So a few days ago I promoted Martha Stewart products because, well let’s be honest…I love them. Martha Stewart is a name I learned at a young age, introduced to me by my momma (a national fabric designer) who was inspired not only by Martha’s creativity, but by her entrepreneurship and drive. She always encouraged me that like Martha, I could be anything I wanted to be. I could be a strong woman, build a business, creative a brand and have a voice.
I’ve followed Martha’s empire, subscribed to each of her magazines, visited her offices & show. I have been inspired. I’ve purchased her crafts, promoted her supplies and forever been an advocate, knowing that if I worked hard enough I too could create something of myself.
Yet Martha’s ‘voice,’ as of late, has been nothing but disappointing and honestly, really hurtful. As many know, Queen Martha came out with this video a few days ago:
Whoa! I’ve taken a few days to collect my thoughts, but I wanted to comment on a few of Martha’s beefs with bloggers.
Now Martha, we (the bloggers) may not be editors of Vogue Magazine, but I can tell you that everything that is me goes into my blog: my time, my creativity, my style and my editorials. While my blog may not have perfect recipes, flawless photos or artificially constructed photo-shoots, everything you see is original, creative and to be honest, something I am quite proud of. I started blogging three years ago and have since built a loyal and supportive following. I have made some of the world’s best friends and have been inspired in ways I could have never imagined.
I have begun building my brand just like you did years ago, steps at a time, learning as I go and growing steadily. In the meantime, I have given myself the greatest of gifts…I have let my voice be heard. I share what I’ve always known I’ve had, my ability to create, my unique eye for design and my strong voice that deserves to be heard.
While I am sorry you are upset by the blogging community, I can promise you we are not going anywhere. We are a creative group of women whose ideas are valid, inspirational and cannot be contained within your empire – and maybe that’s what scares you.
So thank you Martha for your years of inspiration, but I think we can take it from here.
well put my friend! I feel the same as she is finding out first hand what happens to a “group” that is backed into the corner. Keep on girl! 😉
Love that last line!
Sing it! Methinks Martha forgets how she got started… she was a little unknown homemaker throwing local parties… yes, I watched the made-for-TV movie. 😉 That’s NOT at all different from what bloggers and creatives are beginning to achieve today.
WOOT WOOT!!! with you girl!!! Martha don’t try to kill anyone’s dream!!!
Great post! I read your blog regularly and really enjoy it. I don’t usually comment but this article really touched me. I’m not a blogger but I love trying to make my home, my meals and parties and everything I do, special or have something a little bit different or extra. I used to LOVE Martha and follow her religiously but over the years I began feeling put down by some of her elitist comments. I would much rather read REAL bloggers’ articles and ideas. Thank you for continually inspiring me. Keep up the great work.
While I do think Martha was wrong by saying bloggers aren’t professionals, I highly doubt Martha went to crafting college. I’m sure she learned little by little as she grew up and by trial and error. However, I do feel like Martha is talking about bloggers who steal others ideas (like recipes as she says) so maybe she didn’t mean it as bad as it sounded. Just a foot in mouth moment. And to be totally honest, I like your blog showing how to make crafts better than Martha’s so keep creating!
Martha…Really!! So disappointed!! Wow, wrong group to throw under the bus!!
Absolutely love your creativity and the fact that everything you do is you!! Your designs are beautiful and you make me LOVE THE DAY!! Keep up the good work!!!
Love her ideas, but I never listen to a thing that woman says. So elitist. But I am so proud of you for building such a great business and putting all your creativity to good use. You always were the best party planner!
Thanks for you well written thoughts!! The internet is the way of the future!! Love your ideas ways more than something massed produced at JoAnnes!! I will remain to be a faithful follower!!
Amen, Lindi! I actually do feel that Martha is threatened by bloggers and her comments can be classified as “sour grapes”.
Wow. I cannot believe she said that. Some things for you to consider:
Although it’s been awhile, I have looked at job postings from her companies. If you expect to do any writing for her magazines, she’s not looking for people with editorial writing skills, her educational requirements are things like English Lit.
