February 29, 2016

The curse, and blessing, of being eclectic


The hours is late as I pen these words. Dawn has not yet broke as gossamer threads of moonlight bounce off the barren branches of our neighbour's stately tree right outside our front door. There are several posts of time sensitive nature I could be writing at the moment, but I am tired and know that they can all wait until later in the day/week, after I've nabbed a little sleep. Not this one though.

I've been blogging long enough (very nearly seven years on this blog alone, several more if we reach back further in time to sites that no longer exist) to know that sometimes when the spark of inspiration for a strikes one must set about composing immediately or risk being left with the lingering feeling that something great, important or poignant has passed you by. Like realizing you missed seeing someone you cared about for the first time in years by a matter of minutes.

I'm the sort of person who does a great deal of introspective thinking. I analyze my thoughts, my actions, my emotions, my conversations, my passions, my relationships, my dreams, my fears, and just about anything else that I experience. Not obsessively, of course, but certainly with a heavy hand and for the most part, I'm grateful that I operate this way. I think that it stems in part from being a shy, quiet introvert, but know that there are many roots of such and have always found it a comforting trait to possess.

Last year in particular, I thought very frequently about who I am at this present stage in my life, what I like, what defines me, and how I portray myself to the world. I have known since early childhood that my tastes were powerfully eclectic and am generally a-okay with that.

Having a wide array of loves, interests, and (if one can find the time) hobbies keeps life fresh and fun. It means you always have an answer at the ready for what you want to do, buy, see, experience, and even taste next. It ensures I'm never bored, can reply to the question of "what would you like for your birthday/anniversary/Christmas gift" at the speed of light, and has helped me to move with relative ease amongst numerous specific interest groups and subcultures throughout my life.

Yet being eclectic can also have its downsides in a sense. For one, because I have so many likes and interests (some of which I've never even so much as mentioned on this site), it is often easier to stick largely with one and let it define you in so many different ways.

This isn't a negative per se at all, and I don't mean to paint it has such, but rather I wish to speak to the fact that when one is so largely focused on a certain topic, it can, at times, feel like some of the others in your life fall to the wayside or, worse, get left (unintentionally) in the dust all together. It is easy to lose yourself when you are consumed by love, be that for a person, a thing, a timeframe, a place, a way of life or just about anything else.

Or, if not lose entirely, than start to appear rather one-sided. Back in the summer of 2014, on the eve of my birthday, I wrote a post called Thoughts on who I am as I turn 30. This entry has stood out for me ever sense and was a catalyst for further thoughts pertaining to who, in fact, I am, what I love, how the world sees me (online, at least), and some of the way in which I might want to change various things.

The simple truth of the matter is, once you've perceived a certain way - even when that way is wonderfully positive - it can be hard to change or to let other sides of your personality and spectrum of interests shine through, and at times it is even illogical and/or detrimental to do so.



{Being eclectic means that at almost all times, you are only able to show a portion, be it large or small, of who you are and what you love to world. There are perks and downsides to this, as touched on in today's post, but in the end, I'm grateful to have a plethora of passions and enjoy continuing to add new ones to the roster as time goes on. Vintage woman with a hand mirror photo source.}


If I could go back in time to the birth of this blog in April 2009, there are numerous things I would do differently - not the least of which is to include a wider array of my interests and hobbies as part of it. There's nothing to say I still can't, but just as one would be perplexed if they showed up at the Great Wall of China and saw Sphinx of Eiffel Tower themed souvenirs being sold, so too does one have a certain natural path to follow once they've been running a successful blog on a given topic for a long time.

Yet that is easy to say - hindsight and all that jazz. For, eclectic though I may be, I am not the same person I was nearly seven years ago. A staggering number of things, many for the better, have changed in my life since then. I'm older and bolder alike. I've grown in innumerable ways and some of the interests I had then are now just pleasant memories or things that are touched on once in a blue moon. Others are with me still, naturally, and it should go without saying that vintage and all that it encompasses is certainly one of them.

I can't fathom that I would ever stop loving vintage, antiques, history and genealogy. These are embedded passions that have been with me since my earliest days. Yet they are not all of who I am and what I love, and I often struggle with ways to let some of those other parts of my eclectic soul shine through, be it on my blog, in my wardrobe, through my decor choices, and in other areas of my world alike.

