Some background: I dabbled in blogging a bit during 2013 with my roommate at the time. This prompted the start of my own blog back in December 2013. I hosted this on the google blogger platform for a few months before transitioning the content (and changing the name!) to Squarespace.
Typing that is pretty crazy as I can’t believe I’ve been blogging for a year and a half already. I am not at all a professional blogger, in any sense of that phrase. I have a full time job in accounting that takes up my days (and slips into my nights and weekends on occasion). I will be the first to admit that I am still very much growing in the blogosphere. I’m constantly trying to tailor my site based on things I see that I love (and things that frustrate me) on other sites. I struggle over my content, debate whether things are true to my brand, and occasionally let things sit in draft (or worse, just in my head) for longer than I’d like to admit.
I’ve been frustrated beyond believe after comparing my blog to others. I’ve promised myself to post every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I’ve thought about quitting entirely. I’ve told myself I’ll write up tomorrow’s post when I get home from work then watched 4 episodes of “How I Met Your Mother” on Netflix instead. I’ve read about events or apps that would pair great with my brand then let something get in the way. I will fully disclose that when life gets hectic, blogging is the first thing that I will drop.
If you don’t write a blog of your own it might surprise you just how long it takes to put together a post. There’s the brainstorming and actual creation of content through experiences and taking photographs. Editing images and placing them on your platform takes time in front of the computer screen. And writing up your post itself can be quite a task; for me it’s best to write when inspiration strikes otherwise a post can come out very forced. Then there’s re-reading for typos, giving a final look and scheduling your post. Afterwards you have to promote your post through social media, or just hope for site checks where viewers will see there is a new post. And I’m generalizing here!
Top bloggers make it look so easy to live a fabulous lifestyle, get oodles of freebies and be financially stable through blogging. But the internet is oversaturated with content. Everyone these days has a blog! What makes my lifestyle blog stand out over alllllll the other ones out there?
This can be a pretty tough pill to swallow. I remember starting off and having a lot of expectations for how my blog would be received. This is so witty! These photos look great! I’ll have loads of comments!
Ha. Hahahahaha.
The real motivation for a blog has to be your own interest. Why should I put hours a week into something if I’m not enjoying it? At the end of the day you have to be happy with the product. All that other stuff, the followers and the collaborations and those comments that can seem like a purple unicorn…..maybe they’ll follow and maybe they won’t. But if you love your blog for you alone, who cares?
I like to look at my blog as a massive online diary. It’s a running history book of my life and the things that have been important to me at specific times. Sometimes I just love going to past posts and reminding myself of all the wonderful experiences I have created. I want to remember details and things that maybe could be written off as not a big deal but by blogging about them become extra special. Something I love is taking photographs, and creating blog posts is a fun way for me to express this love. Not to mention being a blogger is a good excuse to be “that person”* in public.
*My friends know this about me and know never to take a bite of something until I have taken a picture. My top phrases when we are at an event or on vacation are “smile! Move a little to the left. Closer together!”
I’m still trying to figure out what exactly I want this space to be. Recently I came to the conclusion that maybe that’s not something I can ever nail down. I’ve tried things that work and don’t work here. I’ve hatched subject matters that I think I’d be able to speak to wonderfully only to struggle over the keyboard for ages before giving up.
Letting go of finding the perfect model of a blog has freed me a bit with feeling guilty over my site. I might not post consistently, or may go ages without a new post. I might overwhelm you with travel pieces and be scotchy on my home town. My photos may be a tad dark, or have a weird background, or be grainy because I was too lazy to bring my real camera and the iPhone just can’t compare.
But this is my blog. My space. I make no apologies and promises as to what things are going to look like here. I simply hope you find some enjoyment, a tip or a new recipe you want to try. And of course I am so so so appreciative you take the time to look a little into my life.
