I will preface this post by saying I really had no intention of publishing it. I wrote it more for myself, but in the name of being transparent thought it might be helpful to share. I feel as though so many of us struggle with the same things and the sole reason I started this blog was to open up conversations and inspire others, but that is not always as curated as a pretty tablescape or home vignette. Lately I have been dealing with the overwhelming struggle of judgment. Not so much of other people, but judgment I put on myself.

I have tried to be very open in the past because it seems to be a common thread with the increase of social media running our lives. Judgement is rampant and almost feels like it is embedded in our makeup. I spend so much time a day on the internet that my brain has been polluted with images of what I should look like, should be doing and should own. Of course my own anxiety runs deeper because I never want to feel like my blog is the cause of those feelings for someone else. In order to combat some of these feelings I have been trying to make some big changes and alter the way I go about certain things.

Social media can often feel like a black hole, so I immediately decided to spend less time on Instagram and Pinterest per day. The less I focus on pretty pictures and more on things going on in my own life – the more present and content I feel. The other thing I am dedicated to doing this year if to find simple joys and seek out new things that make me happy. Lately I have been doing things how I used to, solely for me and not to share on social media. This might sound insane because I have a blog centered on showcasing photos of my life and my home, but I didn’t want to feel like I needed outside validation to like what I was doing or doing something for the sake of sharing.

Now I look forward to activities I would never share on social media like journaling, going on a long walk with a good podcast or taking photos that (GASP!) I don’t publish on Instagram. Obviously not everyone who will read this has a blog or is as inthralled with social media, but I truly feel it is a generational issue that I discuss often with friends. For me personally I have a tendency to feel stalled. I live in an extremely expensive area, so buying a home isn’t something that would happen anytime soon. I do want to get married, but I also would like to have my own career a bit more figured out and children quite honestly sound like the most terrifying life step ever. I’ll be twenty eight this year, which is still incredibly young but because I compare myself to others somehow I can feel behind. I wrote this post in the hopes that someone would find comfort in knowing so many of us are in the same situation and despite what I post on social media I feel the same insecurities and am constantly learning as I go.

I have been so inspired by the conversations I have with my friends and the women I have met through blogging or even when people send me a message on Instagram. I often forget the importance of taking a bit of a break from the pretty pictures and starting more of a dialogue. I continue to pour so much of myself into Harlowe James with the hopes that if nothing else something I post will make you feel inspired for a few minutes out of your busy day. I encourage you all to take some time to figure out the small changes you can implement in your life that spark joy and make you feel happy!

{other small joys include splurging on a beautiful new candle, deep cleaning my living room, cracking open a new book/magazine, having a meal where I leave my phone at home and immerse myself in that moment, starting to go on hikes again – something I used to do often, taking some sort of class – cooking is high on the list}

Photos by Torrey Fox