I am NOT a Pinterest Mom

creative parenting pinpointe magazine Apr 19, 2019

Remember when Pinterest became a “thing”? I was a young working mom, and I would spend hours going down the rabbit hole of countless recipes, craft ideas, organization hacks, home design and parenting memes. I became slightly obsessed with crafting a creative, efficient, and picture perfect home for my family. And I was not alone, the Pinterest phenomenon was spreading like wildfire among my peers. Suddenly, it seemed like everything was over-the-top creative: class parties, birthday parties, play dates, everything became Pinterest-worthy. Some of us were more successful than others, I definitely fell more into the “Pinterest Fail” category. The more creative moms were labeled as “Pinterest Moms” and the distinction of whether you were one or not became an important factor in my small community.

Creativity became synonymous with “Pinterest-worthy”.

I noticed that moms were quick to diminish their own creativity if they were not bringing 25 handmade multi-layered Oreo cookie snowman treats to the first grade winter party, or planning themed educational activities for every day of spring break. “I’m not creative, I’m not a Pinterest Mom” we would say to each other as we dropped off a bag of suckers picked up at the last minute on the way to school. While I know that ours was not the first generation of moms to competitively try to out-do each other creatively, I am sure that the birth of the “Pinterest Mom” pushed us into a new level.

I’m not here to criticize or judge the moms who embraced the creativity and inspiration of Pinterest. I love that my kids are able to enjoy special treats and experiences because of these women. Pinterest opened us up to a world of ideas and projects we could share with each other in ways that we had never been able to do before. I respect people who were able to use that to express themselves and share those gifts with us.
 
Creativity comes in so many different forms.
The mom I was in those early days of Pinterest was overlooking the valuable and unique ways that I WAS creatively parenting, in less obvious or visible ways. My kids and I never got around to any of the painted canvases, stick art, photo-worthy cupcakes, or decoupaged globes. But we DID draw countless trains and dinosaurs on restaurant napkins. We did sing in the kitchen while we made cupcakes from a box, and held dance parties in the living room. I didn’t hand knit a dreamy tooth fairy pillow, but I managed to pull off a few scarves and crooked hats. I never made a fairy garden in our back yard, but we wandered in the woods and played with sticks and rocks for hours and hours.We. Read. Non. Stop.
 
As the role of social media has evolved, so have the ways people use Pinterest. First of all, it’s much more inclusive. I laugh when I look back at my first pins and remember a much younger and more ambitious woman. What a relief to step back and appreciate a more comfortable relationship with my own creativity. Placing unrealistic expectations limits us so much, when creativity is such a natural expression of who we are. When you define yourself in terms of who you are, instead of who you are NOT, there is so much more room for authentic creativity in your life. The moms who were with me in those early years of Pinterest fails and over the top comparisons, I’m so happy we found a way to embrace the different gifts and abilities we all bring to the table. Or, classroom. If you find yourself stuck in the comparison trap, I invite you to take a look at the simple every day ways that you express your own creativity.

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