Lately I feel like I’ve been going through a bit of a struggle. This struggle is ever present — both on the blog, and outside of it. I feel like I am in a constant battle to be original.

You see, we are all so well connected these days. We share pinboards. And blogs. And Facebook posts with specials going on at our favorite boutiques. 

One day, I woke up and realized that everyone was wearing the same thing. 

Our homes were decorated the same way.

We used the same lingo and we laughed at the same things.

We hit the same sales, bought the same products, and read the same magazines.

Everyone wore the same hipster glasses, threw on the same infinity scarf, and we all toted around the same hot beverages in the same disposable mugs. 

We idolized the same celebrities and watched the same TV shows and vegged on the same movies.

Suddenly, everyone wasn’t comprised of “every one” but of just a group of “one” — all the same. No originality. 

Honestly, that frightens me a bit. You see, I’ve always thought that I found beauty in the unique… the original. When I was younger, I noticed that I had three giant freckles/moles framing my face in an “L” shape. Although I didn’t love my freckles at the time, the discovery felt original and made me smile. I vividly remember staring in the mirror and thinking to myself, “I bet there is no one else in the world with these exact three freckles. I’m one of a kind.”

Sometimes, I click around between blogs and I get sad because well,…fewer and fewer of us are one of a kind. I feel like so many of us, including me at times, are trying to fit in and so we end up making choices that aren’t wholly our own. We’re back in middle school trying our best to win friends and attention. To do so, we’ll buy anything and be anyone… except ourselves.

It’s okay to like cliche things and trends so long as you really like them.
For example, I’m going to rationalize that it’s okay for me to still want gold metallic accents in my home office, because I truly want them. (Though if I’m being honest, the more popular it becomes, I start to regret the gold accents I’ve already purchased.)But do I always draw that line? I don’t think so.

I’ve found myself jumping on a bandwagon just for the company…for the approval. I’m guilty, and I’m willing to bet that you probably are too. But you know, I want to be original. I have a deep desire to be the person I am instead of sometimes pretending that I’m something different. 

I’m Kate. And I confess:

I absolutely HATE chevron y’all and if I see one more chevron maxi dress I might cry. Seriously… tears. Same goes for those same tired striped curtains that everyone is hanging up. I really, really dislike the fact folks can’t use a  reusable mug to save their life all for the sake of an Instagram photo.  I really want you to have more creativity than to post the another picture of a statement necklace, a latte, or your half-empty wine glass (Talking straight to myself here folks!). I’m reminding myself — and everyone else: It’s okay to like something that everyone else thinks is cheesy and it’s equally okay to turn your nose up at something that everyone is drooling over. Not going lie — I hate the bar-cart trend. There I said it. #sorrynotsorry

What I’m trying to say I guess is that we’re all supposed to be individuals and that’s ok. I’m sarcastic and sometimes a little rude. I can drive a hard bargain and I never let someone walk all over me. I will hold a grudge a lot longer than I care to admit, and while I am slow to forgive, I often love much harder once the deed is done. I am crass and sometimes crude, but I am loyal and kind. There is no one else quite like me. For that reason, I refuse to waste my time from here on doing or liking the same things merely because that’s the current trend…even if I have a blog.

Our blogs can be — and should be — just as original as we are! I’m bucking the system and starting a trend towards originality! Who’s with me!?