experiences that we may never know.
    I find that I tend to flock to the neighbors, coworkers and bloggers who are willing to be as honest with their vulnerabilities and frailties as they are with their stories of success. Both experiences are inspirational!
    Thank you for all that you ‘put out there’ –

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  8. Claire

    love. just, total <3. honest love.

    Reply
  9. tawnya

    I OFTEN feel this way (sometimes blog envy from your space!) and naturally gravitate toward the people who write the good and bad. A couple of years ago, I wrote an anniversary post. It was lovely and celebrated my marriage. The next day, for whatever reason, I posted what the day REALLY turned out to be. Because, it was “really vivid real life”. It felt good. Really good.

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  10. Julia

    Andrea – I love this post! I had a similar thought a while back as a pushed a pile of bills, sippy cups, spare socks, cell phones and old coffee cups aside on our buffet to photograph something for my etsy shop. As I focused in on my neatly arranged composition I thought – what about all the stuff in the margins? It was such a metaphor for me about the power we have to edit ourselves on our blogs making our lives seem less ‘real’ and more ‘ideal’.

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  11. Megan

    EFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF the mythology, Andrea.
    Seriously. I have deleted so many blogs from my feed because the mythology is so manufactured and unattainable. It doesn’t make me feel bad about *myself*; it makes me feel bad for those bloggers. They need some Xanax…or whiskey…or both.

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  12. kazari

    Thank you for saying that.
    YES I love to see people celebrating the good stuff.
    And YES I understand that we are all happier when we focus on the good stuff.
    But its so much more powerful when it happens in the midst of reality, not divorced from it.

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  13. Trish

    Tell the truth. Always.

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  14. Suz Garten

    Yes, definitely. I have struggled with that so many times. Don’t whine, don’t complain, only tell everyone the good stuff, the pretty things. No one wants to hear about the bad stuff – don’t they come to our blogs to get away from the bad stuff? Your post was refreshing and so true!
    I’ve been website and blog surfing for the past hour or two (while at work no less LOL) and I actually feel overwhelmed and under-accomplished by doing so. Your blog was a refreshing break.
    Great photos, by the way. 😉

    Reply
  15. Erin

    I so needed this today. Thank you for sharing something that can be difficult to share and know that you’re not at all alone. You are helping us all to be more real in our own lives by being real with yours.

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  16. Sandra

    Really. I would be so happy to hear as much real as you want to share. It helps a lot.

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  17. Maribel

    I’ve been reading your blog for a while and this is the first time I comment. I tend to read blogs that tell the truth. I also get that feeling of I’m not enough when reading blogs that seem too perfect. This also applies to my friendships. My more meaningful relationships are those where we share everything the good and the bad. Thanks for sharing!

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  18. LauraC

    Andrea you always seem to hit it right out of the park. I don’t even think you need to tell us about the screaming because the smile on your faces tells the much much much bigger picture – that you are a happy family!
    I love love love everything about this post. I could write for hours but neither of us has time so I will just say THANK YOU.
    PS. Totally unrelated, but I did a cannonball into the nastiest algae-covered lake ever during Warrior Dash Carolinas this weekend right onto my friends that I peer pressured into doing it with me. Top ten moment of 2011. Before:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/99098514@N00/6091003168/

    Reply
  19. janet

    I LOVE hearing that quote from Ira Glass, and I LOOOOVE knowing that this is your thought process when you are telling your story. I’m gonna take it with me and use it when I’m telling my own story, even if it’s just in my own head, at night, when I’m thinking about the day I had.
    I always learn something from you! xo

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  20. Kjersten

    What an insightful post! I like how you made it about that choice — about how to look at things, and what parts to share or focus on. It’s not only in the storytelling, it’s also in life. Where do we focus on improving things (acknowledging things that are wrong) and where are we just whining? Where are we being grateful for what we have and where are we in denial of something that needs fixing? There is indeed, often a fine line between those things. Really great post, Andrea.

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  21. jen v

    this blog post is exactly the reason i keep coming back here.
    there is so much to say on this topic.
    more and more i have watched as blogging has lost it’s heart and soul. most blogs now-a-days are sterile business ventures or a platform for personal gain. all of which is fine, as we are a country based on capitalism. however i do miss the days when you felt a real connection with the person writing the blog.
    there are so few blogs left that have a beautifully real feel about them. don’t ever lose that andrea. it’s very very best thing about this place.

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  22. Joy

    Big Basin’s a great spot. My inner editor forced me to mention that it’s a Calif State Park.

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  23. daphne

    I get SO ANNOYED by the my-perfect-life blogs. My life is so very far from perfect in any way. I end up feeling resentful and inadequate, and who needs that? I love the way this was summed up… “a little TOO real.” Yes.

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  24. Alyssa

    Thank you, Andrea! Loved this.

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  25. susie m

    What Jen V said.
    I agree with you 100%. I recently went through my blog roll and removed a whole bunch of beautiful houses, perfect children, etc. blogs that I would read with a morbid curiosity. I’m over that now. Especially once I realized that those ladies have some secrets they’re just not sharing.
    When I write my blog it’s all about the grit of my life. Sometimes that grit makes me smile, but often enough, it’s the stuff that brings tears to my eyes.
    I come back to your blog for your grit, Andrea. Keep it up, girl.

