Anxiety, Candy, and Playing it Safe | A Letter From Eryn
I believe so fiercely in the power of connection. It’s incredibly powerful the good we can do by simply connecting with others. This summer I was officially diagnosed with anxiety after experiencing so much anxiety my entire life.
I was always the emotional one, the one that cried at everything, the grumpy one because sometimes my face gets serious which is the opposite of how I normally look, or the forceful one who needed to control everything. I once went two weeks eating mainly gummy bears, skittles, and starbursts because my anxiety upset my stomach so much that I couldn’t eat anything.
Even as a kid, many would joke about it because they didn’t know what was really going on inside of my brain. I took their jokes to heart and it only caused me to stress even more. I knew I was different. I always felt so outside of everyday experiences because I couldn’t enjoy them like everyone else. I was so jealous of how people could enjoy simple moments of life, driving while it rains, swimming with my kids, going on a quick trip with my husband without the kids. When going through my diagnosis I started sharing bits and pieces on social media and you guys were all so great. You shared your stories with me, you trusted me, and confirmed that I made the right choice in sharing.
614 Mom is a safe space. I am committed to being a safe space for you to feel connected. I never want any of you to feel alone like I did for so many years. 614 Mom is changing a little…in the best way possible. I want to share more about the hard stuff, the real-life stuff…keep reading to learn a little about my decision and please know that I’m still here. I’m still me. Columbus and the best things to do here will always be part of this website, but I’m ALSO going to be diving into more amazing stuff.
I may never be an expert in your life but I can be a shoulder to lean on. My inbox is always open.
I have always been honest and authentic but now I’m going to also be vulnerable.
I am so incredibly excited to launch this new .website I’ve worked so hard on this and to see it all come to life is just so exciting!!!!!
The Original Vision
When 614 Mom launched 5 years ago I knew exactly what I wanted to do - bring really amazing content to moms of Columbus. The best of the best. I never wanted to be your Google or provide the content you could find on any other site. For a long time, this worked very well. 614 Mom launched our annual event, Celebrating You, an event dedicated to celebrating Mother’s Day in our very first year, we’ve hosted water safety classes, created a moms group, helped you plan birthday parties and pick preschools, and SO MUCH MORE.
Let’s be really honest though - Columbus experienced a large blogging BOOM in 2016/2017. It seemed everyone with an Instagram account was now an influencer and the market was oversaturated. I had numerous people who would watch what I did and try to copy it exactly and all of a sudden we were all competing for the same eyeballs and writing all of the same content. It was hard to say it mildly. This dream I had was quickly becoming something everyone was doing. It took away my joy. I tried to shift, I tried to adjust and create content in unique ways but ultimately it was the same restaurant opening that 9934989 other bloggers were talking about on the same night and it just didn’t feel right (just one example). I love my fellow bloggers. This is not about them at all - I love how creative they are and how they’ve found their thing.
Ultimately I lost the creative spark in 614 Mom.
Columbus was my security blanket.
So I wrote, I posted on social, I lived my life and I just kept going through the motions, until this summer.
If I’m being honest I used Columbus as a security blanket for a long time. If I just tell people where to find the best ice cream - I won’t get any negative feedback. Trolls can’t hate ice cream. Let’s be honest even if they do it’s probably directed at the ice cream place. Not me. I hate the thought of letting you guys down so I played it safe. Playing it safe didn’t resonate with you guys - I know this because I can see the analytics, comments, and messages. You LOVE when I talk about the REAL stuff. Before I started treating my anxiety I literally could not handle negative feedback. It would cause me to crumble. Not anymore.
So that’s what I’m doing. I’m refusing to play it safe anymore. You reminded me that this 614 Mom community is about so much more than Columbus or where to grab a mimosa (but I mean bottomless mimosas are a lot of fun!) This community is about lifting each other up, supporting without judgment, and being good humans.
My creative heart is full again because of all of you. We’re about to shake some things up. I will still be talking about Columbus and my favorite experiences but I’m also going to be talking about mental health, anxiety, talking to my kids about hard things, and so much more.
Are you ready?
Who is a 614 Mom?
A 614 Mom is an authentic, loving, caring, kind, honest, badass woman! She knows that self-care is both mental and physical and doesn’t have to cost a thing. She believes in boundaries and self-love. 614 Moms support one another without judgment and with love. 614 Moms ask for help when they need it without guilt. 614 Moms take no bullshit.
This change isn’t waiting for the first of the year it’s happening. Actually, it’s already happened. While the new design launches today - the spirit has already transitioned.
If this isn’t what you love that’s totally fine by me. There are plenty of other resources for you that focus solely on Columbus. I want to focus on the humans.
