When I first started my blog, I needed a space for me to be able to share my thoughts and opinions to other like minded people. I also wanted to help people and bring some form of enjoyment to other people through reading my posts. I wanted to have a much needed voice I feel like I hardly ever got to share throughout education. Blogging of course has been able to provide me with that chance over the past year and I am so glad I started my blog and have continued with it.
I've not only learnt a lot about blogging, but I've also learnt a lot about myself from my strengths and the way I work, to finding out what really does interest me and that I actually do have some form of confidence in myself, even if it is only small and flourishing in the online world. I started this blog with the main aim of posting about fashion and occasionally beauty and lifestyle topics. But looking back from then and until now, I feel like I've steered away from fashion and I've definitely focused more on lifestyle with occasional beauty and fashion posts in there.
Why you may ask? Well here's the thing...
It's all about finding yourself as a blogger. Right from the word go you're going to have some form of idea of where you want to blog to go and what you want it to be like, from the way it looks to the way you write, from your photography style and the categories you're going to focus on, you have a set plan and goal in mind. But as you continue to blog, different parts about you and your blog change the more you develop and improve. Your niche(s) might change. The way you work might change. The growth of your blog might change, one month it might be increasing rapidly and then the next month it might be going a steady pace. The qualities you already have may develop and new ones might be created.
I always think that niche(s) is a funny term in the blogging world. Some hate it. Others like having it as it defines what they blog about and they can be more specific with readers. For me personally, I'm in the middle. I think having some form of idea about what your blog is about and informing people of that is good. But being very specific and certain about sticking to a set topic area or two can be difficult for bringing in new readers and it doesn't give you that chance to be as creative as you could be or experiment with new subject areas you might not have thought about before you started. Over time, not only do the tastes of our readers change, but we need to have room to move along with them and this is especially important when our own experiences and interests develop.
Of course when it comes to writing about the topics you're interested in, you do want to write about the things you enjoy and want to share with other people. Writing things for the sake of it or because everyone is can sometimes just make you fall out of love with your blog and even blogging. Within the past few months, I feel like I've really figured out what type of posts I want to be uploading onto my blog. These type of posts are more 'how to's' or tip sharing style of posts, featuring things like blogging, wellbeing and beauty, which are the areas that I'm currently most passionate about. I think this passion also comes through within my writing. You can tell if I have enjoyed writing a post due to the quality of it. If it's not up to my usual standard, it probably means I wasn't feeling it as much as I would have probably liked. But this is ok. It's always about trial and error.
I also think you enjoy writing more of the same style posts when they get a generally good all around response to them. This makes you want to write more and continue to inspire, help or interest other people. It's honestly one of the best feelings seeing your hard work being recognised, especially for little old me. It still blows my mind that people even take the time to read my posts, let alone comment or share. It just makes me want to continue blogging more and more. I finally feel like my voice has been heard and I have become apart of a wonderful community.
One of my blogging goals this year was figuring out my writing style and I think I have somewhat achieved this. I am more of an informer than someone who pours loads of personality into their writing. Does this make me boring? No, it just means I have my own style that's unique to me. Sure in some pieces of my writing you might find a few ounces of personality shining through, but I just love writing to help people, not make them like me. But if they do, then that's a huge bonus and I welcome it.
Blogging has also taught me how I work in the sense of productivity. I already knew I was quite an organised person when it came to work, but I think blogging has helped me figure out the kind of way I prefer to work and that it's ok to be a detailed planner. It just means I have more attention to detail and need that extra bit of guidance to help push me through. I've also had to really work on managing my time better and still to this day, I sometimes slip out of my schedule and end up rushing the night before to get my post up for the next day. But when I'm on top of the schedule, it feels like a breathe of fresh air and like I finally have my sh*t together!
This moves onto my next point. Being a blogger and blogging has given me or helped me develop some personal qualities about myself. The blogging world is seriously huge and will only continue to grow. There are so many wonderful people out there from all walks of life and with so many different stories. Coming across these people and talking to them has helped me to become more of a compassionate and kinder person. I've been able to support people whether that's through my posts or even just on social media. I love being able to help people and build friendships and blogging has helped me to do that. It's boosted my creativity and made me be braver with trying new things for my blog. It's also helped increase my confidence online and I'm proud to say in person I have a blog and I bloody well love it.
It's grown so much within the past year (thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!). I know I'm still small and I still even consider myself somewhat of a newbie. I'm still learning. There's still things I haven't got my head around. But blogging has provided me with some really beneficial skills like photography, writing, managing social media platforms and promotion, working with brands and other bloggers etc. These will be so beneficial in the workplace and to take with me throughout life. It's helped me to take risks with different type of posts or even reaching out to brands or other bloggers which I would have probably shied away from right at the start of creating this blog.
