Blue Notes

Blue Notes

30 December 2015

Looking back on 2015…

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Farewell 2015. Luckily this year is coming to an end since if I’m honest with myself and with you – although I should write that everything was amaaazing because that’s what we are used to read now, that everything is always perfect – for me it was not a totally positive year.
Never before have I felt such a lack of motivation, stimulation and especially of creativity. And creativity is lifeblood for this job, which is based on words and images. Which should create some new inspiration. This year has been difficult as ever for me to find, especially on the web, especially on magazines and blogs, something that really excited me, that intrigued me, that taught me something new. Today dealing with fashion (or lifestyle) means sharing the same things all the time, the same point of views. Or rather the lack of them.
Because nobody cares to express a personal statement any more. It ‘s all about tutorials, “best of” articles, trends, and posts that sounds like endless lists. With images that look all the same (yes, Instagram I’m thinking of you!). A total absence of real emotions, if not exaggerated ones, fake ones or those related to shopping, “omg my new bag!!” Which is fine, I’m not a snob, I do not deny that I still feel the same adrenaline and euphoria for shopping, too. But when I read an article, I would like something more. Sometimes, at least. I’m tired to read the 7 rules to have a better butt, to know what celebrities posted on Instagram, to read tips so stupid that you forget about them ten minutes after you read them (but hey, they are click friendly!). So where to find inspiration, where, how?
What once engaged me started to bore me now. And when you feel surrounded by bad inspiration you will end being uninspired as well. In 2016 I want to fall in love with the web again, with my blog, I have to find a way out and a new way to get creativity in, a new way to communicate (and to communicate with you). To get back to irony. The risk is to be invested by The Nothing. Like in the Neverending Story. We need to start dreaming again, to learn to appreciate differences in style and taste. I think that who deals with communication still has the duty to inspire people and to stimulate a discussion. I’m tired of blogs being forced to look all the same in order to achieve success.

Style blogs (like this one) deal with frivolous topics, but they can do it with elegance and grace. Blogs still can be smart.

 

 

P.S. If you can reccomend good webzines, blogs or sites please do! Maybe I could write a post on some of my favourites, what do you think?

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23 comments

  1. Concordo con te in tutto e per tutto. Una volta pensavo che bastasse cambiare template al blog per ritrovare la motivazione. Poi ho guardato in faccia la realtà. Mi sono spesso chiesta se tutto questo mi interessasse ancora, mi entusiasmasse… A volte sì, a volte no, mi trovo a rispondere.
    Il trucco forse è creare contenuti che vorremmo leggere. Ma ho timore che interesserebbero a pochi.

    simonamelani

    • Esattamente. Forse la chiave sta in una via di mezzo.

      Erica Blue

  2. E’ vero, è difficile trovare blog che parlino di moda e che non si limitino a ricatalogare/rubricare/elencare contenuti prodotti da altri. Il punto è che la moda è così terribilmente “visiva” che difficilmente si presta a essere verbalizzata, descritta e analizzata. Se poi aggiungi che molte fashion blogger sono prive di talento per la scrittura, ti sei spiegata la povertà dei contenuti dei fashion blogger (nostrani e non).
    Del tuo blog amo il fatto che ci sia molta ricerca iconografica, ma che l’esposizione è sintetica.
    Una serie di idee (non sollecitate, ma io ci provo lo stesso) sulle quali mi piacerebbe sentire la tua sono: idee o shopping list e to-buy list per specifiche fasi della vita (orario di lavoro/viaggio e turismo/serate particolari etc) o per particolari tipologie fisiche, analisi del look di IT girl o celebrities che apprezzi particolarmente (che magari non siano troppo mainstream), cenni alla storia della moda.
    Grazie per quanto hai scritto quest’anno!

    gynepraio

    • Esatto, la moda è visiva e quasi sempre è davvero superfluo cercare di “spiegare” un look.
      Grazie mille per i consigli, gli argomenti che proponi mi sembrano molto stimolanti!