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  26. Kim

    Oh man… I could have written this post!! I struggle with this all the time. I know which posts I most enjoy and those are usually the ones that are honest and true and I can usually tell the difference. But I ask myself these questions all the time… how far should I go? I am SO SO SO not perfect but what do I want to show people on the internet!!?? I really do not want to try to be something that I’m not but this is one of the things that writing a blog every day is helping me with… who am I REALLY? Thanks for this.

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  27. Amy

    I have always wanted to hear the more difficult, deeper parts of your stories, Andrea. I often have noticed how polished they are, and tell myself I shouldn’t be so honest in my own blog—but the truth is what I crave. I can get the polished, well decorated, manicured blogs that you speak of, well, pretty much anywhere. They are a dime a dozen. I love your writing and the stories and would love to hear more of both sides. Like the stories you tell about getting pregnant with ben. or when you needed a break from the blog a while back. I want to know real people, even if I don’t really “know” them. 😉

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  28. Jo

    I understand the Beautiful Blog thing. I’ve been drawn to just keeping a record of the Lovely too at times, just so that I have somewhere nice to retreat to when the real gets too real, as it frequently does. However, I get bored. Both when I blog that way and when other people do. It’s lovely to dip into to, like Pinterest with more words, but it doesn’t look like my life (oh god if you could see the table in front of me as I type, not to mention the 5year old watching Power Rangers on YouTube at 8:50am…).
    This was a great post. Makes me feel like I know you better. And isn’t that what personal blogging is about?

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  29. Mel

    Ha, this is so poignant…
    Just read a blog post of a fellow photographer and she took pictures of her desk, her home office and OMG it’s like I stepped into a magazine and for a moment I felt like someone punched me in the stomach as I am sitting here at my dining room table editing a shoot. I have no extra space for a home office. I am planning of adding a desk to the bedroom soon but at the moment, I work at the dining room table or on the sofa, sometimes in bed. And yes, that sometimes does make me feel like I am not enough. Like, because I don’t have those things, I can’t possibly do what I am doing because how do I dare to do it without being perfect first.
    Most of the time now I can just say: Oh I am happy for that person and move on. Some days like today, when my dining room table is cluttered with stuff, I have a to do list as long as a prayer scroll and the housework hasn’t been done yet again… well then yeah then I simply feel like I am not enough.

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  30. Anja

    I couldn’t agree more! I just read today that a woman’s life is one part magic and nine parts mess. Heh 🙂

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  31. Marcia (123 blog)

    Oh Andrea, this (THIS!!!) is why I love you so much – for keeping it real.
    And I love how you said too real is oversharing and makes you feel uncomfortable but just being honest is about connecting with that thing in each of us.
    beautiful! I am linking from my blog 🙂
    (or stalking, whatever!)

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  32. Melissa

    I think what you got so perfectly here in this blog Andrea, was balance. When I initially scrolled through looking at the pictures (which I always do before going back to read the text) I thought ‘Wow, what a perfect day. They look so happy. *sigh* I wish I could get my life right, like Andrea’s done…’ And then I read and was so amazed at how the blog seemed to answer these thoughts, that there was (and is) so much more story behind the pictures. And I was so grateful that you shared the balance of that story – that there were aspects of it that held real joy for you all, but that there were also aspects of grit and grain in amongst it all.
    I have suffered from reading blogs showing a perfect life – they’ve really made me feel such a discrepancy with the life I’m living and the life they’re living, and I’ve felt weary and not good enough. I’ve also felt that I’m alone in feeling this, so it’s been really heartening to read all these comments and realise that I’m not alone in these feelings – so thank you all for sharing too!

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  33. Lindsey

    Oh, I know this feeling well. I know the screaming kids, the bickering spouse, and the majesty of the redwoods (or their east coast equivalent) as well. I know the REALEST REAL there is! Like landing at 11 with both kids from California to a cranky husband picking me up at the airport and nary a “happy birthday”? Perhaps. I wonder where the line is too.
    When I get a compliment I always find a way to show how it’s not real (the equivalent of your stomach story) – and my husband says the same thing to me. Like: stop talking. Just say thank you!
    Thanks for being real. You always inspire me.
    xox

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  34. Alexandra Gerull

    Please, please, please keep it real. I am sick and tired of all those tidy homes, cute and clean kids and perfectly poised Moms doing their incredible creative magic. Down here on earth it’s hard work and mess and crankiness and yes, occasionally sunshine and bliss and beauty. But for the most part it a real honest mess. And I totally appreciate that.

