Trying Pins

There’s a seldom mentioned, exceptionally entertaining function on Pinterest which was rolled out in November 2016. I was pleasantly surprised having discovered this virtual gem at a particularly painful time in my life. This worthwhile distraction, together with another Pinterest favourite, namely ‘Art History Memes’, was a lifesaver in many ways.

If you’re familiar with Pinterest, you would have probably received an in-app notification that someone ‘tried a pin you saved’. At first not knowing what it was about, I ignored it, until one day, motivated by a mix of boredom and curiosity, I decided to investigate.

What I found was either an image, or if there were more than one tries, a social media type feed (similar to Instagram, but less cluttered) consisting of uploaded pins, often with interesting and helpful comments or tips showing the results they got from trying a pin. These range from the results of recipes tried, travel destinations visited, science experiments, art and craft ideas tested, photography tips implemented, to pinners sharing their own reactions or unique takes on specific pins.

As a user, you have the option of scrolling through, liking and/or commenting on those pins. The like button is a smiley face instead of a heart as is often found in other apps. The tries include amazing results that at times are even better than the original pins that inspire them – in perfection, aesthetic value and precision. And at the other end of the spectrum, we have epic fails that trigger memories of ‘expected versus reality’ memes and often provide valuable insights into what went wrong as well as tips and advices on how to avoid it. My personal favourites are the humorous and unique takes on existing pins. They never fail to make me laugh.

So, the next time you see that someone ‘tried a pin you saved’, why not have a look? Or click on images of tries that are sometimes displayed in the space below a pin you’ve clicked on, or saved. It might just make your day, make you laugh and forget your troubles for a little while. And while you’re at it, remember to add to the craziness by uploading the visual result of a pin you’ve tried. You never know who might love seeing it!

SZABO VIKTOR