It's also taught me to never give up. Don't give up when no one is reading your blog. Don't give up when a brand rejects you from working with them. Don't give up when you're struggling to even post. Just keep going. Remind yourself why you started and why you're doing this. Being a blogger and blogging is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
It will take time to find yourself as a blogger. I'm still working it all out. There's still things I've got to learn like I said and things I have yet to experience. But it's a journey I'm excited to continue on.
I just wanted to write this for anyone who might have ever wanted to write a blog and wanted to know what it could possibly do for them, has been blogging but feels lost or unsure of what they're doing or perhaps someone who did start a blog but then quit after some time, this might be a reminder to you that you can do it and you can figure yourself out as a blogger amongst everyone else. I'll probably cringe at this post in a few days time, but hey ho. I mean every word right now and hope it helps someone.
Of course when it comes to writing about the topics you're interested in, you do want to write about the things you enjoy and want to share with other people. Writing things for the sake of it or because everyone is can sometimes just make you fall out of love with your blog and even blogging. Within the past few months, I feel like I've really figured out what type of posts I want to be uploading onto my blog. These type of posts are more 'how to's' or tip sharing style of posts, featuring things like blogging, wellbeing and beauty, which are the areas that I'm currently most passionate about. I think this passion also comes through within my writing. You can tell if I have enjoyed writing a post due to the quality of it. If it's not up to my usual standard, it probably means I wasn't feeling it as much as I would have probably liked. But this is ok. It's always about trial and error.
I also think you enjoy writing more of the same style posts when they get a generally good all around response to them. This makes you want to write more and continue to inspire, help or interest other people. It's honestly one of the best feelings seeing your hard work being recognised, especially for little old me. It still blows my mind that people even take the time to read my posts, let alone comment or share. It just makes me want to continue blogging more and more. I finally feel like my voice has been heard and I have become apart of a wonderful community.
One of my blogging goals this year was figuring out my writing style and I think I have somewhat achieved this. I am more of an informer than someone who pours loads of personality into their writing. Does this make me boring? No, it just means I have my own style that's unique to me. Sure in some pieces of my writing you might find a few ounces of personality shining through, but I just love writing to help people, not make them like me. But if they do, then that's a huge bonus and I welcome it.
Blogging has also taught me how I work in the sense of productivity. I already knew I was quite an organised person when it came to work, but I think blogging has helped me figure out the kind of way I prefer to work and that it's ok to be a detailed planner. It just means I have more attention to detail and need that extra bit of guidance to help push me through. I've also had to really work on managing my time better and still to this day, I sometimes slip out of my schedule and end up rushing the night before to get my post up for the next day. But when I'm on top of the schedule, it feels like a breathe of fresh air and like I finally have my sh*t together!
This moves onto my next point. Being a blogger and blogging has given me or helped me develop some personal qualities about myself. The blogging world is seriously huge and will only continue to grow. There are so many wonderful people out there from all walks of life and with so many different stories. Coming across these people and talking to them has helped me to become more of a compassionate and kinder person. I've been able to support people whether that's through my posts or even just on social media. I love being able to help people and build friendships and blogging has helped me to do that. It's boosted my creativity and made me be braver with trying new things for my blog. It's also helped increase my confidence online and I'm proud to say in person I have a blog and I bloody well love it.
It's grown so much within the past year (thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!). I know I'm still small and I still even consider myself somewhat of a newbie. I'm still learning. There's still things I haven't got my head around. But blogging has provided me with some really beneficial skills like photography, writing, managing social media platforms and promotion, working with brands and other bloggers etc. These will be so beneficial in the workplace and to take with me throughout life. It's helped me to take risks with different type of posts or even reaching out to brands or other bloggers which I would have probably shied away from right at the start of creating this blog.
It's also taught me to never give up. Don't give up when no one is reading your blog. Don't give up when a brand rejects you from working with them. Don't give up when you're struggling to even post. Just keep going. Remind yourself why you started and why you're doing this. Being a blogger and blogging is one of the best decisions I have ever made.
It will take time to find yourself as a blogger. I'm still working it all out. There's still things I've got to learn like I said and things I have yet to experience. But it's a journey I'm excited to continue on.
I just wanted to write this for anyone who might have ever wanted to write a blog and wanted to know what it could possibly do for them, has been blogging but feels lost or unsure of what they're doing or perhaps someone who did start a blog but then quit after some time, this might be a reminder to you that you can do it and you can figure yourself out as a blogger amongst everyone else. I'll probably cringe at this post in a few days time, but hey ho. I mean every word right now and hope it helps someone.
What has blogging done for you? What have you learnt from it?