Falling Down The Rabbit Hole
I have a love/hate relationship with blogs and design sites in general. I love reading them. I love finding inspirational photos, learning DIY tricks, and coming across crafty ideas. I love falling down the rabbit hole, following a link that leads me to a new great blog and then another one and then another... until I realize 3 hours have passed and I still have to clean up the kitchen and put away the laundry and my daughter will be up in 5 minutes for another feed and I could have been oh so much more productive with my time and finished any of the 14 projects on my to do list and... you get the picture.
All of this makes me wonder about these newfangled free online e-magazines. Unconstrained by typical production and distribution costs, these mags weigh in at around 150+ pages. So on the one hand, they are chock-full of more design ideas and interesting articles... but this means I will spend even more time immobile, butt in chair, straining my eyes as I zoom in and zoom out to read the computer screen. Will these abundant design sources really help me to make better, savvier choices when decorating my own home? Or is it like standing in the cereal box aisle - faced with dozens of different choices, why do I still reach for the same Oatmeal Crisp cereal?
As the message of design itself becomes 'simpler', more back to basics, with growing recycled/upcycled/repurposed/vintage trends, the medium of design is becoming oh-so-complicated. For now, I'm inclined to resist this newest of trends. My blog reader is already overflowing and I have so many different inspiration folders saved about, I don't know where to look first. But if you're looking to fill some of your time, here's some e-magazines you might want to check out:
Nesting Newbies
Lonny
Southern Flourish
7 comments:
I completely understand where you're coming with this. I love reading all the blogs I follow but find it incredibly difficult to keep up with them on a regular basis without losing track of my own projects and life.. I like the on-line mags for a quick glance but I cannot browse them for hours because I get sick of being on the computer. I swear I'm slowly going blind from all the computer reading.
I'll stick with my tangible magazines for now. You can't take your computer into a bath to enjoy a good magazine read now can you!
Have a great night!
Hi, just wanted to let you know that I completely agree with you!
You bring up such a great point! (REALLY.) I do think that the availability of so many sources online is really changing the scope of design and architecture. I also think it's changing the business of building. With so many professional and amateur resources offered online, it seems that the level of service is being watered down extensively. On one hand, it makes design services within reach of those who may not have been able to afford or access them in the past. On the other hand, barriers of entry for people offering their advice have become nearly invisible. Design "experts" linger in a huge gray area online.
Such an interesting post...!
Kelly
Oh, girl! I feel you...the blogworld becomes overwhelming for me at times, yet I can't pull myself away1
Sarah - I knew there was a reason why I still keep my subscription to a few home magazines ;)
Kelly - You're right. Good design has been democratized and become more accessible... but so has bad design! Its hard to tell who the real experts are these days.
Joi - I hate that feeling, of being overwhelmed. Then you try and step away from the computer and the posts pile up even moreso! I think I need an Internet Intervention :o\
Yes it does a get a bit overwhelming... all the wonderful inspiration out there. I think one's subconscience stores more than you realise... no time surfing is wasted I believe! I solved my feelings of being overwhelmed... deleted my google reader. Family comes first...life is too short! A-M xx
Hear, hear. I am so thankful for the inspiration & support the blog community enables me to have but it can be overwhelming. Hello blog fatigue! It's so easy to forget abuot living life in the non-virtual world.
For now, I say there's nothing better than curling up w/ a freshly delivered shelter mag!
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