I feel like the internet has an obsession with escapism. Go to a travel blog and it’s all about going somewhere “better”. Search for information to keep you up to date on business (or blogging) and it has to be “escape your 9-5”. I’m a bit over it.
The Escapism Obsession
What is so wrong if you don’t want to escape your life? What if I like where I live? Don’t want to blog full time? (Sure I’d like to sell more books but that’ll always be the case!) Why is a smoothie breakfast next to your laptop more instagrammable overseas than in your backyard? I’m so sorry that I like my job.
Maybe some people are just unoriginal. I think that’s often the case. I mean, I like instagram but fuuuuck people can be generic perfectionist shits on it.
Naturally though, people sucking in a boring way isn’t really the answer. It’s my least favourite topic. Marketing. Because you have to have a “pain point” to sell to people. It’s unacceptable, unclear and wishy washy to say “Hey like your job but have other interest too? I can help you” or “Can’t afford to travel far? These are awesome things that probably exist in your metaphorical backyard”.
Aspirational and pain point content comes across to me as absurdly irrelevant.
The Sub-Obsession: Full Time
Weirdly for bloody escapism, there seems to be an entire segment of the internet who are only interested in you and will only consider you a success if you are doing YOUR THING full time. You’re not dedicated if it’s a side hustle. We’ll only let you speak at a conference if you’re a full timer, because part timers are clearly not serious. Uh-oh, did you accidentally fulfil yourself over more than one activity? Tut-tut. You unworthy human being.
Anyway… I don’t have a conclusion. This is just a rant. Let me know how you feel about this stuff in the comments.
I think I know what you mean. It’s hard to sometimes not get sucked into that and wonder if you’re somehow lacking. Being content with life where it’s at almost seems to equate to a lack of ambition. I think it’s what was getting me a bit apprehensive about turning older this year and I had to stop and take stock and realise that actually, there’s a lot about my life that’s pretty damn good and I’m okay with that. I don’t *need* to travel every year or look for the next career goal or have a five-year plan for my writing or life or anything. In a way, when we try and aim for things, it’s all about escaping the present, isn’t it?
There definitely needs to be a middle ground between lack of ambition and “have to change all the things”. I think it’s one of those things where it’s not marketable or headline-clickable so people just ignore it and it gets lost to the wind.
Social media…can be a time suck and a confidence taker. I use it much more judiciously these days but I can get trapped in the stupid comparison game at times. That is when I notice and then tell myself off. And get outside!!
Thank you for sharing your post in Life This Week, the Monday link up on my blog. Each Monday, there is an optional prompt but you can link up a post (just one) old or new, on or off prompt. Next week’s is 4/51 Cannot. 25 Jan.Hope to see you back here then. Denyse.
Yep it’s good when you learn to catch yourself and escape from a less than great cycle.
I get what you’re saying very much. I feel it too. Escapism to me is a break from the usual treadmill/routine of daily life. A holiday basically – but that could be at home too and not necessarily away somewhere exotic. However, escapism on social media has become much more – to the point that we’re convinced that we are missing out, we’re not good enough, they have it better, we are less then them because of this that or the other, etc. Social media can be so bad for our confidents and mental health generally. It’s rather concerning actually!
Exactly – a break from routine is all about refreshing, so big or small, doing something different makes the difference.
I love my own backyard and explore it and blog about it regularly. The grass isn’t always greener on the other side. I must say, I’ve never noticed the anti-part time sentiment. I’ll have to look out for it.
The anti part time was something I particularly noticed a few years ago. I hope it has gone away!
This has me thinking. I’m content, but at the same time I’m after the possibility of not necessarily more, but different, the next step. I don’t think it makes me any less content, just that I want to grow in a direction and something in a different direction – not because I think it would be better, because if I thought that I wouldn’t be content. And no, it probably makes no sense to anyone but me.
Content but curious are things that can be complementary to each other.
So excited to see you Ness!
Yep – There’s always something to love about life. Every day. At home, at work, in your backyard, in somebody else’s back yard. Life and this planet we live on is just so damned interesting. There’s exploration everywhere. I’m exploring the details of the placemat my laptop is resting on right now. The best news is you don’t have to escape to find something to love or to find something to explore. It’s all around us.
I love that it’s all around us. This morning I was enjoying how cute the kookaburras looked drenched in the rain.