This is a posting that appeared yesterday on the scoop. It was in response to another's blog posting about losing her job and having a bad medical diagnosis all at the same time. I thought the response was extremely thoughtful and worth sharing . . . . .
One of the first blogs I checked in on this morning was designvagabond, where I was saddened to find a post from my dear kattyface who lost her job on Friday. Since then she's also found out about some health problems, only made greater by her loss of a steady income and insurance. It was the last line of her post is what really got me thinking ::
"I don't feel much like posting anything today, as design seems completely frivolous by comparison to everything else that is happening."
This isn't the first time I've heard someone express this sentiment, or something like it...
I, myself, have felt that when I'm not feeling well - either physically or mentally - that maybe posting about a pair of shoes may be "inappropriate," or, as kattyface stated, "completely frivilous". Even in my own house, Jw and I have had several conversations about the repetitiveness of what we find on design blogs; about whether or not there's a point to any of it "when things are so bad everywhere"...
It's an interesting thing to think about. Back when the election was still an upcoming event, the SCOOP received emails and comments about "sticking to the design stuff" - because that's what people want :: to have a place to escape to and take a break from whatever negative & stressful things are going on in their lives or in the world. I definitely agree that there is a time when things will feel frivolous, as kattyface is feeling right now about posting up things on her blog. She has a lot to deal with and maybe she will look to other blogs (or a TV show, or a magazine, etc.) for a bit of a pick-me-up... In one way, yes, putting things into perspective and realizing that browsing through images of interiors, drooling over cute handbags and coveting handmade goodies on Etsy is all pretty superficial - but, on the other hand, finding places to escape to so that you don't become too overwhelmed by the negatives is truly invaluable. I mean, that's exactly what I did just this morning ;)
The image at the top this post is from a poster design by PJ Chmiel .... In all of the talk of the economy and getting your finances in order, it's interesting to think more about what it means to make wise investments. Here's some of the text from Chmiel's poster that really struck a chord with me ::
"Life in years to come may not be the same life we enjoy today, at least in a material sense, but it can be a lot more rewarding than the work/shop/TV/sleep/die life that most of us now lead. The key to weathering the storm lies in joining together in closer-knit groups of family and community; the solutions will not be coming from the top-down, they will be happening from the ground-up... and that is empowering. This is a friendly nudge imploring you to take stock of what you have, imagine the worst-case scenarios, and learn how you can come out with an advantage no matter what the future holds. All of the things i suggest are things that you can probably use anyway, and most make good common sense. Keep in mind that your money could become worthless, and ponder what a tragedy that would be. If you're hungry and there's no electricity, your priorities will change; you might gladly trade your iPhone or your flatscreen for a few potatoes. I hope it never comes to that, but please don't consider it an impossibility, either. Try to stay positive, find strength in your family/ community."
I think that a lot of us (myself included) are going through some much-needed growing pains, and that we just need to be patient while we wait for better times to come.
One of the first blogs I checked in on this morning was designvagabond, where I was saddened to find a post from my dear kattyface who lost her job on Friday. Since then she's also found out about some health problems, only made greater by her loss of a steady income and insurance. It was the last line of her post is what really got me thinking ::
"I don't feel much like posting anything today, as design seems completely frivolous by comparison to everything else that is happening."
This isn't the first time I've heard someone express this sentiment, or something like it...
I, myself, have felt that when I'm not feeling well - either physically or mentally - that maybe posting about a pair of shoes may be "inappropriate," or, as kattyface stated, "completely frivilous". Even in my own house, Jw and I have had several conversations about the repetitiveness of what we find on design blogs; about whether or not there's a point to any of it "when things are so bad everywhere"...
It's an interesting thing to think about. Back when the election was still an upcoming event, the SCOOP received emails and comments about "sticking to the design stuff" - because that's what people want :: to have a place to escape to and take a break from whatever negative & stressful things are going on in their lives or in the world. I definitely agree that there is a time when things will feel frivolous, as kattyface is feeling right now about posting up things on her blog. She has a lot to deal with and maybe she will look to other blogs (or a TV show, or a magazine, etc.) for a bit of a pick-me-up... In one way, yes, putting things into perspective and realizing that browsing through images of interiors, drooling over cute handbags and coveting handmade goodies on Etsy is all pretty superficial - but, on the other hand, finding places to escape to so that you don't become too overwhelmed by the negatives is truly invaluable. I mean, that's exactly what I did just this morning ;)
The image at the top this post is from a poster design by PJ Chmiel .... In all of the talk of the economy and getting your finances in order, it's interesting to think more about what it means to make wise investments. Here's some of the text from Chmiel's poster that really struck a chord with me ::
"Life in years to come may not be the same life we enjoy today, at least in a material sense, but it can be a lot more rewarding than the work/shop/TV/sleep/die life that most of us now lead. The key to weathering the storm lies in joining together in closer-knit groups of family and community; the solutions will not be coming from the top-down, they will be happening from the ground-up... and that is empowering. This is a friendly nudge imploring you to take stock of what you have, imagine the worst-case scenarios, and learn how you can come out with an advantage no matter what the future holds. All of the things i suggest are things that you can probably use anyway, and most make good common sense. Keep in mind that your money could become worthless, and ponder what a tragedy that would be. If you're hungry and there's no electricity, your priorities will change; you might gladly trade your iPhone or your flatscreen for a few potatoes. I hope it never comes to that, but please don't consider it an impossibility, either. Try to stay positive, find strength in your family/ community."
I think that a lot of us (myself included) are going through some much-needed growing pains, and that we just need to be patient while we wait for better times to come.
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