Perhaps, to a degree, many of us do. I don't claim to be alone here and am not leading this post in the direction of some great epiphany on the subject, for none has been forthcoming, no matter how much I've thought, reflected and even meditated on the topic.

The focus of this blog is, and always be, vintage, and I love that. However, at the same time, I also sincerely hope that as the years continue to roll on, I can find ways to weave more and more of my interests, my passions, my beliefs, and my soul itself into my posts here, too.

There are, as with so much in this world, pros and cons alike to being eclectic - to loving a great many things with a huge part of your heart/mind/spirit. Ultimately though, I have always felt, at the end of the day, the blessings outweigh the negatives and I think, no, I know, that having such a wide breadth of interests is a huge part of why I've been able to keep this blog going strong for the better part of seven years now.

So if that means certain sides of myself remain under wraps or aren’t overly represented here, ultimately, I have come to realize, so be it. They're still with me, still shaping my life, and who knows, perhaps some of them are even waiting just around the corner to be blogged about in the wee hours of another sleepy, moonlit night.

62 comments:

  1. It is something I think important to all of us being eclectic, I am well fitted to speak so indeed ! ;)

    Anyway however your choices your blog will always be a very inspiring source dear Jessica.
    xx
    Love from Paris;
    Lorna

    http://lornasharp.blogspot.com

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    1. That means a great deal to me, sweet Lorena. Thank you deeply, my fellow eclectic lady.

      Huge hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  2. This feels particularly poignant to me today as I've, for the first time, shared one of my true loves outside vintage through a post just half an hour ago - reading fiction. It's defined me completely as a person and has been, at times, an obsessive part of my personality (reading Harry Potter at midnight, all in one go for example!), but I was struggling to find a way to marry it with my blog. I feel like there's much I could say about it, but that part of my personality is quite separate to the interests I show on my blog. The experience of writing that post, however, did make me think about all the bits that are left out. I think there must be ways to marry up our vintage lifestyle blogs with our interests, but I'm still pondering it... If I come up with a magic formula I'll let you know.

    I do think, though, that most of your readers, myself very much included, would love to see more of the person that you are :) xx

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    1. That's truly wonderful, dear CiCi. I can't say "way to go!" enthusiastically enough and sincerely commend you on sharing another side of yourself and your passions with all of your blog readers.

      I really like how you described other areas of our lives as bits that get left out. That's so true. In some ways, blogging primarily about one topic (even if it's a broad one) can feel like we're cooking the same food - or at least type of food (e.g., pies) - day after day, month after month, and ultimately year after year, when in reality, we're actually whipping up dishes from the whole culinary spectrum (and simply not sharing them with others).

      Thank you so much and definitely likewise. I have certainly woven a few other elements of myself into my blog over the year and some posts have focused much more on vintage than others, but I still feel like, ultimately, I've only let folks see a small percentage of the complete person that I am and the longer I blog, the more I struggle with that fact and ways to broaden the sides of myself that I opt to discuss publicly. I really wonder how many other bloggers feel like they're in a similar boat...

      Thank so much for your fantastic comment and sharing more about yourself with the digital world.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. CiCi, I thought your book post fitted with your blog really well - it covered a time period relevant to your blog. Vintage is more than fashion, and my favourite blogs all cover more than clothes. I actually have a spreadsheet to ensure I cover my core topics regularly (music, SF/steampunk, books, clothes), all on a vintage theme.

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  3. Eclectic is good! And you may well be able to weave some of your other interests into your blog. I do with mine - I also love science fiction, fantasy and crime fiction, and allow myself to blog about those things as long as they're vintage or vintage-set. But it's also nice to have stuff that doesn't make it onto the blog, that's yours and yours alone, so you can still surprise people when you meet them, and your every waking moment isn't something you feel compelled to share with the world.

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    1. It's awesome that you've been able to weave a fair number of your non-vintage related interests into your blog. I really enjoy sites like yours, Retro Rover, and Atomic Redhead (to name but three) who do so with such skill and fun (including for their readers). Keep up the inspiring work, sweet lady!

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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    2. Yes, it's just a case of making sure there's still a vintage element. So, for example, I'll write about Agatha Christie's books but not Tim Weaver's, but if I wear a vintage outfit to one of Tim's launches I'll blog about the outfit. Vintage is the essential element, but it's not the only element.

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  4. My dear, beautiful friend ... boy! Do I understand this sentiment! It must be that time of year, or maybe it's 2016. Change is happening and it's time to embrace it.