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  35. jennifer w mccullough

    Yes, a million times (what’s wrong with me), only my version of that line has been “I’ll never get life right.” You are right – it is a fine line, telling stories that are real & true, taking the hard & messy stuff and the blessings that are mixed up in that and saying/writing it in a way that people can receive (too much everything is rosy and too much everything sucks both make me feel the same – sort of icky and off and like my life can’t be trusted). SO I vote for Being Real and walking that line (at least doing your very best to walk it & knowing that sometimes you might be off but darn it, you sure did try, which is being real too). You are obviously very cognizant of your responsibility as a storyteller, and we will all benefit from your ability to be real with care (as we have here, in this post and many, many other posts you have written over the years :0)! I hope you just keep doing what you do. In gratitude to/for you – Jennifer

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  36. Kristin

    So many blogs now present a vision of a perfect life where everything is clean and everyone is smiling all the time. People always say it’s in the name of “inspiration,” but I think that just as often it’s about people being insecure and/or hoping for a book or advertising deal. And, yes, those blogs do make me feel alone with my struggles.
    I think you strike the perfect balance between complaining and being truthful, and you have always been my shining example of how a blogger can be real and still be inspirational. This is why Superhero Journal is my favorite blog. You make me feel my connection with others and, after reading you, I know that I am not alone in my trials.
    P.S. I am also the type who would have told people about the magical pants. And I think that to just say thank you, for people like us, doesn’t work. It feels disingenuous.

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  37. jag

    One of the things I’ve always loved about your blog and especially your home photos, is that you have stuff lying around. 🙂 I get suspicious when I go into homes (or see photos) and there is no stuff. You know, stuff! And life is like that too. We have… stuff. I *loved* this blog post. Makes me wonder what story I tell? What am I willing to share? Can I show my stuff?!
    Thank you SO MUCH for keeping it real!
    xox

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  38. sb Lyngo

    It’s easy to photograph a contrived corner of a home and post it. Perfect? Well at least in the frame. What’s more interesting (to me anyway) is what is at the core of our experience. Underlying everything, there seems to be an infinite strand of unconditional love and creativity. My kids cry too. A lot! I use the quiet moments to tell the stories. Through art, adornment and blogging I am liberated to share and blessed to be a part of an inspired blogging community!

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  39. Puanani Leal

    I recently started to tell my real story on my blog. I realized that I was so intent on making myself feel all Pollyanna, that I wasn’t telling the truth. What was the point I kept asking myself? So, I switched to truth, but the truth is hard to tell and I find it slow going. But I feel better, more real. Oh and you are not the only one with Misplaced Blog Envy.

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  40. jacqueline

    You know that some of us might look at YOU and have blog/life envy… that is the funny part of all of this. We keep look at other people and judging our own lives as not good enough. That has got to stop or as women we are crushing ourselves and our spirit. It is like Keeping up with the Joneses on speed.
    I admire you and all you have accomplished and although we have never met I feel like you have a real life. You have real everyday struggles. We all do and no matter how much we sanitize ourselves to fit whatever dream we have of who we are supposed to be I think it slips through the cracks. You couldn’t be squeaky clean and shiny 100% of the time if you wanted to… hell, you live in crunchy Berkley… you are supposed to let it all hang out.
    Great post, I say enviously from the corner… 😉

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  41. chris

    I just show the pictures on my site and very little, albeit dry boring commentary. If I told the truth it would probably be a train wreck – too much reality we are overflowing with reality here! It’s funny you write this. I speak to a friend of mine often about a blog we both read. The lady who writes (my friend’s SIL) it puts out food photos and recipes (no, not referring to PW) and every time she has a new recipe to share, it appears that she has purchased new cookware. I have never seen such a variety of cooking utensils in real life in a home. As well, all dishes always look new. Bake of fry something once in my house and pan tends to look like it is already ten years old! Like I said, I am full of it….full of reality, that is.

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  42. Rachel Del Grosso

    All I have to say is this: I needed to read this post to know I’m not the only one.

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  43. nina

    I love the real that you share, such a good balance. I continue to be in awe…(And happy b-day to your guy!) Remember Learning to Love You More — Miranda July? One of the assignments was to photograph under your bed without cleaning up first. I think these under-the-bed glimpses definitely keep us more connected.
    And is the compliment thing unique to American culture? I’ve been thinking about it lately. I wish we could all accept compliments in the spirit of a 3-year-old, who, when told, “you look pretty today,” will most often reply something like, “I know! I do!”

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  44. nina

    well,damn it, i just spent ten minutes writing a comment and the entire thing just went away. a sign from the universe, i guess, to begin again. what i wanted to say, andrea, is that you are the first blogger your age, from the ones i know, who writes what is real. real with a capital R. who does not sugar coat, who dips beneath the sparkly, shiny surface to expose the dark that sometimes swirls below. who writes about life, not just about decorating or selling artwork or promoting yourself like someone would with a slick brochure. i read this post and actually felt better about myself – like – well, hell. maybe i AM normal, after all. and i remember the times when my own sons, little back then, so little, were in the back seat all hot and cranky and whining and i was driving with white knuckles and gritted teeth, trying not to scream. there were times i did scream. and guess what? those little boys have now grown into beautiful young men who are living out their wildest dreams. they are living proof that being raised in a real environment, with messy rooms that aren’t perfectly decorated, with meals that were more often than not hurriedly slapped together by this single mom. you are real, and that is something for which you can be very, very proud. xo

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  45. Kai

    What a great post. First, YES!!!! I constantly read people’s blogs or twitter feeds or facebook posts and feel like a total loser.
    I realize the important thing for me to remember is these are all my “perceptions” of these people and most likely not accurate. It really hit home when I realized others were looking at me the same way. ha ha.
    I find the great thing about being triggered by other people sharing their perfect life is that it’s an opportunity for me to look at areas of my life I might want to work on. The key is not falling into compare mode.
    Thank you for being brave enough to share a more complete picture of what life is. But also want to acknowledge you’ve created a pretty awesome life despite it not being perfect. 🙂