      Erica Blue

  3. I totally understand you and where you are coming from, as I have to deal with this everyday and it’s frustrating. The main problem is the general public, who sadly is always appealed to the same things and if you do something differently, it is rarely appreciated. My husband and I have often spoken about this and he’s given me great analogies to this with the gaming industry. The big game publishers stick to what they predict will sell, which is mainly the same: action games. That’s why games with out of the box and different concepts and ideas by independent game designers are never supported by the big publishers as they think these games won’t sell. So in the last years, these indie designers have recurred to raise funds through Kickstarter, so they can afford the production of the game. Not suprisingly, many people support these independent designers and decide to donate. In this way, these designers have raised millions and consequently produced games that have had massive success, which is a major f**k you to the big publishers, who always stick to the same best selling formulas.

    For the sake of a blog being not only an outlet of self expression, but also a business which has to be sustainable, many of us are forced to stick to what appeals the masses. I do try to often make a compromise between the latter and what I really feel like posting, but it’s hard and honestly, ever since I started doing that my blog hasn’t been doing as well as I used to back then when I wore the kind of outfit/post that a legion of clones wear/pin on Pinterest. But it gets old. At some point you just get sick of it.
    I often wonder, will people ever have enough of normcore or white sneakers? It’s like you have to dress and do things in a certain way, otherwise it’s not welcome. Being different is definitely not endorsed by today’s culture and that is sad.

    However, doing only things for the sake of success/earning money/becoming famous is not genuine and not the right reason why you should blog. Neither of these things is my aim when I do what I do and sticking to what appeals the masses is staying in a comfort zone and the epitome of mediocrity as well as the wrong reason to do what you are doing. I do what I do because it’s what I love and what I feel like doing.

    Lastly, I never felt your blog lacked inspiration or creativity, as I loved your content even more this year! If anything, you just got even better. Your blog is my main source of inspo and I think I’ve told you this before.

    Cheers to a new year where hopefully people will start endorsing difference. Wishing you a lovely new year even more full of success and blessings! x

    Laura

    • No words to thank you for what you wrote Laura! It helped so much.
      Yes, your example with games fits in perfectly as well. The struggle between being authentic and new but also making a business out of it…
      I think that people “want” and like the same things also becausee they are are overwhelmed with just those things. But luckily there’s not only mainstream.
      Again, thank you so much, Happy New Year to you, Laura!

      Erica Blue

  4. I totally agree with you, for me it´s been a hard work to find inspiration as well.
    Love your blog 😉

    Ninas

    Nina

    • Thank you Nina! I hope something will change.

      Erica Blue

  5. A mio parere la “moda” come si intendeva una volta – cioè seguire i dettami dei grandi creativi- è morta. Ognuno si veste come vuole. Sarebbe una cosa ottima ma, ahimè , molte giovani e meno giovani non hanno il gusto di sapere come vestirsi.Ecco allora che può intervenire il tuo blog con consigli utili. Credo che devi continuare su questa strada. Ma essere più precisa. Per esempio indicare alle magre o a chi ha un peso un pò eccessivo cosa indossare per sentirsi bene con se stesse. É utile suggerire anche i colori che donano di più a seconda del peso e dell’incarnato, E qualche volta perché non far vedere come si vestono le donne di paesi lontani: Africa o Asia per esempio. E infine pensare a quelle persone – e sono molte- che non dispongono di grandi mezzi. Credo che un tuo consiglio sarà utilissimo . Comunque auguri per il nuovo anno e sono certa che il tuo blog – che è già di grande interesse nei vari campi- sarà ancora più bello.

    Paola

    • Grazie mille, anche degli ottimi consigli Paola!

      Erica Blue

  6. If your blog lacked inspiration this year I wonder what you are able to do when you’ll have inspiration.. I really enjoy reading your blog and I truly believe you had a quality content.. I always know that when I’ll visit your blog I’ll find things that I’ll like or that will intrigue my mind! In any case, I wish you all the best for 2016 in all the sectors of your life :*

    http://landing-in-fashion.blogspot.it/

    QueenLina

    • This make me so happy, really the best compliment ever! Thank you so much!