    Blogging has always been a double-edged sword for me because it tends to shove folks into a certain box that is very hard to break free. I've always had a love-hate relationship with fashion blogging because, like you, I'm multi-faceted and have tons of interests. Do you, dear gal ... it'll be fun to see what else you love, what else makes your heart pitter-patter. Never fear change or showing all your sides at once. :) The blogosphere won't blow up ... just the opposite will happen, we'll be excited for you and cheer you on!

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    1. Yes, a thousand times, yes. That is exactly how I've been feeling - boxed in by the niche-ness of my blog (even though, of course, it is a niche that I love and feel very fortunate to be a part of). Granted, one could argue it's a box that I created around myself and I'd have little to contest that point with, but this situation is not unique me and I sense that many others out there run into, especially after several years of consistent blogging, too.

      Thank you deeply for the beautiful encouragement and for sharing that you can wholeheartedly relate. Both points really mean a lot to me and certainly be helpful going forward from today.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  5. It's definitely easy as a blogger to make decisions based on your blog and readers rather than on what you actually want. We put so much effort into one particular image of ourselves and it's hard to break free of that! I'd love to know about some of your other interests and hobbies. :D

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    1. Excellently said, Stephanie Lynn. We really do - and sometimes, in my case at least, the version (if you will) that we ultimately end up presenting wasn't done so deliberately. It's is comprised of pieces of ourselves shared as time went on, but not the whole picture and after a while we find ourselves longing for at least some of those other pieces (all the more so, I'd argue, if blogging and/or other areas of our lives are keeping us from spending time those areas).

      Thank you very much for your terrific comment and for sharing that you'd be keen to learn more about me.

      Have a fantastic first week of March, my friend.

      ♥ Jessica

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  6. As you know my blog is very eclectic dogs, cats, vintage, science fictions, movies etc. I think the most interesting people are eclectic and of course your one of them. I also think we are constantly evolving and changing. I didn't even really get into vintage until I was 34, Im nearly 38 now and its a HUGE part of my life

    retro rover

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    1. Your blog is such an inspiration to me on that (and many other) front, dear Kate. I adore the fact that you readily share so many sides of yourself with us and that your passion for each always shines through. Thank you for that - you rock!!!

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  7. First off, this is a beautifully written post. Secondly, wow! You seem to know how to speak to my soul. I am at a crossroads in my life, and I have been spending a great deal of time thinking of how I want my life to continue from here on in. As a creative person myself, I find it hard to pin myself down and have a clear definition. The only thing I am certain of is that I wish to move to Another country. I have often wondered about yourself, your beliefs and such like but totally respect your privacy and would never dream of prying, but I will devour all you have to say on this blog or by any other medium.just keep one thing firmly in your mind, you will be a true source of comfort to people such as myself because you feel things and will have experienced several of the things we have, and knowing that we are not alone with the jumble of thoughts and ideas we have, is invaluable. Warmest thoughts to you my dear xx

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    1. Beautifully, touchingly said, sweet Emily. Thank you so very, very much for your supportive, encouraging words and for sharing that this post mirrors some of what you've been thinking about a lot lately, too. It's very exciting that your heart is calling you to move to another country. Having lived abroad myself (in Ireland), I can tell you that it is an eye-opening, life changing experience whether you plan to return to your homeland or not. A dream that big deserves to be realized and hope with all my heart that it will come to fruition for you.

      Huge hugs and again, truly, my sincere thanks for your awesomely nice comment,
      ♥ Jessica

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  8. Wonderful post. Variety is what makes us who we are, and it really is the shame of our society that we put labels on people and judge them by one aspect of their character. I know sometimes I feel frustrated because I like so many things, and I don't know which way to go! In external things like decorating or such, I make each room a different style so I can enjoy all of them. But sometimes I wish I could sink into a certain era completely and totally. (In any case, I'm rarely bored.) The burden falls on us as readers to understand that the people we meet via social media are more than just the sum of their blog posts.

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    1. I couldn't possibly agree more on all points, Sabrina. Thank you for so eloquently and succinctly reminding us of the importance of looking at people and trying to see more than just what they opt to show us online. Fantastic comment, my lovely friend.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  9. I would love to find out more about you and your other interests and would be honoured if you would share them a little in your blog. We give such a 2 dimensional view of ourselves at times, put ourselves into easy categories, but everyone has such a diverse array of skills, likes and dislikes and we are forever changing. What an insightful post!

