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| It's me!!!
Yesterday I got a dm tweet from Glamour.com blogger and famous novelist, Sarah Jio, asking if she could feature yesterday's post about my smile on Glamour's health and fitness blog, Vitamin G. After squealing like a ten year old at a Justin Bieber concert, I politely replied, "Of course." (Okay, I included a few more exclamation marks than that. It's me, after all).
If you know these parts, you know Sarah Jio. If you don't, then go click on her name in that last sentence and see what everybody's talking about.
Back to my face and smile being plastered all over the world wide web...
Bloggers and revealing too much...
I'll be honest, I almost didn't publish that post about my smile. I re-read the draft and thought, "People are going to think I'm dumb. Or over-thinking it. Or just rambling senselessly." You know, I've been blogging for a while and still every post leaves the question: Too much?
Am I revealing too much? Do people care? Do I even care? Is this just PMS? Will people click on the link and roll their eyes at the self-inherent vanity that is in blogging?
Then I thought about a comment I received on Instagram. I posted a photo of me listening to Tori Amos' Playboy Mommy and made a remark how I was just being emo and would probably delete the photo in the morning (think drunken Instagrammer without the alcohol).
Jenna from Design Sparrow left this poignant comment under my photo: "Don't delete honest emotion."
That short phrase was a lightning bolt to my soul and changed how I viewed the purpose of expression.
Don't delete honest emotion.
The phrase begs a few questions: What is honest emotion and how often have I deleted my own? How often do bloggers feel they have to censor themselves for whatever reason? Granted, we all know some bloggers who are TMI (in a good and not so good way), but there's a difference between babbling people's dirty laundry and expressing what sometimes feels inexpressable.
Sharing what you're feeling is more than cathartic, it's part of living a creative life. Denying yourself the opportunity to express is not only damaging to your soul, but also stops you from being you. And if you're not you, then you're just a second rate version of someone else and, in my experience, that's not worth it.
So, with love, I leave you with Jenna's words:
Don't delete honest emotion.
Have you ever felt a need to "delete honest emotion"?
How do you overcome that? Or have you not?
PS... you can go to the article and leave a comment, 'like' it, or Tweet it.
You know, if you want to show a girl some love.
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Tuesday, November 6, 2012
"Don't Delete Honest Emotion"
Do you recognize this person?!
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32 comments:
I feel that so often when I blog, even yesterday I almsot didn't publish the brand post because I thought how self indulgent, and me me me, this is so self centred, yet people seem to have enjoyed it. I'm an introvert and struggle daily with the concept of blogging.
That's a great thought to keep in mind, I agree.
And I totally understand your excitement :)
I am so incredibly proud of you right now, Tiffany! No one deserves a feature more than you!!! :)
Congrats on the feature! Amazing!
I agree completely!! You're awesome : )
Congrats and good for you! It's a great, honest post:)
I almost didn't publish my anniversary post for Izzy. I reread it and wondered if I was being overly sappy.
It made me realize that my failed marriage has caused me to be jaded about love. How sad is that?
I used to be this utterly hopeless romantic. But then I changed.
But after posting on Sunday I realized I miss being a hopeless romantic. We all need a little sap in our lives, right?
Good for you for posting how you feel. I hope I can do the same.
I am so honored. Thank you for always posting such heartfelt and wonderful posts here. To think I said something that touched you meant a lot since I come to your site often for a dose of insight. Or just a smile over the beauty you find in the world around you. I always leave in aw at the talent you have for expressing yourself.
Now to take my own words to heart. {which is so hard to do and why I could probably say it with so much conviction as I read your post early that next morning after you wrote it hoping you wouldn't delete it.} I was saying it to you as much as I was to myself since I think we've all been there.
What you said about being a second rate version of someone else is spot on. Especially in the blog world where most of the time we see a glossed over view of other seemingly better/more interesting/more talented lives and with that perspective we miss all the beauty and magic in our own life.
phew, sorry for the mondo comment!
Thank you for being you and being so true to yourself!
Congrats on the feature doll! I'm glad you're honest and revealing with your readers, it's why we come back wanting more.
Thtas an awesome feature! I think your smile is lovely!
http://coffeebeansandbobbypins.blogspot.com/
It is very true - honest emotion is so rare nowdays.
AND I am so glad that your posts keep being featured. It is SO. AWESOME. to see that there are people out there that CARE about NATURAL BEAUTY, WHICH IS PERFECTION OF ITSELF, and you are a great example of it.
xoxoxoxo well done!
olya
www.livingnotesfromnyc.com
I come to your blog over and over again because I feel as if you let us see you.