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  46. CoraD

    Yes!!! The envy happens to me all the time. But I hadn’t thought about the story people are telling, true though it may be, it is only one story in a whole bunch of stories happening in their lives. That is a terrific reminder. Not only to quell my envious beast, but also for when I’m feeling down on myself and my life – I’m only telling myself one story at the moment; what other stories are happening?
    On my blog, I have found when I am honest about the mess and struggle, that has generated the most responses and thank yous.
    What’s funny, though, is I had a post celebrating my failures and people kept saying to not be so hard on myself. But I wasn’t; I was celebrating!
    Anyway, I appreciate hearing your struggles. Esp. with parenting – I think some kid issues can be “fixed” but others are things you just have to go through, both for your child to learn and grow and also for you to grow and learn as a human and a parent. Hearing what others struggle with alerts me to which of my own struggles I need to attack and which I should just ride out.

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  47. Nina

    Thank you Andrea. This is what makes you a superhero.
    I sometimes secretly wonder about the homeschooling, breadmaking, beautiful house renovating, organic eating blogger moms…must they have a meth habit or something to be able to do sososooso much and post their beautiful photos everyday?
    Thanks for your honesty, it allows the rest of us to feel real and true in the full range of emotions that is our lives.

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  48. Cathy W.

    totally get it. That feeling of other people doing it with such better style than me gets in my way. a lot. Is it too shallow to ask you the brand of your flip flops? I think I need them. Thanks for this post. totally universal. Ira would be proud!

    Reply
  49. Sunny

    I think you revealed a lot of glorious and truthful nuggets to tell a beautiful story. To play off a phrase, even Martha Stewart doesn’t have a “Martha Stewart” life, so why should we? We all have those moments when we feel inferior/torn/perplexed etc. I think the key is to remember that we deserve the same grace and mercy that we show to others and tomorrow is a new day.
    I loved the picture you painted with your words and photos to share a lovely day!

    Reply
  50. Misti

    See, I would have put you into my “pefect life” category…you have art, a family, live in a beautiful place—I think the artist thing is what gets me most—I want that.
    But, a few people have said similar things to me about my posts and life, but I just laugh because I think they are *insane*! I think…well, I’m not such-and-such blogger—I don’t make my own living with my craft or anything fantabulous like that.
    We all compare ourselve too oftne.

    Reply
  51. kimberly/tippytoes

    Yes, yes, YES! I get that some blogs want to only present or to remember the best, most beautiful parts of life, but in a way, it feels like a lie to me. I like the whole picture – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Writing about the crying or the yelling doesn’t make life bad. In a way, I think omitting the dirty and difficult does a disservice to readers because it creates a false vision of perfection, like a photoshopped model.
    But then, it often feels like my blog posts should begin, “Dear diary…”

    Reply
  52. Michelle

    I read your blog precisely because it is REAL. But I will also say I do at times, get envious of your beautiful life too and my “i’m not beautiful enough meter goes off! What I am realizing as I typing this is that there will always be someone that each of us considers “more” than us – more beautiful, more creative, more together, etc. BUT there will always, and I mean always be someone that feels that way about us too.
    It’s taking me quite awhile to learn, and even longer to believe and integrate into who I am but what I am learning slowly is that it is all relative and the best we can do on any given day is our best.

    Reply
  53. Kristy

    Ah, thank goodness for you. It’s strange having never met you and yet your words, over many years, have played such a big part in my life. I was just thinking about giving up blog reading for a while for that very same reason. They somehow stopped being inspiring and have begun to leave me feeling not good enough in so many ways. Thank you for being real and honest. It is so inspiring and so healing. You’re a humongous gift to us all.
    Kristy

    Reply
  54. quigley

    Loving these comments! Good on all of you for sharing and thank you Andrea for opening up an area that so many relate to! Just new to blogging and thought I’d post this amazing moment of me and “my perfect family” sharing a beautiful homemade dairy free warm nourishing breakfast this morning (of course the birds were singing outside). The only problem was – the breakfast sucked! My four year old took one bite, and said with a look of disgust, “THIS IS SO SO GROSS MUM!”The three other children readily agreed – so, the chickens ate it, and since I don’t speak chicken, I don’t have to know what they thought of it…

    Reply
  55. Tracy

    Beautiful refreshing truthful …
    Thank you Andrea!

    Reply
  56. Doreen

    Ahhh…you have made my day, my week, my year! You have so clearly pinpointed EXACTLY how I feel when I read many blogs. Yes – I am forever grateful for the inspiration I get and the new sights I set for myself…but oh God that sinking feeling, that I try to pretend is not there, that “WTF am I doing with MY life” feeling…thank you, thank, you , thank you for saying it! You write so beautifully – articulate, concise and very witty…I’ve just discovered your blog today and I will definitely be following it…and feeling inspired…without the residual inadequacy vibe 🙂

    Reply
  57. cat@juggling act

    This is exactly why I read some blogs and others not at all. I love honest posts – really, none of us have perfect lives.
    I often say to readers that they should not come to my blog for rainbows and unicorns, things do get hairy, especially with one kid with a lot of challenges. But sometimes I have to show the prettiness too – because all our lives are lived in some sort of balance

    Reply
  58. Denise A.