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    1. That we most certainly are and I hope, in the long run, that things like social media and the web in general don't quash some people's multi-dimensionalness because they become so locked into only focusing on one (or a small number of) area(s) of their life. It would be a great shame - and have massive impacts on society - if the act of being a polymath and/or eclectic person went the way of the dinosaur.

      Thank you very much for your wonderful comment, sweet Christina.

      Big hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  10. I completely empathise and am often feeling there is not enough time to persue and investigate all my multiple interests. If you ever find the trick to balancing it all, let me know!! Xx

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    1. Yes, very, very much so. I genuinely struggle with the fact that work, family life and my health take up so much of my time that I often go for absolute ages between being able to focus on many of my interests (outside of vintage). Finding balance is a never ending work in progress and one that I'm going to be focusing on a lot more this year (something, interestingly, that this past month of being computer-less has truly driven home all the more for).

      Many thanks for your understanding, lovely comment, dear Philippa.

      xoxo ♥ Jessica

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  11. Oh, Jessica, I totally know what you mean! In a way, coming from someone who just joined the vintage community and is still sort of trying to find a voice and presence, I think you have a lot of freedom in the fact that you've built up such a history; you have readers honestly invested in what you have to say about life in general, not just vintage.

    I feel like I'm currently "struggling" (not that it's really that much emotional turmoil) with trying to find the balance of content on my own blog -- I don't always want to write about vintage sewing, nor sewing at all, but I don't want to be so directionless that my blog is disorganized and no fun to read. It's interesting to see you post something of the same concern -- although, again, I can assure you as a single reader, that if you were to post about pretty much anything, I'd hop to your site and read it right away!

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    1. That is truly one of the nicest and most encouraging things I've ever been told in all the years I've been blogging, Kira dear. Thank you with all my heart not only for your immensely kind words, but for the important reminder that it is the person, ultimately, more than (or at least equal to) the content of the blog that many people return to a given site for. I really needed to hear that.

      Huge hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  12. Absolutely beautiful. Is writing poetry one of your hidden hobbies? If not, it should be - you wrote this post with such poetic beauty and grace!

    I can totally identify with your dilemma, about being perceived in a certain way or having your followers expect certain things from you (and potentially being shocked or confused if you were to share another aspect of yourself). I'm a writer, and I originally launched myself into the social media world with a focus on fantasy writing (my favorite genre). Except that right now I'm working on historical fiction. I've been worried about what people might think, but I've decided to go forward and continue to publicly pursue my non-fantasy interests.

    You're so right about eclectic interests being both a curse and a blessing. But I think such an eclectic life gives us an adaptability that others may not have. Keep on being eclectic, lovely Jessica, and don't be shy to share it! :)

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    1. Excellent point, sweet Grace. Being eclectic really does give our lives a profound degree of depth and vitality, and that is a most certainly gift unto itself.

      Thank you very much for your stellar comment and for asking if I write poetry. I do indeed, though not nearly as much these days (no doubt in part because so much of my writing time is channeled towards my blog and the online world in general) as I did in my youth. Here's a post with some samples of my poetry, if you'd like to see more of that side of me: http://www.chronicallyvintage.com/2013/02/by-request-sampling-of-my-poetry.html

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  13. I enjoyed your midnight ramblings. I often feel like this too with my blog which I have been "uninspired" by for almost a year and do not know how to change it for the better. I do keep it up to support my etsy shop which I really do enjoy having. My personal style never seems to match the interests in my head an my real life happenings are quite different than the things spoken of in public. Everyone is different and we grow no need to feel any worry about changing your blogs direction a wee bit:)

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    1. I can genuinely relate to what you mean regarding seeing yourself (and/or your personal style) one way in your head and it being an entirely different version IRL and/or online. Believe it or not, this is something I'm well acquainted with, very much including when it comes to my home's decor (which is fine, don't get me wrong, but not all of it is how I'd ideally like my house to be styled; this is the byproducts of many moves, living in a small house, and often having a very modest budget for said decor).

      I really appreciate your comment and that you shared the fact that you found this post so reletable. For what it's worth, I always enjoy your blog and appreciate the assortment of topics you share with us there, sweet dear.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  14. What a lovely, thoughtful post. As a long time reader, I would love to see more of your diverse interests represented on the blog. I do love your fashion sensibility and your love of all things retro, but I know there must be a broad array of topics that you'd enjoy writing about. If you do decide to post on other topics, even on just an occasional basis, I'm sure they would be fascinating reads.