With that in mind, do you follow her personal account on Twitter? It’s a freaking TRAIN WRECK. She tweets the worst photos (mostly of gross looking food) and her writing is atrocious. Her spelling, grammar and punctuation usage are all absolutely horrible.
So, I’m really amused by her comments.
Also, I think it’s a well-documented fact that she’s running her empire into the ground.
Rant over.
Bravo! New follower here and YES the blogging world can take it from here!!
Well put. You are amazing. Martha couldn’t be further off on this point.
What you have accomplished on your blog is creative, innovative and above all fun to read!! Your writing style is fantastic and your ideas are fresh!! That makes you an expert!!!!
Very well said. Both of my trips to the Dreamers event in NYC allowed me to meet some of the most amazing and creative women. I never shook Martha’s hand or even got my pic taken with her, but the conversations & friendships created with women like YOU, have inspired and motivated me beyond what I have ever read by her editors!
Wow, way to state your opinion!! This is what makes the blogging world so unique!! No
camera’s, make-up and a ton of people to help with your ideas!! Martha has a host of people working for her to make her look hip! You have You. Go Girl!!
What nerve! Martha complaining about bloggers copying recipes is a good one. It was very well known that Martha “borrowed” most, if not all the recipes in her first book , “Entertaining”. How did she become an expert, if indeed she is one. What an unpleasant woman.
Amen, sister! You should be proud of your accomplishments! What you have done is amazing! Martha is cray-cray;)
Me likey, Lindi!
I know nothing about the crafting world but I am sure that people are looking to Martha less and less with the rise of the bloggers, and she probably just feels threatened by the competition. I can understand her beef when people copy others’ work without giving them credit, but her other arguments seem pretty weak. I mean, if a blogger is posting bad recipes then they’ll never build up a big following on their blog.
Silly Martha. Trying to scare people out of reading blogs. Ha!
“Take it from here…” You rock!
But can’t we all agree this is a problem with many blogs? I have read many with inaccurate information, instructions that don’t make sense, and recipes that never tell you when to put in the lemon juice. Don’t take her statement personally.
You said letting your voice be heard is a great gift to yourself; isn’t Martha entitled to that as well?
I think Martha is Martha. She says what she wants. Just think if she would have saiid. I love to share my ideas to help others, or how awesome is it that the blogging community is using my products and making them better. Instead she used an attitude of my empire will never be big enough. How sad for her.
Thank you for bringing this to my attention Lindi. Oh my, as a long time Martha fan – hearing her say this about bloggers was truly disappointing. I think blogs are so much more real than magazines! Martha has an entire army of minions behind her to make sure every detail is flawless. But isn’t there more to life than that? I admire women who can do a lot with a little. Whenever I want to learn how to do something or I need a recipe, I always Google the thing I’m looking for with “blog” in the description. I think bloggers often tell it like it is & they are real about their experiences. And – whether they’ve been in professional test kitchens or not – the recipes shared by bloggers {often handed down in our families} really are so delicious. So Martha – “Fooey on you-y”, but I still credit you for elevating homemaking & creativity at a time when no one else thought it was cool. I guess we can still be friends.
Well written Lindi! So annoying that she thinks bloggers are not trained professionals. I have been an interior designer for 15 years and worked in event planning for 5. So I think I know a little about what I blog about. Boo on her!
Ms. Stewart has a degree in architectural history and a law degree. I’m sure there is someone with a degree from culinary school and one from fine art that thinks she’s a fraud.
Keep on doing what you do.
I have not been to your web site before so I will investigate it. I have many, many blogs book marked and frequently make recipes from them. I also love the awareness that Martha has brought to homemaking. She really and truly was a pioneer.
Kudos to lots of the bloggers, etc. That said however, I have to say that I have a serious gripe with bloggers, TV personalities, etc. that “steal” their recipes without giving credit to where they got them. I don’t think that this is honest or fair to readers/viewers/original recipe developer. I also don’t think it serves to educate when certain personalities are not honest with their persona and give false impressions about who and what they are/and accomplish. Off my soap box now.