Shana Draugelis of The Mom Edit

My good friend Shana Draugelis is, among other things, a former missile defense engineer, a cancer survivor, an over-extended super-mom, and the fearless fashion blogger behind Ain't No Mom Jeans, recently re-branded as The Mom Edit. I shot a bunch of images of her and her family for the re-launch. They involved glitter, sparklers, family fun, and all sorts of shiny, happy elements that seldom find their way into my own blog. Check 'em out. You'll never find my blog quite so edgy again. Here's a taste. 

I recently watched media critic Douglas Rushkoff's new Frontline documentary Generation Like, a well-made, but decidedly didactic piece of cautionary journalism about the social media addiction of "the kids these days." You should see it. It might convince you to shut down your computer an hour earlier tonight. But probably not. In it, he discusses "collabs" between high-profile YouTubers, bloggers, and other social media mavens. Social media superstars, I learned, have been combining their talents to wreak havoc on the general population, drawing in swarms of viewers by deftly employing the marketing techniques that major corporations have been using on them all their lives. Or at least, that's one way of looking at it. Another way of looking at it is that social media users like to help each other out. Bloggers are an online community. We link to each other's sites. We promote each other's posts. Is that nefarious? Is that conspiratorial? Is that a cynical ploy to draw in more readers? Maybe. But people have always drawn from their personal networks to promote their business interests. It's called "networking." That, you see, is part—but just part—of what's going on here. I collaborated with Shana by taking pictures of her for her website which then link back to my website. I also have linked to her website up top if you didn't notice. That way, we drive traffic to each other's sites. We cross-promote. We co-brand. Are you mad yet?    

I share some of Rushkoff's concern about the self-promotional culture of "Generation Like." At its worst, it can be horribly narcissistic. It can stress "weak links" over strong ones. It can promote business culture at the expense of idealism. But it doesn't have to do that. It can also provide meaningful opportunities for unconventional people to support their creative practices without having to get a day job. It can be a backdoor into the fashion industry. It can be a career in its own right. Shana's made herself into a veritable marketing force through her mommy fashion blog. She brings in a decent income now. She has successfully monetized her "hobby." Good. She deserves it. She's worked hard for it. 

Does this mean bloggers don't blog for "the love of blogging" anymore? Does this mean online creativity is jumping the shark? Cashing in? Selling out? No. "Selling out" was a Gen X thing. It was a claim against someone else's authenticity wielded by privileged, upper-middle class white kids against people who don't share their aesthetic anymore. "Not selling out" was always a luxury of people who don't actually need to make money off their passions. And it's an outdated idea. For today's bloggers there was never a choice between making money and doing "what they love." They are convinced they can do both.