How I Got Over My Fear Of Pinterest

Too much information is overwhelming. It’s hard to sort through and figure out what’s actually useful and what’s just fluff.

When Pinterest came on the scene, it seemed like such an awesome thing! A collection of ideas all shared in one place. Half the work had been done by other people. They went out and found the best of the best and put it all in one place! It’s like having Martha Freakin’ Stewart for a roommate! And then I signed up for an account – and didn’t pin A THING. It was years before my first pin. The overwhelmed feeling had won and Pinterest became a full toolbox that I allowed to gather dust – not taking advantage of what was inside.How I Got Over My Fear of Pinterest - 5 tips to help you get started!

Fast forward several years. As a mom who homeschools 3 children, entertains a toddler, loves to cook, needs help with organizing life and has a love of crafts and camping, amateur sewing projects, traveling and more, it seemed only sensible to give Pinterest another try. Realizing my learning style and the way I interpret information didn’t quite line up with how Pinterest is arranged, I had to figure out how to navigate this new territory. Now, it’s a WHOLE new ballgame. I am no longer paralyzed by the abundance of information. I learned how make Pinterest work for me. If you’ve ever felt crippled by the amount of information, I totally get it. Hopefully what worked for me will help you. Here’s what I discovered………

  1. Focus is IMPERATIVE. Pinterest isn’t a place to go without an idea of what you’re looking for. Without a plan, you’ll easily waste precious time going down rabbit holes. Before searching anything, create a few boards with your big areas of interest (example – Cooking, Revolutionary War, Camping, Sharks, etc). That way, you’ll know what you’re looking for and won’t be too tempted to look at every pin that has a pretty picture.
  2. It’s ok to be a copycat. Think about friends whose homes/craftiness/yard/cooking you enjoy. Find out if they’re on Pinterest. If so, follow them. They may do some of the footwork for you. There’s no reason to reinvent the wheel. Pinterest is filled with how-tos and great tutorials that have been vetted and deemed worthy. If someone else has figured out how to create something you want to create, copy them and save your brainpower for something else.
  3. Broaden the mind. Yes, “focus” was the number 1 tip and this may seem to be the opposite, but it’s really not. Pinterest is not just a place for creative people to borrow and share ideas. It’s also a great resource for vacation planning, tools for budgeting, gardening, building things, history, TV shows, hobbies and SO MUCH MORE. Again, though, remember the focus. So, don’t go looking at ALL the things you like at one time or you’ll look up from your computer and notice that it’s 4 days later and you haven’t showered or eaten.
  4. It’s ok to keep secrets. If you have a project that you’re looking for input from friends, create a secret board (it’s under the settings when you create a new board) and invite a few friends to pin ideas to the page. That way, you’ve got several creative minds working and that’s where the magic happens. Vague ideas become fine-tuned plans.How to make a "secret" board in Pinterest
  5. It’s ok to have a fun. Pinterest is a happy place. Keep things light. Just for the fun of it, look up “sharks” or some other broad, random topic (“Harlem Globetrotters”, “Steampunk” or “Stuart Smalley Quotes”). In moderation, it’s a decompression sort of distraction!

Happy Pinning!Pinterest doesn't have to be overwhelming! Tips for getting started and how I got over my fear


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