I may not comment very often but that's what sticks and I try to be as honest on my blog as well.
However I have deleted honest emotion before and it didn't feel good.
How wonderful! I loved this post, and think honest emotion should always be respected. How much we share on the internet is our decision in the end... When I started blogging I shared A LOT - but there were always 'no go' areas: Work, family life and most of all respecting other people's privacy.
That is so cool lady!
So cool about your smile! I love it!!! I have felt I had to delete honest emotion ONLY because anything that could be tied to the ex he threatens to sue for slander. I'm like seriously? Half the time it has nothing to do with him. I have felt sometimes that I have put too much out there but those are the posts that get the biggest reaction and seem to help people the most. I hereby swear never to delete honest emotion again!! xo
Great advice from Jenna. I have been tempted to delete honest emotion but usually end up leaving it in the end. Now I know it must be my gut saying "don't deny these feelings!" and you gotta go with the gut. Congrats on the Glamour feature, that's really nice. And you're so right about your smile, keep showing off that happy emotion through your smile!
Congrats on the feature. Sometimes I'm afraid of sharing too much, but I also think it brings a dose of reality to a blog, which is important.
You are amazing!!! Congrats girlie.
Such a wonderful post! And yes I do think it's very important to share emotions - personally I would not be able to write my blog posts at all. I need to feel to be inspired, so naturally, emotions do get through into the text for the world to see. :)
x
Good post. Awesome on the feature with Sarah Jio! Congrats! It was a well written post and I loved your honesty, because it allowed me to be honest with myself.
I sometimes CANT delete my honest emotions. I once heard that if you work hard at being a person who you think you should be for others, others might fall in love with that person, but it's technically not you. It's the you that has to work at being "you." I've done it before in life... tried to be something I thought others would love, but in the end I was more empty.
Like Dr. Seuss said, "Be who you are say what you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter."
-Heather
{heatheringheights.com}
I love this. There are times when I want to get all political on my blog but when I started it I wanted it to stick strictly to fashion. So I just run my mouth on facebook. I'm sure people HATE it!
Amy
Fashion and Beauty Finds
You are positively amazing. Must remember: do not delete honest emotion!
i think the most honest posts are the ones that make us the most insecure. i have posted stuff and wanted to delete it. sometimes the posts stay up -- sometimes not (i have deleted all posts related to an ex-boyfriend -- ugh). but i think most bloggers weigh in with the best comments and suggestions, and ultimately they help so much when we are feeling uncertain or insecure.
How did you know I needed to read this?? Thank you....you always amaze me with your wonderful awesomeness!! xoxo
I love how you seem to be everywhere, even Glamour now!! Your honest emotion is what I think keeps people coming back and back to your blog. So many peoples' posts I read don't have that real emotion feel to them, or they just express "safe" emotions, whereas you regularly express honest emotions and it's very refreshing. It makes me feel more confident in posting my own honest expressions.
I have definitely deleted honest emotion, especially on my blog. I wrote a "love your flaws" post, and decided to not post it because I felt silly.I do think though that posting your honest emotions connects with your readers more, sometimes a silly post can be the most touching, the most real.
xoxo Bree
The Urban Umbrella
http://www.theurbanumbrella.com
Girl, congrats on this. For real. I agree-don't delete honest emotion.
You know I've got a post half worked up along those lines. How much is too much? WTF with all the pictures? What about words? Don't words matter anymore?
I don't want to hear about someone's relationship breakdown or whatever, but I do want to hear where a person is coming from. Shit I'm having a complete physical breakdown + midlife. Getting old sucks. Am I supposed to sit here and fake the goodship lollipop? Well that's a crock. I'm trying to be careful, but stay true to the situation.
You always do. it's the fake stuff or tmi stuff that alienates people, but the real stuff (hopefully) will draw real people.
Yippee!
I agree whole-heartedly, Tiffany. If you feel it, express it. Otherwise it's compromising who you are :-)
you are amazing and I love your honesty! I agree you should always be able to express how you feel. I think you have an absolutely GORGEOUS smile! And you know what? I have an overbite too :) I've had dentists tell me to get braces before but I don't really care that much. It's good to embrace our individuality and things that make us "us"!
Since I started reading your blog, I've thought that you strike a really good balance between sharing plenty and over-sharing. You're a lot more brave with what you share than I am! And now just imagine how many people's days are brightened! Way to go!
I love this post!!!! It's too true... I know I have deleted honest emotion before. What a thoughtful statement!
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