US photo-sharing site Pinterest was founded in March 2010, but has only become popular on this side of the Atlantic in the last couple of years. I remember “requesting an invite” back when that was the only way to get involved, and I signed up thereafter. I was massively underwhelmed. Why would anyone want to create boards of things they’ll never own or use? I was so foolish back then.
Little did I know that come January 2016, I’d be a secret pinner. I would create boards on the commute into work and pin items on my way to buy lunch and then, at the peak of my Pinterest addiction, I was pinning at 3am when my body was refusing to sleep.
There’s something almost therapeutic about it. I enjoy looking at a images of nicely organised desks or reading articles about how I can be more organised. (Can you see a pattern emerging?)
For those who have never entered the glorious digital sphere that is Pinterest, here’s what you’re missing:
Pinterest is a photo sharing website that allows users to make inspiration boards for everything. It’s life’s ultimate scrapbook. You can create boards to fill with ideas for a house renovation, gift ideas, inspirational quotes, good looking celebrities - the world is your oyster.
Personally, I use my Pinterest page to look at fancy home-offices and articles on organisation. I can’t, for the life of me, tell you why; but I do.
While the concept of photo sharing is similar to that of Instagram, the notion of constructing boards filled with items I’ll never possess is a bit strange. It’s a bit like ripping pages out of a catalogue and sticking them to my fridge.
However, even as I sit here trying to write a piece about how strangely addictive Pinterest is, I am getting lost within Pinterest. How cool is this?
It is the ultimate source for life-hacks and tips on how to work and live more efficiently. What I find is that I'm great at pinning all of these things and awful at implementing them.
There is a serious side to Pinterest. It is changing how some businesses work. Clothing designers and retailers are utilising Pinterest to show off "the next big thing" but also see what consumers are into.
I would highly recommend Pinterest to anyone looking to start a blog or work on any creative project. While it may be the thief of time, it's an excellent source of inspiration!