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    1. Thank you for the wonderful vote of confidence, my dear friend. It means so much to me and I do hope, and plan, to share more sides of myself here as time goes on. I was reflecting this morning on the fact that it took me a long time, as an incredibly shy, introverted and private person, to even launch a fashion related blog, then an even longer time to be comfortable sharing photos of myself here, so perhaps it's natural that I opted to focus so much on one (albeit it broad) area of my life: vintage. Were I able to do it all over again, I'd definitely take an at-least-somewhat different approach to blogging and what I shared about myself online, but hindsight is always 20/20 and ultimately, I'm happy with how things have unfolded. Hopefully, having giving this topic a lot of introspective thought and disusing it here with my awesome readers, my blog can blossom into an even more dynamic portrait of who I am from this point onward.

      Huge hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  15. Could you do a kind of tangential blog at some point? ;-)

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    1. That made me crack the biggest grin, Mary. :) There certainly have been a few here before, I assure you - but always with a purpose and message behind them (like today's).

      Many thanks for your comment and said smile - have a fantastic start of March!

      ♥ Jessica

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  16. I for one would welcome your observations on anything that strikes your fancy, Jessica.

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    1. That sincerely means a lot to me, Elinor. Thank you very much for your supportive comment (believe me when I say that the feeling is mutual, my friend).

      Wishing you an excellent first week of March,
      ♥ Jessica

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  17. Hi Jessica, I am with you about being eclectic. I´ve been eclectic all my life. There were moments in which I was more attracted to some of my passions (punk, heavymetal and rock when I was a teenager but dressing in my mum´s hippy clothes from the 60´s, being my best friends a punk girl and a gothic one). Then times goes by, you change, go to university or beging to work, travel, meet different people, etc. You never forget those passions but they are left to dust in a corner of your personality, coming back from time to time. In my case punk, rock and heavy metal come back when driving. My passion for Japanish Manga and Anime (since I was 2 years of age) is still there and I share it with some of my friends. I was always a mad lover of classical music and operas too and New Age. I also always loved antiques and I am fortunate enought to have victorian and edwardian forniture and two classic cars (very common VW Beetles, nothing fancy but beautiful enought to me). I love vintage clothes too or to dress classy (my hippy times are not completly gone as I sport some hippy mum´s clothes that resisted my teenager´s years in summer time)... And still, years continue to pass by and we change, I am not the same person now that I was 4 years or 10 years ago. Changes are small, happen day by day and not radically. I am still learning and experiencing life with its ups and downs. I won´t be surprised if you want to include a gothic post in your blog one of these days, why not? ;-) At the end of the day it is your blog, you can do what ever you want with it. It is impossible to please everyone, but with respect and understanding (or willing to understand others) a lot of things can be achieved. We are what we are as a result of choices we do in life. And life is like a rainbow, a rainbow with only one colour won´t be as beautiful as a colourful rainbow is. Have a great day and wonderful week, Eva from Luxembourg/Germany.

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    1. You soooo need a blog, dear Eva. Your comment is a well written post unto itself and was a pleasure to read. It means a lot to me that you can wholeheartedly relate and that you're a very multi-dimensional person as well. That has always shone through in your emails and is definitely a highly admirable (and awesome) quality to you, my lovely friend.

      I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate your comment and the important reminder that, at the end of the day, I can write about anything I desire. I think that it is far too easy to forget that fact (or be too shy to do so) when one is used to focusing so heavily on a given topic/niche.

      You are a wise, fantastic woman and I always welcome your insight on any topic.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  18. whelp.
    that just blew my mind.
    having just returned from an unscheduled blogging break to focus on other aspects of life, this hit me right between the eyes.
    the thing is, i just love so much. there are so many things in life and so many interests i hold, others just don't believe me when i say i can't choose a favorite.
    perhaps, although it may be much work, you will be thinking of starting a quieter side blog, one that holds these other interests and aspects. or maybe not now, as there's not time for everything, but one day?

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    1. Yes! That is how I feel, too. There's so much that I love/enjoy/am inspired by/want to learn more about, and as the years slip (or fly!) by, I find myself wondering if I'm spending my time in the smartest ways any more and/or devoting it fairly to, if not all than at least a good number of, the areas of my life that matter to me.