    I ALWAYS feel that way when I read blogs. Look at pictures of people’s homes, etc.
    I appreciate a nice mixture of the inspiring and the real.
    What I like about your blog and about this post is that YOU SEE AND WRITE ABOUT BOTH.

    Reply
  59. Amy J.

    Yes…yes…YES.
    Having watched blogs transform over the years, I definitely agree with you and relate. When the kids were babes, it seemed like mommy blogs in particular were “real”…but then, advertisers came along and seemingly overnight turned real into “perceived real”. Money tends to turn what is real into what is seen through rose colored glasses. And it ANNOYS me. I’ve cut back majorly on many blogs because of this. I see people killing themselves trying to live these perfect lives…or, being paid to pretend they do, and I get pissed to be honest. I don’t document in a beautifully designed layout or scrapbook my life every single day. But people do it, or they write on a blog that they do. It freaks me out, and I wonder where the hell they find the time for the photo editing, printing, graphic design and pasting and cutting and God knows what else. Or the people that redo a perfectly good room in their home…just because they’re tired of the paint color (maybe because Behr paid them to!). I mean, like the entire room, complete with all new furniture and wallpaper! I’ve had the same decor for eight years and every time I think about changing it I get sweaty and anxious…and then realize, that’s ridiculous! My things are nice and pretty already…who am I trying to keep up with or impress!? And then the stories of the perfect outings…with dozens of children, on a bullet train in Europe or some such. Give me a break. I hope these people live these seemingly stress free, Anthropolgie designed lives…someone should I guess. But for the rest of us…who don’t throw a party for the first day of school that looks as if it’s been catered by Martha Stewart, well, we’re just over here muddling through in our non J Crew attire and Etsy filled diaper bags.
    When I was in college I took a women’s studies class. In the class we analyzed women’s magazines…fashion and the like. I had to do a research project on the history of advertising in women’s magazines and cultural trends regarding how women “look”, ie their hygiene, hair, weight etc. It made me SOOOO mad…and very sad. That was nearly 20 years ago. I have not bought ONE fashion magazine in that entire time. I swore them off like a bad boyfriend! I still get decorating magazines, but the inferiority complex is WAY less with that…I can only afford what I can afford in home decor after all, lol. And often times I can copy that stuff, so it is somewhat attainable. But blogs are not only giving you home decor, they are giving you the perceived lifestyle that surrounds it! As if the Pottery Barn catalog has come to life. It’s why I LOVE the sites making fun of such things, ie unhappyhipsters.com.
    I think if you realize that this stuff is making you feel bad…and that mostly it’s a “show” fueled by advertisers, that you can shake it off…dismiss it…AVOID it.
    I want the truth. I like the nitty gritty stories of how people scream at the kids on that “perfect” family outing. I scream at the kids. I swear I’ll never take them anywhere again and curse the day I ever heard about whatever thing it is we’ve decided was a must see or do, lol.
    Keep it up Andrea. You’re NORMAL and that’s why we love you. And happy belated birthday to your man…he has the best gifts ever in you and the kids and I know he knows it!

    Reply
  60. Lucy

    Oh my yes! Your words and sentiment hit the nail on the head. I beat myself up way more often than I should thinking I’ve missed some pivotal lesson in life on how to “get it right”. I totally get that you never know what goes on in someones life unless you actually live that life, but its darned difficult to check out what seems to be so much “perfect – everything” in the blogosphere and not feel like I could/should be doing something … more. Thank you Andrea for your dose of reality. It is much appreciated and welcomed.

    Reply
  61. Corinne

    Andrea-
    You telling it like it is – – – one of the things I love MOST about your blog. I’m in complete agreement about the “Stepford Wives” blogs, totally depressing to me. I love that yours is REAL. Keep the truth coming. 🙂

    Reply
  62. Denise A.

    Interestingly, another blog I read just wrote on a related topic:
    http://thehappiestmom.com/?p=4310
    I like that she puts the responsibility on us as the readers to interpret the “inspiring blogs” as only a piece of the story.
    Goes back to that old saying that no one makes us feel badly…we often do that to ourselves.

    Reply
  63. Lene

    Ha ha, the story about lifting up your shirt to show the bellyfat after pregnancy and saying “Oh thanks you guys, but really it’s just these pants”, I have so been doing that recently!! 🙂
    My daughter is now 3½ months old and I do look ok, so why is it so damn hard to give yourself credit for that and just say thank you and not just give all the credit to the darn slimming panties? I will try to do better!
    And thank you again, Andrea, for being an allways inspirering voice in all the craziness!

    Reply
  64. Melanie

    Yes! It totally is a line. I have had to stop reading blogs at times that for whatever reason trigger me into questioning my own self worth. Yet at the same time I believe we get what we focus on, so in that vein it is important to tell the story we want to hear. Such a never ending balancing act!!!

