Pinterest: 5 reasons you should be pinning

My Pinterest Halloween Inspiration Board

Pinterest

My new addiction and five reasons why it should be yours

This week I discovered a new blog and a new addiction when I visited It's All About Creating by Marlene Brady. She showcases lots of great projects, some her own and some by other artists. I liked what I saw so I decided to click on this image in her sidebar to more tutorials.

http://pinterest.com/arteveryday/

The link took me to her Pinterest boards. I've been reading about Pinterest, a site where you can create virtual bulletin boards and "pin" items that you like onto them. It sounded cool, but nothing motivated me to invest precious time there. Nothing, that is, until I saw how Marlene used it. She has boards sorted by tutorials, craft type, holidays, and even marketing and display ideas. The closet librarian in me started to take over. I HAD to pin something. Pinterest is invitation only right now, but I saw a place to request an invite. That same evening I received an e-mail inviting me to join and I've been pinning ever since.

Here are 5 reasons you should be pinning:

1. Visual Brainstorming
How many times have you seen a link or a photo on the web that inspired you? I find myself downloading photos and bookmarking endless links, but frankly those great finds get buried on my laptop. Most never see the light of day again. Pinterest is a visual way of organizing things. It works great for projects because you can set up individual boards for each project. One of my first boards was a collection of fire pit ideas that I can share with a landscaper once I am ready to redo our backyard.

2. Order your world
My dream would be to take a label maker and label everything in the universe. Sick right? I am an order freak, not that my life lets me take it to the level that I would like. I've tries so many systems to organize things. I have folders on my computer that are divided into sub-folders and I still can't find anything. Pinning is a simple way to file things on the fly.

3. Explore Google-free 
I love the ease of a Google search. Frankly, I don't know what I did before Google. Yet Google groups things using algorithms. It thinks mechanically. When you explore Pinterest, you see things grouped organically by a complex and individual human mind. That leads to some pretty interesting finds. If you want to make sure Google doesn't feel left out, you can google "Pinterest 101" to find lots of great articles on how to get started.

4. Accumulate stuff, no closet space needed
Pinterest is great if you are a minimalist neat freak with hoarder tendencies. The boards let you amass tons of cool stuff without filling your house to the rafters. It is the ultimate couch potato window shopping experience. It can also serve as a virtual shopping cart for when you are ready to buy the real thing. I have a board filled with dining room table selections. Soon, when I make up my mind, one of them will find its way to my home.

5. Promote your work
While your role on Pinterest is to curate the great stuff that you find out on the World Wide Web, Pinterest does allow you to pin things of your own as well. Many artist have a "My Work" board along with their other items. I think the key, like in any social forum, is to be subtle and keep the good karma flowing outward.