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Me and my little blog have been hanging out here for about a year. I quit my 9-5 a year ago this week to pursue other things, like my writing and photography. Blogging was such a scary thing for me but I did it and I've truly loved it. But to be honest, I never really ventured outside of my friends and family.... not really. I really didn't know how. My knowledge was uber limited. I started following real-life friends, Kristina (CityCorporatetoSuburbMama) and Courtney (BaxtronLife) and their blogs. I watched how they'd network, write, etc and was in awe. They hadn't been around as long as I had but they already had so many faithful followers. I started looking at some of the blogs they were following and began to dream of how I could move forward with my tiny little, eclectic blog. I am not married and I don't have kids, so this, I felt, limited me in what I could do. LIES! But I did notice Baby blogs are all the rage. So where is my niche? Then I began to realize, the great thing about the blogging world is that we can let our personalities shine. Whether we are wives, moms, singles, christians, cooks, bakers, photographers, fashionistas or DIYers, we all have a voice that is our own. We all bring something different to the table. On top of that, we all seem to support each other and our voices. We celebrate victories, challenges, milestones, etc. The blogging community is like nothing else!
I have learned so much from the blogging world. Recipes used to come from 2 sites and now they come from 100s. DIY projects I always dreamt about, i am seeing lived out in your blogs. I've been inspired by your photography and your knowledge to learn and teach.
The one thing I have been repeatedly amazed by is how quickly people gain followers. I notice most of the blogs I follow are less then a year but have anywhere from 100-4000 followers. I often ask myself how they do it. I am an introvert and apparently even in the blogging world, where introverts typically thrive :) I am amazed at how they can network and still maintain their personal integrity. I often get bogged down in self-imposed expectations that I forget what voice I have, what my true personality is and who I want to be. These ladies seem to avoid that. They do what they do seemingly flawlessly. Its something to aspire to!
So, I am still trying to figure out what my voice is and where I want to go with it. Daily, there are things I would love to chat about but putting that out there for the world to see is so scary. Especially when some of those things are so close to people I am close to. Sometimes, I mask my rants and ravings in the world of fiction writing to protect the innocent.
So all this to say, I am still learning.
I don't quit understand the whole sponsor thing. How does it work?
What's proper etiquette?
Where do you find the time to get it all done? I don't have a family and I can't seem to find the time...
How do you mothers/wives do it?
What is your motivation?
What wakes you up in the morning?
Why do you do what you do?
Where did you learn the tricks of blogging, give-a-ways, meet-ups?
How does one get involved in that?
How do you get your name out there?
What are your boundaries with that?
I have lots of questions!
I am curious!
I want to learn!
I would love nothing more then to sit down with you over a cup of coffee and talk about how you did it!
I know that this blog, like so many others will go unseen. But in the hopes that you stop by and you want to share some blogging wisdom with me, I am ready and open to listen and take it all in.
If you want to get to know me and some of what I do visit these posts:
So beautifully written. Proud of you for putting yourself out there!! Love you dear sister!! And we're totally grabbing coffee on a regular basis VERY soon!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kristina! Can't wait till you guys are closer!
ReplyDeleteumm you are pretty much describing my life! minus a few details here and there but we do have a lot in common. i started my blog in feb 2012 and have been lucky enough to find a few bloggers who have been incredibly helpful but i still have a ton of questions too. i'd love to partner up with you and help each other on this little journey.
ReplyDeletedon't quit girl! you have an obvious talent for writing. others will see that soon enough :)
email me! jessica(at)about.me
Totally enjoyed this post. U. Real. Open. Loved it! I've been blogging "openly" for about a year and I learn something that works for me and doesn't work for me on a daily basis. Also blogging for me is about growing, things that worked before don't necessarily work now. Main advice I've learned is to just keep writing as long as u enjoy it. Also realize not everyone(even close fam and friends) might not get why u choose to.blog and that's ok :) let me know if I can help in anyway. Def grab as many ad swaps as u can! Great way to get yourself out there and its free!! :) ok sorry for my novel :)
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying this post. I am a new blogger. My hopes are that one day I will be able to earn from it and once the kiddo's are old enough to go to school I will still be able to "work from home". I catch myself trying to figure out exactly what I want to write about and if anyone will be interested. At times it is very confusing. I started out just being about earning money online (which was not very fulfilling to me). Now I have added a hodgepodge of things from recipes to gardening and family time mixed in with the online earnings. Since doing this, I actually feel better about my blog and it is easier to post. I am no where near being a wonderful writer but I am learning as I go.
ReplyDeleteNew follower from the Friday Blog Hop!
http://lovejoyjunction.blogspot.com/