    Reply
  65. Beth

    Andrea – so true – always tell the story the way it is…The other fluff is just that – it’s pretty – but no depth – no feeling – no life – and very little art – be who you are – the superhero you always comes shining through… 🙂
    Love the Redwoods – I married a california guy and we are growing redwoods (yes it’s true!) in North New Jersey! – Coastals (like at Muir woods and Sequioas too!
    We love them all and so far the two largest trees ( we have planted 9) are over 12 feet tall!
    hugs and see you at the next photo class
    hugs,
    Beth

    Reply
  66. Leanne

    I absolutely life this post, Andrea, and the authenticity behind it. I often find my self reading some of those “incredible” blogs and almost stop myself – as if I’m not worthy of them. So ridiculous, isn’t it?? I strive to be authentic – and – positive. I might share my less than perfect days, but always reflect on the moments of good inside of them.
    Great post!!

    Reply
  67. Kelsie

    What a great post, for so many reasons. Reading your words, I can feel the real. And the real, that is what connects us all! The real exists as much in the messy and imperfect as it does in the happy and sunny.

    Reply
  68. Jennifer

    I’ve had a far from stellar day today myself, and while none of us wants to be a whiner, I’m actually glad to hear and be reminded that we all have low points and low days. Thanks for the reminder.

    Reply
  69. stefanie renee

    i love that – a little too real. I have felt that many many times. i love the realness though, well not in the moment most times, but afterwards and here. real is good.
    xoxo

    Reply
  70. Meagan @ The Happiest Mom

    Loved this post. Rookie Mom Whitney directed me to you after I wrote about something similar on my blog: http://thehappiestmom.com/?p=4310
    My feeling is that “real” is important but that inspiration has a place, too. I share pretty openly about my faults and my fallings-down, but I also share my moments of zen and the more beautiful moments. I guess it’s a matter of what inspires you, what reassures you as a reader (and the answer is different for everyone.) I like the story to be presented with both the good and bad aspects, but I like the promise of better, the optimism. And if I DIDN’T like that and it made me feel really bad, but kept reading happy-positive mom blogs, then that would just be silly of me. 🙂 Everyone wants their stories told a little differently; that’s human nature. As a reader I need to know where to go to get the story that helps me most.

    Reply
  71. Byron

    Pretty insightful. Thanks!
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    Reply
  72. Wayfaring Wanderer

    I’m guilty of not sharing the bad with the good on my blog. For so long now I’ve called it my “happy place”, a place where I didn’t want to feed negativity.
    But I get that sometimes the bad is just part of my story and it’s worth sharing, too. I’m sort of struggling right now with a new direction that I’m heading in, and I’ve been hesitant to share it with my readers.
    I think that I just need to get over it and let it flow!
    Great post!
    WW

    Reply
  73. Leslie

    thank you for this post…I love your pure honesty…I don’t blog about the bad…the bad is scratched into a bright lime green journal with so much writing all over the page anyone opening the book at a random page would not care to dig in and find the story…I feel ‘safer’ that way

    Reply
  74. Jewelee

    Your truth is so much more compelling than the perfection of others.

    I read a wide variety of blogs. I take the perfect blogs with a grain of salt. They are pretty to look at and I feel happiness towards the author while gliding through them. I wish them the best but do I believe in them like I believe in you? No. Do I walk away inspired do I think about their blog post throughout the day? Sometimes but often not.

    Your blog and your thought process sticks with me. Your blog is filled with beauty, love, exploration, balance and truth. It’s inspiring.

    Reply
  75. amiee

    but you see, this is why i still read your blog. so many many others i tried, i tried to hear them, their story but they never gave it. and you, you never keep it away. it is never gory or icky or bad, the kind that make you squirm in your seat and feel like a shower.

    no. it is real. you are vulnerable and loving and beautifully generous in your sharing. you are andrea, a superhero of regular life. sometimes it is dreamy and sometimes it is hard but it is always real.

    i may never have said this here, but your ‘real’ after ben was born pulled me through, out of my ppd. your portrait of life with your new small child, your wonder elf that would not sleep, your joy and despair made me feel so much less alone. i saw that you, this woman i adored via blog world, did not paint it pretty and struggled and coped and it helped me do that too.

    and then you reminded me how to dream. and i know you do this rooted from a deeply real place because you always share the struggles that come.

    i will never leave this space. i will always love being witness to your story. it is like breathing clean air and it has become the only air i want to breathe lately.

    also, happy bday to your then beleaguered but now probably over it a very happy man. 🙂 parenting in cars with two, it’s a bitch, ain’t it?

    Reply
  76. Bahieh K.

    This post is a winner!! You said everything I wanted to say/read.

    I never replied to your request about witness you but that is the essence of what your blog is for me. These kind of posts, this kind of sharing from a place of truth, fragility and beauty.

    And also you’re being so so BRAVE.

    Keep keeping it real + happy late birthday to Matt!!

    xoxox

    Reply
  77. Yasmin Doran

    Thank goodness you are so real! That is why I love reading your blog so much. My life is a struggle on a daily basis – a tantrim throwing three year old, a husband who is too depressed to work, life not exactly as I may have imagined it – however, it is what it is. A friend of mine said the other day “Perfection is for the Blogs”….we had a giggle over that. Give me real life anyday……

    Reply
  78. Mariella Newton

    Thank you, sister!! Can I hug you right now?! 🙂 Love you!!! I feel incredibly unalone (is that a word?) You rock, Andrea! ~ M.