      I certainly wouldn't call these feelings the blogging equivalent of a midlife crisis, but more of a deeper understanding and appreciation of how finite our time here on this planet is and a desire to, as best I can in the moment, spend my time wisely. I fully believe that blogging can, and should (for me), be a part of that and hope that I'm able to weave even more elements of myself and how I spend my time into this blog as the years keep on rolling forward.

      Thank you for your terrific comment and for returning to the blogging world (I noticed your departure and have been missing you).

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  19. But dearest Jess, why shouldn't you blog about other interests, hobbies and sides of yourself!? Variety is the spice of life, you know. You might loose a few readers, but you might also gain new ones. You could also start another blog, give it another name and blog about exactly what you feel for there (but do let me know the name of that blog, will you). I think my blog suffered from being too mixed - vintage, cars, nails, etc. But since I have so many interests I couldn't stick to one theme. Do what you please, it is your blog, dear. Now go to bed, will you!? ;) Have a lovely day, sweetie. :)

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    1. You are always such a supportive, fantastic person, my dear friend. Thank you so much for your encouragement and your kindhearted words. At this stage in my life, another blog feels like just about the last thing on earth I want (this one and my Etsy shop already lay claim to a massive amount of my time and if anything, scaling back a bit from the online world feels more like the direction that I'm being pulled towards), but you just never know and I promise you that I ever do launch another one, on whatever topic(s), I will personally let you know right away.

      I adored your blog and the diverse array of topics that you shared there. It made me feel like I knew you quite well pretty much from the get-go and I would have happily have read posts on any topic you have ever dreamed of posting about.

      Huge hugs & joyful start of March wishes,
      ♥ Jessica

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  20. "I can find ways to weave more and more of my interests, my passions, my beliefs, and my soul itself into my posts here, too." - i hope so! :-)
    the broad and bright rainbow of your different interests shine thru in every post - this is one of the reasons i´m still here! because i´m a eclectic too i get bored very easy - "one way" blogs stay not very long on my radar.
    and i struggle sometimes too with all the things i like to do - my days have only 24 too. and a lot of things need much more then only time - money, body power, companions etc..... resources that are usually not endless available. most of them are very rare!
    another aspect is that most people cant deal with a eclectic personality - they like the world and their friends plain and easy to know :-)
    so - i hope you did catch some sleep finally - hug you! xxxxxx

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    1. Excellent points one and all, my fellow eclectic souled blogger. The fact that time, as it pertains to each of us at least, is so far removed from being limitless is a point that has been on my mind a great deal in recent months. I need to work even harder on balancing my online life with my offline one and to not lose touch with elements of myself that (traditionally at least) have only existed in the later. It is a challenge and a joy at the same time, as I love to grow and better myself as a person.

      Thank you very much for your fantastic comment and for sharing some of your wisdom with all of us here, dear Beate.

      Tons of hugs!
      ♥ Jessica

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  21. I hear you, Jessica. I call what you describe "multifauceted" people vs. one or two faucets, and I wrote about it on my blog as well. I consider it pretty rare and definitely a blessing. I think there are generally two ways to get all your faucets shine, when it comes to blogging - either have one central blog where you show all your faucets, or have multiple blogs and/or sites each dedicated one or a few related interests of ours. I think because the love for clothing is such a universal one, many women (and some men too) can relate to it, it is just a natural way to focus on it. You can definitely write about other passions of yours here, some of them related to the main topic, others not so much. But you can also write about other interests on other sources and have them all linked in one place - this is the format I am lately practicing. Whatever works for you, of course. But I agree with you - it's just so fun to have all those different interests, we can easier relate to other people, and our life just feels richer, I think. Though at times, it can be overwhelming, when we try to define ourselves. There is just no one simple definition.

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    1. That's a great format and the approach that I think I'd be most apt to take, as I don't feel (at present) called to launch another blog in the slightest (this one and my Etsy shop already consume so much of my time, I think I'd just feel like I was failing to post often enough if I have another blog that I wanted to keep quite active).

      I admire you and your blog so much, Natalia (I might not always comment, but I try to read as many of your awesome posts as possible), and sincerely appreciate you sharing your wise thoughts on the topic of being multifauceted with me/all of us here.

      Huge thanks & an ocean of hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  22. First off you have a way with words, the opening paragraph sounds like a novel.

