Rachel Pierson
Contributing Writer
Pinterest has countless ideas for decorating, event planning, clothing, and -of course- cooking. This virtual bulletin board caters to those with a desire for a visually stunning lifestyle. However, not all ideas are as easy to execute as they appear online. Many users have fallen short in attempts to replicate a pin. For example, how many failed batches of cupcakes were made before they were picture perfect? Many Pinterest users falsely anticipate an exact replication of a project on their first try.
Assistant Professor of Art, Kate Pszotka explains that Pinterest, “makes everyone think they can do everything because those tutorials are pretty amazing and convincing.” The reason these projects may seem so achievable is because the majority of tutorials exclude the research, practice and errors necessary to successfully imitate a project.
One Pinterest user, freshman Makayla Pfeiffer says “There are great ideas on there that people can use and interpret in their own way.” Pfeiffer recalls her struggles in replicating a popular art project involving crayons, a hair dryer, and a canvas. Makayla claims, “the result was terribly terrible because I didn’t read the directions and I just went for it.”
While this website displays do-it-yourself projects that are not always easily done, Pinterest has created a community of users who share their “Pinterest fails”. Pszotka says it’s a great place for “brainstorming, idea building, as well as zoning out and wasting time.”
Although Pinterest is a place for inspiration and creativity, many users find themselves struggling to stay organized. “I’ve lost many hours on Pinterest, just because it’s really interesting and fun to look at everything,” Pszotka said. “Sometimes if you’re not inclined to organization, you can end up with 500 pins in one category and then not be able to find anything.” Pinterest lures users into spending hours upon hours, viewing ideas. “I think it’s a great place to bookmark and condense all of the things you want to keep track of on the internet, but it’s also a great time suck. So sometimes it’s detrimental to your productivity,” stated Pszotka.
Pinterest users may find themselves disappointed in their failed attempts, but that doesn’t stop them from searching, pinning and attempting lavish projects. While it only takes seconds to pin a Pac-Man halloween costume idea, in reality, the research, planning, and building take a great deal of time and effort.
