A small voice.
An unceasing voice.
A constantly buzzing, gnat-of-a-voice.
"Start a blog..." |shoo, gnat|
"Really, start a blog..." |swat|
"You know you miss writing..." |smack!|
Ok, fine... the gnat was actually my husband, Brady. |Don't worry, I didn't really shoo, swat, and smack him... well, not for telling me to write a blog anyways.|
He knows the passion I have for writing, but he also knows the chaos that is life, so my writing fell by the wayside. And with his suggestion to pick it back up I didn't pick up anything but excuses.
|Excuse 1 - I am sooo busy|
We are all busy. Yet, we all make time for things that are important to us. So, in my case: Monday night Bachelor viewings, replacing all colored hangers in my closet with all white ones, and red wine. Obviously all very important things. Obviously all things that are able to shift around to allow me time to write again. Heck, what's to say I can't do two of those three things while writing my blog? |The Bachelor and wine really do increase my creativity and lower my inhibitions - a perfect combination for blog-writing, right?|
|Excuse 2 - I have nothing to say...or at least nothing funny to say|
"But my life is pretty basic, pretty simple, and pretty much not worthy of writing about." Sure, my life isn't made up of dramatics and adrenaline but there are so many lessons I have learned along the way, so many moments of joy, and so many great memories that it would be a shame to keep them bottled up. However, my brain quickly switched to, "ok, sure I may have a few things here-and-there to write about but... none of it will be funny and who wants to read a blog that sounds like it was written during a lawn bowling tournament?"
These two excuses were quickly squashed in my mind when I realized both of them were founded in the assumption that anyone other than my mother would actually be reading my blog. And you know what they say about assumptions...
|Excuse 3 - I have no idea how to format and make a blog look aesthetically pleasing|
Well.. yep... still don't know how to do that. Here is to hoping that if you are reading this you are forgiving and that my wit and charm may distract from my chintzy looking blog?
|Moving Past Excuses|
So, I finally hunkered down on the couch, my clunky over-heating laptop on my legs determined to start my blog. The first thing I knew I needed to do was determine a purpose and a name.
Anyone who is reading this blog that knows me outside of the cyber space world would all use the same word to describe me: perfectionist. It is something I struggle with on a daily basis; determining how to break down the boundaries and walls I set-up for myself, determining how to show my true self, messiness and all, to the world around me, and determining how to be ok with not being ok all the time. I can't imagine I am the only individual struggling with overcoming ridiculous standards and unachievable expectations that we impose onto our own lives. Every Sunday at church I am constantly reminded of the necessity to air my "dirty laundry" if I am ever going to come into an intimate, personal relationship with God.
It always appeared to be a daunting task; how do I begin the process of showing my true self? How do I begin the process of not having to be the perfect wife, perfect daughter, perfect friend, perfect teacher, perfect follower of God, perfect looking, owner of a perfect home? The list goes on and on. It quickly became clear that what better way to break down my facade of perfectionism and step completely out of my comfort zone than publicly deal with my process? My blog would best serve me in my anti-perfectionism journey if I use it to detail my real life. Real life that deals with mess, failed cooking recipes, and conflict - not the Pinterest version of "real life". |No hate on Pinterest...huge fan here, just know that I am a constant contributor to "Pinterest Fails"|
This discovery lead me to my blog's name. |Domesticated Dutch-ish|. I am a newlywed (more on that to come in the future); the role of being a wife propelled me into two new "labels". I was instantly supposed to be "domestic" and I was now "Dutch". However, after many growing pains and adjustments with my new hubby by my side I quickly realized I didn't quite fit the mold of either category. Hence... the "-ish".
I invite you to join with me on this journey of "-ish". These three letters are the new mantra of my life. Three letters that give me freedom from perfection. Three letters that let me know it is ok to not be everything to everyone. Three letters that let me know there is a God out there who is so much bigger than any human perfection I can imagine; and a God who is there in all of my "-ish" moments. This is a new journey for me and I am excited to offer you a window into my world - even if that world shows laundry that needs to be folded, that dang pimple that just won't go away, and a couple who is striving to do marriage in a glorifying way. Come in, won't you?
|How is perfectionism trapping you?| |What areas in your life could use some "-ish"?| |What areas of perfectionism are the hardest for you to surrender?|
Hugs and "-ish"
Jessica Van Dyke
photo credit: http://publicdomainarchive.com/category/free-stock-photos/page/10/Labels: Intention Meets Direction, Joy Through Words, Reflections, Through My Eyes