      Erica Blue

  7. Anche per me il 2015 è stato un anno privo di ispirazione. Quello che volevo scrivere l’ho già scritto in passato, ripetermi non mi va, scrivere futilità nemmeno. Dopo qualche anno di esperienza vedo che post banali scritti in 10 minuti hanno molto più successo di quelli studiati e preparati con ore di lavoro e mi domando che senso abbia ora tenere un blog. A volte vorrei chiudere e godermi il tempo libero in santa pace, però mi dispiace lasciar cadere così un progetto su cui ho investito tanto.

    giulia

    • Non lasciarlo cadere! E’ vero la massa ama le banalità ma non tutti però, bisogna trovare la propria nicchia.

      Erica Blue

  8. Remember when blogs felt sort of fun and revolutionary? Bloggers were maybe a bit outside the fashion world, having a dialog about style, and exploring how (if!) to adapt trends within their budget and make them their own. Then it sort of all got subsumed by the fashion world, commodified, and blandified. Now it seems like blogging is a more way to have an unpaid internship and, if parlayed properly, to become part of the fashion machine. I skip over so many of the blogs in my feed anymore because they’ve become peronality-free exercises on a joyless treadmill of consumption. That said, your blog is one of the few I still read closely – you have a fine eye and distill trends succinctly, which I find inspirational.

    It would be nice to see some stylish bloggers focusing on how to restyle things already in their wardrobes, the same thing worn 3 ways, maybe, instead of the unsustainable, disposable, wear-it-once and then New! New! New! thing so many style blogs have become.

    Kayron8

    • I feel the same unfortunately. I think you could be a professional but still present something new, indeed.
      And I would love to feature bloggers that wear and post their clothes more than 1 time but it’s so hard to find them! (BUT one post on this is coming soon…).
      In case you have any recommendations please share!
      Thank you :)

      Erica Blue

      • I hope I don’t sound like an old grump…one of the dangers of speaking in generalities, I guess. And I know there are a lot of bloggers who put a good deal of time and passion into what they create, whether they are professional or amateur, and I hope I don’t sound like I’m just slagging on people making a living as bloggers (one can’t live off of ‘likes’ and fairy dust, after all!).

        It’s more that I feel like I’ve observed a general shift in the points of view or the voices in the style blogging sphere over time that seems tied to blog commodification. Style blogs used to feel like they occupied a distinct space, a space between the fantasy of fashion magazines and the commerce of retailers. They felt like they were about real people putting their own unique spin on things and navigating between those worlds. That distinct space seems like it is largely collapsing or getting subsumed by those other two spheres, or that the distinctions between them have blurred significantly, if that makes sense?

        I wish I had concrete examples of what I would love to see more of in style blogs. Personally, I’m a bit too shy to step in front of the camera and blog in that way, so I suppose I’m part of the problem. But in addition to your blog, I still consistently find Kingdom of Style, Elsa Bilgren, and Sea of Shoes engaging and inspirational….and how I miss Hel Looks. At any rate, I do so enjoy Blue is in Fashion, and I look forward to seeing where you take it this year!

        Kayron8

        • Thank you!

          Erica Blue

  9. Cara Erica, it´s been a while since you posted this blog. I only bumped into it today. I totally agree with you that most contents of fashion blogs, unlike i.e. cook blogs, are becoming more and more “commercial”, and less inspiring. Which is a shame. I still think, thou, that your blog has been one of the most inspiring blogs for me. Also in the past year. Always look forward to what you´re coming up with. And I also appreciate a lot your new contents, share with us what you are feeling. Speak of my heart. :-)
    Since most bloggers are showing how capable they are in styling the latest trends, which ends in that they become more and more interchangable, I started a blog where I wanted to show how you can create new looks using “old” fashion pieces. And it´s lots of fun doing it. The styles should appeal to as many different types of women as possible, therefore I decided to not shoot with models. The overall idea was to get a more sustainable approach to fashion, breaking away from the throw-away-mentality and the mass-consumption, which many of us are likely to fall prey to. I wanted to inspire women to look around in their wardrobe, put together new styles, maybe mix old pieces with brandnew ones. After all you will always stand off the crowd with more personalized looks. Stay away from cluttering up your wardrobe. And can let your creativity flow.
    http://www.sadiestyles.blogspot.com

    Sabine Diekow