    Reply
  79. Jessica

    I’ve been reading your blog for quite awhile but have never commented. This post just asks me to comment! I think I’ve always returned to your blog for the real, and the honesty. I’ve always found your writing beautiful and comforting. This post about the question of how real to be is excellent. I struggle with this myself with my own blog and writing and you hit it right on the mark. Stay you!

    Reply
  80. Diana

    The honesty you bring to your writing is exactly why I read. Your truths always feel somehow “whole” to me, considered and wise. They don’t feel embellished, or self-pitying, or self-congratulatory … they just feel so real, and like they are celebrating life, whatever it is bringing. Your ability to be vulnerable is a gift to those of us who read your blog.

    Reply
  81. Stephanie Levy

    I agree with you Andrea and everyone else here with their delicious comments. I also find myself leaving out the gory details of whiny kids and runny noses all too often – wanting to concentrate on the beautiful and the positive – but thank you for reminding us all to keep our feet on the ground and not beam ourselves away too fast in blog mythology 😉

    xo
    Hugs from Munich!

    Reply
  82. Rhiannon

    Hi Andrea,

    I hopped over here after reading a post by Stephanie ,( who commented above )> Beautiful and honest – along with all the amazing comments.
    I think it is a constant question for anyone who blogs or writes in any way. What to say. What to leave out. I probably err on the side of leaving out a little more, but I know that when I do write something a little more personal or revealing it might resonate in a different way.

    I do sometimes get triggered by certain blogs for various reasons, but try to remind myself that this is because of how I am feeling at that particular moment. Another time i could read the same post and not have that reaction.

    Anyway, I think you get the balance pretty well spot on !

    ox from Scotland.

    Reply
  83. Mary

    Oh, what a wonderful post, and OF COURSE we all feel this way. Except maybe those people leading those perfect lives, but I’ve never met one of them, so who cares? I usually stick to the positive on my blog, but that’s because a big part of the reason I blog is to be more positive and optimistic about my life. I do that for me. I want to look back on my life and events and remember the good stuff, let go of the not-so-good. Every now and then, I’ll let a little reality slip in, but I don’t want to get to the point of bitching. It’s a balance for sure, and you do it very well.

    Reply
  84. Amy Curran

    This is where I struggle in the blog world too. I want to be authentic but not come off as whiney. I think honesty is the best policy and humor helps the medicine go down so to speak. Blessings!

    Reply
  85. Christa the BabbyMama

    “…but I usually end up wondering why my life doesn’t look like that, or more specifically, what’s wrong with me that my life doesn’t look like that. Have any of you had that experience? ”

    Yes. Oh my gosh, yes! There’s nothing that will make you feel less than adequate than reading the superwoman blogs with their professional looking pics and homemade everything.

    No problems, ever. Or when they do have problems, they handle it with the grace of angels.

    I know that real life isn’t what we see on blogs, but I do do do appreciate it when people get real. And I’ve tried to be real myself. If I want sugar, I can go eat some candy, ya know?

    Reply
  86. Kate

    Wow, I am so happy I found you through Design Mom. Thank you so much. Your post brought tears to my eyes because finding that balance in writing about parenting is so hard. I could fill my monthly blog with a laundry list of things that my son does that drive me absolutely insane and how angry I get over so many things. And sometimes I do just make a list, but I also try to find one moment that was genuine and actually made me feel like being a parent is worth all the massive stress it also causes. Blogs that are shiny and happy all the time make me feel anxious.

    Reply
  87. Shannon (8foot6)

    I say very little on my blog, and try to let the pictures do the talking…mostly because my mom reads the blog, and i don’t offer to share the real deal with her…its funny how I openly welcome readers who were at one point strangers and have now become my friends and supporters, but I just don’t want to give my mom the same all access pass into our lives…its a shame, but that’s the truth!

    Reply
  88. Nicole

    Fantastic post. Ages ago when I went to the hairdresser with photo of how I wanted my hair, my hairdresser looked at me and said “That’s a myth. A myth for a magazine. Reality is not like that.” I hear his voice so often when I see photos of insane birthday spreads for 3 years old where every detail has involved months of work. It is a fine line and a tough one to navigate, but reality/humanity does make me feel connected and the myths make me feel alienated.

    Reply
  89. Susan

    Great post…it feels good (in a I can empathize and I’m not alone kind of way) to know that you aren’t perfect and your kids whine and cry.
    And those trees…wow.

    Reply
  90. creole wisdom

    Beautifully written and poignant piece. I found you through Design Mom 🙂

    It seems like we’ve all been having this discussion since the Mormon mommy blogger article.

