little white truths

This post has been coming for a while, but it's taken me some time to get my thoughts in order and I wanted to sit with things for a bit in case those thoughts were fleeting.

They're not fleeting. They've taken hold.

Little White Truths was started as a life blog because I didn't want to limit content - I just wanted to write - but as you know, it's mainly become a beauty blog with a few other posts thrown in for good measure. The reason for this is situational, and my situation is changing.

I started Little White Truths when I was pregnant with my daughter (who's now 4.5 years old) because I knew I would need to have some kind of writing to do each day in the years of early motherhood. For the sake of my own mental health, I need to write. Otherwise my brain starts eating itself alive.

And indeed the blog has performed its function. It's been something that's mine, something I've been able to hold on to during the wonders and terrors of raising children, something that's kept me on the level and ensured I have the patience and mental balance I need for my kids. Plus I've been able to write reviews on beauty products and short panning updates through the mad intensity - no matter how tired I am and and how noisy it's been at home, I've been able to keep at it. There's something to be said for that.

But my son is almost three now and he'll be joining my daughter at kinder next year, which means I'll have more time and mental space on my hands. Also, as the kids have gotten older, I've felt my creative brain start to wake up. 

And geez it's waking quickly. It's screaming a little louder each day. While I used to work on novels and short stories every day, the early motherhood years have made the creative process impossible - because writing is an emotional process that's about delivering emotional truths, and there's been nothing left for it because all my emotions have gone straight to my kids. Which is of course how it should be. 

But now that they're a little older and getting to the age where their little worlds are expanding in places that don't include me (that's what kinder is for!), the writer in me has been scratching at the inside of my brain and geez I need to start feeding her again or I may find myself in hot water. Other artists will relate. You need to feed the beast - or the drive, the passion, will bury you. That's just how it is.

So what does all this mean for Little White Truths? I want to keep it going. While it's not a place for short stories and novels, it can be a place for different kinds of posts. I could do more writing in the sustainability space, for example - and I would like to start expanding into that territory. I would like to start expanding in general, to be honest - which will help stop my brain from shooting out in all directions and instead give those ideas somewhere to land. As my kids' worlds expand, so too will mine.

I'm also a little sick of the beauty-blogging process, to be honest. I'm sick of not being able to open new products until I've photographed them, I'm sick of waiting for the sunlight to be in the right spot at home and of the right strength so I can sneak in some photos, and I'm sick of telling myself that I need to buy a better camera and learn the more technical aspects of photography. 

I'm also sick of telling myself that I need to learn how to use Twitter and Instagram better, that I need to expand into other areas of social media like YouTube - because the reality is, social media just isn't my thing. It takes time to respond to Instagram comments and keep an eye on backhanded remarks on Twitter posts, and I'm not one of those people who gets a dopamine hit when social media posts go well. The whole process just feels like more admin to me. Perhaps I'm lucky, or perhaps I just don't get it.

Also, while I still love makeup and skincare and suspect I always will because these things have become my meditation, I don't buy as much stuff as I used to - and when it comes to things like blushes and eyeshadows, I have all I need and I won't be getting through it anytime soon so I have no plans to keep buying more stuff that I can't hope to finish before expiry.

I think it's also worth mentioning that, while beauty products have their place and bring enjoyment to many people (myself included), I've been feeling an increasing need to dedicate my efforts towards things that mean more in an overall context. That is, I would prefer to bring more awareness to global issues like deforestation and free speech and write about those, as opposed to writing more product reviews when plenty of reviews are available anyway so I'm not sure how much I'm adding. I want to do more towards the greater good, and since writing has always been my tool - well, that's how I should be using it. It's time.

Anyhoo. This post is just a little heads up to let readers know that the focus of this blog will be changing. While I'll probably still do panning posts (Project Pan, Project Dent and Pan that Palette, perhaps empties posts too - so there'll be mini reviews in there for anyone who's interested), going forward there'll be a shift in content. There'll likely also be a reduction in content because I can't post as much these days (I have more work on than I used to), and I need to start writing novels and short stories again or my head might implode. But the blog has taken root, and it's here to stay.

Here's to new directions.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

* All images courtesy of unsplash.com