Are you living by the Instagram code?

I could tell you how perfect my home and studio is.

I could tell you children play quietly and happily close by, as I work and create.

I could tell you days are cheerful and committed to memory.

I could tell you partnering business and motherhood in the home is a magical experience and that I am honoured.

I could pretend this is all effortless.

I could make you feel self-deprecating, as you read; judged, fearful, neglectful and inferior.

Why would I want to do that?

I have been confronted with this theme in so much of my social media networking, and I came to loathe it. The Instagram code of life.

I have moved on since then and beyond finding it distasteful I feel obliged to show it up for what it is.

As far as I am concerned, reoccurring images of perfectly styled and temporary scenes of charm and family bliss is the literally undoing many of the mothers and women. 

We are the most educated, and knowledgeable female generation of history, so let’s not deceive ourselves nor each other with the falsity of every day life as a mother, whether in business or not.

Those of you reading this thinking, what is this lady on? I understand.

You are the woman who has enough support around you and your family that you do not get consumed in where you may be failing.

You are reassured you are doing a fantastic job mothering and working.

You are a part of a community, a real life one!

You have enough confidence in yourself to be grateful for what you have, and to know the reality of what you are seeing has been distorted, is styled and momentary- it simply is not true of the everyday. 

But, I receive daily feedback from customers, who consider themselves friends after the creative process of having something custom made for them.

I have been challenged and recently saddened by the private messages, asking me how life works for me as a mother of three and business owner. 

I receive constant message of comparison between them and me.

It has made me extra cautious to never be precocious in my editing. 

To never portray the lie of perfection that could damage someone’s fragile sense of self.

What alarms me is the volume of women who are struggling through a season of motherhood, feeling totally alone in it, and relying on social media to be the community that is lacking in their real life. When you rely on a community that is filled with edited and highly moderated images, your attachment to reality is shaky to say the least!

I live by the motto that riches always lay in the lesson of the process NOT the success of the outcome.

I fail everyday.

My very work is a process of error and correction.

My motherhood is a process of error and correction.

I am a series of beautiful, messy moments strung together to form something funny, off- balance and unique.

You are too.

I cannot think of a better combination for motherhood, when everything goes wrong, even though you deliberately planned for it!

We live in a fast paced world where the days seem long but the years are racing by.

Take a moment each day to resist the pretenses you see online, and know you are a beautiful, messy series of moments.

I promise you it will lift your spirits when you feel low and it has personally helped me to adhere to my own business goals and dreams, because after all they are mine!

Take a day at a time,

Warm wishes,

Shannon x