    I kind of chalk it up to this:
    -Remember in high school how people would say “oh, I’m going to fail, I didn’t study at all” then would go and get a 95%? Some blogging is like this, lots of “my life isn’t perfect,” but no actual discussion of the true grit of life. A picture of a full laundry basket is not “being real.”
    -There’s just so much immense pressure. Some for monetary stuff, but also # of hits/subscribers. It seems like the hard and fast rule is, the more “perfect” a blog is = the more attention. It seems so backwards, or is it? I suppose we all know about our own imperfections, so reading these perfect blogs is sometimes pacifying.
    -When it comes to blogging nothing bothers me more than when a big time blogger does/says something unethical in my book. A few months ago a famous blogger wrote about a desire for a free intern. I was blown away by the sheer arrogance and then flippant response of hers to concerned commenters. It was unbelievable. I unsubscribed that day.

    I wish some of these bloggers knew that you don’t need a husband, several children, antho wardrobe to be happy. I don’t buy that and keeping up with the Jonses is just so exhausting.

    Reply
  91. Jules

    I absolutely loved this post. I follow several”perfect people” blogs and like others who have commented, I am hanging it up.

    I appreciate your candor

    Reply
  92. Liz (Small Hands in the Big World)

    You said this so perfectly. Thank you for this very honest post. I only started blogging a few months ago but am enjoying it so much… tend to err on the positive side but am learning how to inject more reality in a (hopefully) humorous way.
    Happy I found you and signed up for your RSS feed. Great blog, you busy Momma!

    Reply
  93. leslie w.

    THANK YOU. Please keep up the honesty — it helps us all.

    Reply
  94. Fiona

    a dilemma we all share. I have had a blog connected with my brand for sometime and find reality is the way to go. the story has to be real, maybe the choice is the stories we tell. sometime what you think will be really great idea turns out to be a dud or something spontaneous and delightful has no images to go alongside…that’s life at it’s most interesting to me as a reader

    Reply
  95. Nancy

    Yep, I think this is why I return to your blog so often. great food for thought here and I will think of this the next time I write my own blog post! Thanks.

    Reply
  96. Kimberly

    Seriously???? THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I sometimes come away from blog world hating my life, my house, my husband and my kids. It feels so yucky……..I feel ungrateful and think somehow I have gotten it all wrong and if only I could rewind my life I could live in THAT house, with THOSE kids and THAT husband and THAT body. I sometimes linger to long on those blogs and by reading this post I realize I really do want to keep it real. I don’t want to offer the edited version of me but the real deal me. Flaws and imperfections and messy houses and rude teenagers and husbands that really should eat crunchy snack food in another county. thanks for the nudge/permission to be me.

    Reply
  97. Nikki

    THANK YOU. This is why I come back over and over, year after year to hear about your life. Because, as you said, all the stories are true. And it can be difficult at times to walk that line between presenting something positive, and focusing on the good in your life, and being real and honest and human. You walk that line beautifully. I always feel better after reading your thoughts, because you are honest about your struggles, but always come back to a place of vulnerability and trying and love. Thank you.

    Reply
  98. mosey (kim)

    Do you remember that article last year about people getting depressed as a result of social media platforms like Facebook – thinking that everyone else’s lives were so much better/happier/fulfilling than their own because of a few happy photos and pithy status updates.

    I get that. I stopped being online for a while altogether, and even stopped reading blogs and writing my own because somehow I’d lost the point. It’s the *real* stuff that feeds me, inspires me, makes me happy. The vulnerability (but not necessarily the dirty laundry) is what matters.

    Yep. I’ll take real over fantasy any day. Thank you for writing about it so beautifully.

    Reply
  99. debbie

    OMG LOVE your post! I’ve so had the experience with the compliment with the pants and my husband telling me he loves my honesty but sometimes just keep it to a simple thank you. 🙂 I love that there is someone like me. And we recently had the redwood experience with three tired, hungry, traveling kids, long curvy roads while traveling with a “perfect sister and her perfect not real family”. I so enjoyed your post via Tara Whitney. I’ll have to check out the rest. Great support while I live with my perfect not real family.

    Reply
  100. Lara

    I love this, Andrea…really love this. I’ve been showing my own transparency on my blog about parenthood lately (like my resistance to being a soccer mom and how I think I damaged my daughter forever) and it always amazes me how many people write to say, “me too”. Those two little words can absolutely release me sometimes..release me of the desire to showcase my spit-shined happy life…which,yes, in moments it is…but most of the time we’re just doing the best that we can..and that is OKAY.

    Keep those real deal posts comin’!
    Lara

    Reply
  101. Ruth

    Its always a choice isn’t it – what to share – how much and too whom…
    And yes, sometimes it good just to say ‘Thank you’ without explanataions or justifications. As you say such a fine line.

    Reply
  102. Jessica

    Just wanted to let you know I wrote a post relating to this one, in which I quote you and talk about Soulemama, the fine lines in blogging, and being unpolished!

    Reply
  103. Miriam Rogers

    Hi, visiting you from Amy ‘overatourplace’ I loved you blog post. I frequently think I’m not good enough! A little while ago I took break from blogging. I cancelled google reader, put about 10 blogs on my front page and now just feel happy, less pressured to ‘keep up’. When I started to blog I thought it would be great to have lots of visitors and of course it’s lovely to receive some comments, but not at the expense of feeling inadequate reading and commenting on ‘perfect blogs’ Life is just not perfect. 90% of it is dull, routine, hard work (whatever age your children) but it makes for 10% beautiful.
    I’ll visit you again. Thank you x

    Reply
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