If you’ve ever picked up a glossy magazine and ogled beautiful photos of families dressed in white (Why are they always wearing white??), only to glance up and see the real-life chaos in front of your eyes, Sham of the Perfect is the antidote you’ve been missing.
This collaboration of international photographers is making an effort to document and share glimpses into how families really live. As their site explains: “Our intent is to tear down the sham of perfection shown in more idyllic work and present life, parenthood, families, childhood, and home as it actually is; full of flaws and full of beauty simultaneously.”
Take a look at a sampling of gorgeous, real images they’ve collected so far:
All images shared with permission from Sham of the Perfect.
“So many of us moms feel frustrated and overwhelmed with the pressure to conform to the picture-perfect life that is presented to us every day in the media and on sites like Pinterest,” photographer Lacey Monroe explained to The Define School.
“There is no way your real life can ever measure up. We wanted to document the reality of our families instead, to show how beautiful real life can actually be. Sometimes it’s messy, sometimes it’s loud, but it can also be quiet and peaceful – and on the rare occasion, even clean!”
For me, it’s a delight to see these beautiful glimpses into other families. They’re fun, bright, messy and lovely — and above all resemble my life much more closely than a family of grinning fools cuddling in all-white bedding ever have.
Often I find that when I first snap a photo my critical eye sees everything “wrong” with our mess, but years later I get a thrill out of looking back at the truth of how we were in that time period. The memories, for me, truly reside in the building blocks strewn about and the mid-progress dinner on the stove.
Be sure to connect with Sham of the Perfect on their site, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. You can also share your own photos by using the hashtag #shamoftheperfect on social media — and you’re also welcome to upload them here!
Photos courtesy of Sham of the Perfect
In 2014 I dared my fellow bloggers to snap photos of their homes as-is, no picking up allowed. A look at the various ways we live (and take heart I’m no longer in a construction zone!):
