Perfection: defined by what we imagine a Ralph Lauren catalog model's life to be.

"It's perfect." - women worldwide watching Leonardo DiCaprio for the first time in Titanic.

I think I can speak for the majority of people when I say we are all looking for 'it'. Perfection, in this sense is the idealized scenario we as humans dream up in our heads, stemming from multiple influences - for instance, I draw heavily from the late Princess Diana, Gwyneth Paltrow, Martha Stewart and every girl who can 'eat whatever she wants'.

(They're all bitches, and I don't believe that you don't at least glimpse at nutrition labels, thank you very much.)

This pursuit of perfection is hardwired in most people, and it goes beyond the perfect body, skin tone or job. Our surroundings must also be immaculately kept, giving credibility to the phrase, 'the company you keep' and most certainly powering the entirety of the home décor industry. You'd be lying if you said you didn't care to have Ryan Gosling, Oprah Winfrey or Hillary Clinton as a casual post-work drinking buddy. Or an Ethan Allen fully furnished apartment.

(Ryan is probably a gin and tonic kind of guy, and I bet he just LOVES classic leather couches..)

So basically, what I've concluded from my non-researched, totally biased opinion is that perfection, the search of it, and our desire for its capture (with the perfect Instagram filter) is the driving force behind basically every commercial industry we as humans have ever fabricated. And that basically means unless you still use tree bark for the majority of your 'sanitary' needs, you've been sucked in at least a little bit. For instance, the late night infomercial market would stop indefinitely if not for us poor souls looking for a revolutionary, life changing product to organize our tupperware, or control air flow throughout a room. Vital things for a happy existence, people.

So this brings me to the ultimate enabler of sorts, Pinterest. I love it so deeply it borderlines on sickness, but I can't stop. The reason could stem from my addictive personality and attention to organization and detail, but I've come to believe it goes beyond that. It is the ultimate visualized daydream. Alongside idealized dining room lighting and amassed imaginary closets which are a given, there is also the personal aesthetics we may not immediately think about when crafting a well rounded perfect image. We imagine ourselves maintaining the perfect butt (only 346 squats to go!), while simultaneously having the world's best chocolate chip cookie recipe memorized. Nobody with an ass that shapely is going near anything cookie shaped, I'll tell you that right now.

Contradictions abound, it is the perfect space to imagine the possibilities of life, neatly stacked into collections of blog links, images and handy motivational quotes. And that's why I love it. Minimal effort, with the best possible reflection on what encompasses your goals, aspirations and desires. It's easy to see how a concept like pinterest would be so popular. It plays seamlessly to human nature - we are known for both our ambition and laziness, and it isn't exactly strenuous to sit and click for several hours. It's almost hilarious that is so non-laborious yet promotes such massive lifestyle changes when in reality, nearly all successful people (in any field) with 'perfect' lives have had to do some serious heavy lifting to get where they are. Which of course makes it unrealistic in helping accomplish exactly what it deems to do - help perfect, fine tune or enhance their lives.

Wow, did I just write* a thesis for some pseudo-degree?

(I think I'll just sit here and order Chinese food at 4am, because that is what my skill sets have properly trained me for and god forbid I waste my potential on something as trivial as an advanced degree.)

Pinterest's ideas translate into our real world, as well as other social media experiences as well. What it really comes down to is outward appearances after all, whether it be through obnoxious Facebook gloating (I acknowledge that you love your boyfriend/husband/cat, now please stop infiltrating my life with your beaming smiles) or walking down the street flaunting an expensive handbag - it all figures into a crafted persona, one which I know I myself have worked on for many years now.

Now that I've admitted it (as if it was ever attempted to be hidden in the first place..) I'd like to make a request. As the majority of us are guilty of this projected boasting of perfection, let us not deny it - or risk looking like a complete ass hat.

And a flat one, at that.

So therefore, I fully accept myself to be a flawed person with major perceived lifestyle issues. As much as I strive for perfection in an all around lifestyle manner, it will probably never happen - but it's a whatever thing. After all, my ancestors invented fire, the wheel, froyo, and Twitter, so I have some leeway here with my worldly accomplishments.**

*My very attentive friend mentioned to me that I had typed 'right' instead of 'write', proving once again that my work embodies imperfection.

**This post may have been a wee bit more scattered than usual. I felt I had the authority to do this because, a) this is my own personal space for creative writing purposes, b) I know for a fact my pinterest board is an accumulation of many years of radical idealism scattered throughout the interwebs and c) it speaks to my environment right now: I really, really need to do a load or seven of laundry.

all the perfect, smudge proof lipstick kisses,

Nicole xo