    Secondly, I totally get you. Often we as individuals are viewed only on the surface and not as a whole. For example I have my vintage/sewing loving friends, and my computer programing friends. They don't mix, and sometimes I feel like I don't belong to either group, yet both are apart of who I am as a whole.

    Yes, sometimes one hobby/interest may take up more of you time than the others and sometimes our interest wanders. But you need to be you, all of you, even if it doesn't sound like all those hobbies/interest even belong in together, they are what makes you, you.

    Whatever direction life takes you or your blog I hope it will be for the best. As always I enjoy reading your posts, thanks for sharing.

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    1. That is such a smart, excellent way to look at things. We are the collective sum of our many interests and different sides and thus, by sheer virtue of that fact, our blogs are 100% entitled to represent our various interests/passions/viewpoints as well. Thank you deeply for putting it into those terms. I really needed to hear that message.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  23. If you fancy writing a post about one or many of your other interests I think that you should and I am sure that many of your readers would find it fascinating, even if it was about something that they are not personally into. Like, my knitting group is bound together by a love of knitting and that is how we all met but, when we meet, it is not the only thing we talk about and topics from music, reading, chickens, pets and women's rights all come up and merge in happily. I always think it is fascinating to learn more about people and if you want to share more that would be great.

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    1. That's a great way to look at things. When I think back to social groups that I've been a part of over the years, even though we were usually connected by a common thread, that was by no means the only element of the time we spent together and transitioning that approach to the web makes perfect sense. Thank you for presenting that really lovely (and very wise) viewpoint, my dear friend. I wholeheartedly appreciate it.

      Huge hugs coming your way,
      ♥ Jessica

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  24. Beautiful post with so many things that I agree with. :)

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    1. Thank you very much, my dear friend. I suspect that many of us, especially if our blogs are heavily niche centered, feel this way sometimes, yet it's not (in the vintage world at least) a topic I've seen covered or even touched on often, which made me want to share some of my thoughts on it all the more.

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  25. I loved this phrase: "Like realising you missed seeing someone you cared about for the first time in years by a matter of minutes"
    Not to mention of the many things we'll be interested in, in the future !

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    1. Absolutely - I find the possibility of what new (or long put aside) interest will come my way in the future truly thrilling and like that being eclectic means that you're guaranteed to always have new loves in your life.

      Thank you very much for your great comment and for sharing how much that particular line spoke to you.

      Many hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  26. My dear Jessica,
    From one eclectic to another: THANK YOU for wrapping this text so gorgeously and presenting the matter to the wider audience.
    The Eclectic is, and rarely can change it, a person whose interest are by far much wider than the range one theme has to offer. Therefore, The Eclectic always seeks a bit "outside the box".
    This blog of your has grown.
    Oh, how majestically has it grown!
    You're the one making it, so you might not have the ability to see the wast space in this World Wide Web that this blog has taken. Spoken like it's pastry, this "little blog" of yours is now a huge chunk of Great Cake - frosting included. :)
    ..
    I fully support your venturing into more and more themes over here.
    As you know well, my tiny blog is a place I prefer calling "digital scrapbook" - and sometimes subject spoken over my place are not vintage.. Someone might play "smart" and advise you "Write whatever, just slap on a vintage-looking image and you got yourself a vintage-friendly post" :)

    I, for one, can't wait to see more and more post over here!
    Make this little cookie grow!

    Huge March hug!
    Marija

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    1. Thank you very much for your wise, insightful take on the joys of being eclectic and on how my blog has grown over the years. Objectively, I see it, too, big time and have certainly shared a lot about myself and some of my various interests/passions here over the years. When CV began, I was still too shy to post photos of myself usually and it took almost three years of blogging before I reached a point where I was okay with doing so. That was a huge turning point in so many ways and has only lead to positive outcomes for myself and my blog since.

      Great mind, great minds. I've definitely taken that approach before and am sure I will continue as time goes on. And speaking of time, it hit me very shortly after this post went live that part of the "issue", if you will, is that I have so little time for anything that isn't work or family related (a boat many people are in the world over for sure, I don't claim to have a monopoly on such in the slightest) and thus don't have the ability to focus on many of my other passions any more. This point troubles me and I am trying hard to carve out more time for such. Even just a few hours a week would be a big leap forward (in recent years) on that front, so that's what I'm presently aiming for and hopefully, in turn, I can blog about, and thus share, some of the things I do in my free/down time here with all of my lovely reader.

