"The fragment of a life, however typical, is not the sample of an even web" George Eliot
Written for the nineteenth century, but doesn't it sound right for now? So fresh, by George....
I think she got it. She had no idea, then, of the kind of web we would be using today, and I wonder what she would have thought of our twenty first century need to display fragments of our lives for everyone to see. But her point remains true. All of us, (possibly? maybe you won't all agree?) who post stories about our lives, little details so that you know us, often think about how much is too much: how much to share, how much to keep back. And in that, then, whether we are "telling the typical": do we pick and choose what to reveal?
I'm thinking out loud again, for a page I was asked to make with ideas for peek-a-boo elements for Get It Scrapped. That got me using a transparency and a little vellum envelope and my favourite peek-through technique: I partially hid my journaling under a flap, but I made sure you could see that it was there with a cut-out, something I've done before with bigger sections of journaling to stop them from taking over my page
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| From It's Under Cover, March 2013 |
So, who's brave enough? Do you reveal the typical? which fragments do you like us to see?
Thoughtful, thought-provoking and oh-so-pretty all at the same time! I am a fan of semi hidden journalling too, and I love the way you often type onto a patterned paper, Sian. And you have set my mind buzzing: need to display?opportunity to connect? how much of an inner life is consciously revealed to the person who lives it, never mind sharing those fragments with others? Oh, I think you will have lots of responses to your thoughts, Sian, as well as to this lovely page :).
ReplyDeleteYou've given us lots to think about today,Sian.....I'm quite sure I pick and choose what to reveal....even if it's not always a conscious thought...but I do love the idea of semi-hidden journaling....and that is such a lovely page.
ReplyDeleteI reveal more than most, but I've had only good response to that. And I only do what feels right - I have drawn the line and not published things a couple of times when it was just too much, even for me.
ReplyDeleteI like the meditation on the term "web" and all it means in today's world and in George's.
Brilliant post.
Rinda
I reveal the typical in all it's boring routine glory . I also go for the fun moments & allude to the not so fun moments (mostly because those involve others. if it's just about me then I get more specific). I don't think I over share but I still think I get a decent mix of our life.
ReplyDeleteThis layout is so fun, Sian. I love the little peek-a-boo design. As for what I share, I am fairly selective and I wonder sometimes how that might appear to the rest of my bloggy friends. Life isn't always rosy, but I think I share that stuff too - just really try not to dwell on the unhappy parts because, really, who wants to read that stuff?
ReplyDeleteI hide some....depends on how I feel when I put the layout together. Love your pretty page and all its elements x
ReplyDeleteLike always you have made me think Sian. It is hard knowing what to share and what not to. I guess I share every day things but try and write them creatively. I am also conscious of trying to keep my blog very real but not spilling my heart. A balance indeed!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty, very thought provoking. TY
ReplyDeleteLove the quote (printed it out to use myself. thanks) and love the peek-a-boo journalling. I am in the process of trying to do something similar - include lots of journalling without making the page all about the words. Thanks so much for the solution.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful page and lots to think about here. I am a bit of a private person. Sometimes I think it makes my blog seem quite unrealistic. I only share the ordinary things so maybe it seems as if life is always great and it is never this way for anyone. I just couldn't put it all out there for anyone to click on and see. I share my private thoughts and struggles with very select people. Most of my Lo's document the fun stuff. If I am journaling something more private, a hidden envelop is the way I go.
ReplyDeleteI do love George Elliot - thank you for reminding me of that, not read any of her stuff in years.
ReplyDeleteI've been sketching and designing peekabo stuff for the last few weeks and am now going to include a flap with a heart so thank you for that design tip :)
Blog - I share what I feel I can, it is a balance and I check with others that what I am putting out there they are ok with... always aware that it isn't just me involved.
When i studied history i was always fascinated about all thebits that are not recorded and how wrong we could be about many historic figures. I'll admit tl only revealling fragments in all social situations including my blog
ReplyDeleteLove the peek a boo journalling and the layout in general. I tend to have all my journalling on display and show it on my blog. I do only seem to journal and put onto my blog about happy things though as I wouldn't want to share the sad and bad, although having said that, occasionally I have shared things where I feel I could do with the advice from my blog friends and they have never failed to help. I NEVER post about sad/bad things on Facebook, I am much more circumspect on there. I do keep a journal though, which only I see, where I journal those things so that they are recorded.
ReplyDeleteIn my albums and layouts I will tell it exactly like it is. Most of the albums are for the family and as I know where they are going when I am gone I can be quite explicit.
ReplyDeleteIn my blog, well, it depends how loudly I am shouting.... no, not really. Sometimes I need to stamp my digital foot and have a bit of a rant and other times I am just remembering stuff and need somewhere to put it so it is recorded. This is because I think all my words are so important,,, no, not really. Hard question to answer.
You show us something so calming to the eye and then you tuck something in there to really get our minds racing. I'm not sure whether to applaud you or not. I'll have to think about that too!
ReplyDeleteooooh interesting stuff..... so you! I don't think I have ever partially hidden journalling it is either out there or out of sight!
ReplyDeleteNow you really have me thinking ...
ReplyDeleteI do hide my journalling, quite often in fact, usually on tags either behind the photo or in little glassine bags so there but not, if you know what i mean.
Sometimes I even journal on the back of my Lo's especially if its negative or sad or private. So i can understand in the future what I was trying to convey with the page xxx
I love the cut-out that partially reveals the hidden journaling. Most often when I use hidden journaling it's because I have too much to say, and need to put it behind another element on the page. Thanks for this thought-provoking post!
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of semi-hidden journaling on a scrapbook page, but I will have to think about how to apply the idea to a digital page. Perhaps I would have to adapt your other suggestion--of including the full journaling on the back of the page.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I've ever used semi-hidden journalling on a page...I do pick and choose what to reveal on my blog, mainly-hopefully!- not to bore theants off people!
ReplyDeleteAlison xx
I think we all definitely pick & choose what to tell, although I think I'm pretty open about much of our lives. I rarely do hidden journaling.
ReplyDeleteYour page is so beautiful and so clever! A wonderful quote and a thoughtful post. I prefer to dwell on the positive in what I reveal online. Not that I have any deep, dark secrets to hide, mind you!
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree it's something that can be used for the here and now, great page x
ReplyDeleteWhat a simply wonderful page. You always inspire me with your gentle, beautiful creative style. I wish I could do what you do. But I do often tuck journalling where you can only see an inkling of it. I like this technique. It's there, but private. Like a lot of what I choose to share these days
ReplyDeleteBut your words are also so carefully chosen. So poignant. I think I've lost the ability to think deep enough. Maybe I should practise.
I am envious of your neatly typed journaling. Please tell me it is printed on the computer so as not to make me feel so bad. I am an epic fail at neatly typed!
ReplyDeleteYou've made me think, yet again. Hmmm, I guess I pick and choose what to blog about and extremely rarely (I think) share the not so good stuff. If what I want to blog about involves others I always make sure it's ok with them first.
ReplyDeleteSuch a conundrum isn't it?! I thought the same when I saw that quote though - how quickly we judge people by the snippets we read about them on the web. I like to think I give a fairly realistic view although not so much that it puts people off reading! ;-)
ReplyDelete