      Huge thanks and endless hugs coming right back at you!
      ♥ Jessica

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  27. I show most aspects of myself on my blog, maybe not so much my personal ethics and rather old fashioned beliefs, and I find when I do venture into the territory of, say, classic cars, I can expect few comments in return and my wildlife posts often fall a bit flat, but hey ho, my blog, my interests!

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    1. Personally, I greatly enjoy and appreciate the diversity of topics that you cover, dear Melanie, and have since the moment I first discovered your blog. It's awesome that you share so many different elements of your life (past and present alike) with us.

      That is very true though regarding the (often, but certainly not always) lesser degree of reader interaction when you stray too far, so to speak, from the core subject matter of your blog. Interestingly though, I've found that such posts can sometimes be long tail powerhouses that continue to bring in high levels of traffic (evergreen style) for years to come, so in that respect, they may pay off more from a traffic standpoint in the long run than from those that see a flurry of activity in the moment (but less as time goes on).

      Huge thanks for each and every one of your great comments here this weekend,
      ♥ Jessica

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  28. All of this. I completely get this! I think another down side is money. I am into so many different styles as well as collect a wide variety of things. Because of this I often find it difficult to spend large amounts of money on some pieces. Being eclectic means wearing a variety of things, so one item of clothing may go more unworn than another.

    xoxo
    -Janey

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    1. So many yeses to that spot on point. I find that I think that way most of the time, too. I have a very modest personal spending budget (which has fluctuated in both directions over the years) and often (nay, almost always) feel like I want to stretch it as far as reasonably possible. There's the whole spectrum of vintage items that I love, books, craft supplies, kitschy pieces, photography equipment, the occasional decor item, cute toys (though I used to buy far more of those in my 20s than I do nowadays), and so many other things I love, but of course I can't splash out on them all each month. There's nothing wrong with that, but it would be fascinating to see which areas I'd buy (a lot) more of if I had far deeper pockets. It's great to know that you can relate first hand to this eclecticism-budget factor, too, sweet Janey. Thanks so much for your wonderful comment.

      Big hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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  29. I love Kate-Em's comparison and I totally agree. Although I understand and it makes sense to keep mostly to your niche, I think it's nice to occasionally (or often) see a glimpse into the other sides of a blogger's interests and personality. I'm sure I will enjoy whatever you choose to share!

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    1. I feel that way, too, and absolutely adore it when fellow vintage bloggers let us in on some of their other interests as well. It just makes following their blogs that much more interesting/engaging for me, even if I don't share all of their passions. The more one knows about a fellow blogger, the greater we're able to feel like we know them and that kinship is a very integral part of the act of blogging for me.

      Thank you very much for your encouraging comment, dear Tanith. I hope you're having a terrific week!

      ♥ Jessica

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  30. I completely understand where you're coming from. I too feel that I have a wide array of interests, many of which never or rarely get covered on my blog. For example, I will only occasionally write about my crafting, even though I've had requests for crochet patterns and such. And lately I've begun to shift my blog away from beauty and fashion (although these are still passions of mine and I'll continue to write about them) and more towards self care, feminism and introspection. It can be hard, as you said, to only be able to show one facet of your vast personality at a time. But I think one of the most amazing things about running a blog is that you get to decide what goes onto it. I think it would be awesome to see some posts about your other facets and interests besides vintage, but I'll always be chuffed to read your vintage-inspired posts. :D

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    1. It's comforting to know that I'm not the only one who has an ongoing internal dialogue about this subject on a very regular basis. I have, of course, covered topics other than vintage here before and will no doubt continue to, but ultimately, I think that a good deal of what I pen will focus on the subject simply because it's at the heart of this blog. There's nothing wrong with that at all, and I've realized in the days since penning this post, that so long as I try (harder, in some cases) to make more time for my other passions, I shouldn't feel quite so much like I'm being (publicly) so laser focused on "just" vintage (though we both know that topic itself encompasses an epic number of things).

      I've been trying to give myself at least a few hours throughout the week of "me time" lately and that's certainly going a long way on that front. Perhaps I'll even find time to craft in 2016 (that would be almost surreal in its awesomeness!).

      Thank you so much for your understanding, fantastic words and for always "getting it".

      Tons of hugs,
      ♥ Jessica

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