Muji Pen, Marks & Spencer Notepad* & Candle*
So.. I've been feeling a little 'bleh' recently and although it's not solely blog related (or in fact mostly blog related), I've found that somewhere along the line, I've lost my blog mojo.. my passion, and my motivation. I think.. If I'm honest.. it's just a simple case of comparison and I've basically been beating myself up for not being even half as awesome as all of the lovely bloggers that I follow.
SO, in aid of bucking my ideas up I decided to write this post because 1) It always helps me to get some positive thoughts out there in the mix with the negative ones and 2) As much as I'm pushing myself to love my blog, I want you to love yours too. So lets get cracking: here's 10 reasons you should love your blog, whether you've got 1 follower or 50,000.
You Own It | This little space that you've got.. where you can write down your thoughts, test out new ideas and maybe showcase your photography? It's yours. YOURS, and no-one elses. No-one can tell you what to write and what to say, and no-one can tell you you're doing it wrong ( Unless you read all of those 'how to write a blog' posts in which case, we're all doing it wrong). What I'm getting at here is that this thing that you own.. it's something that you've created and you can use it in whichever way you wish.. whether that's as a source of income, or an escape from your day job. You can choose to have it public or private, and you can choose if and when you engage with it. It's your own damn thing and no-one... no-one can take that away from you.
You Da Boss | Unless you're big-time or own your own business (props to all those giving me life envy) then this might be the one place in your life where you really are the boss. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all about being the boss of your own life but let's be honest.. there's always people to please, arguments to avoid having and heaps of washing up to do and.. ain't nobody shouting about being the boss of their own washing up. If you want a 5 hour break? Take it! If you want a holiday last minute? Book it! And if you want to eat/drink/boogie whilst you blog then ain't no-body gonna stop you!
It Brings New People Into Your Life | Through blogging you'll no doubt engage with readers, fellow bloggers.. .maybe even brands and pr's and there's a whole heap of people that you'll end up in contact with that would have remained strangers had you not made this little space on the internet your own. Some of these people might even become friends, and how awesome is that! I can honestly say that every single person I've met so far through blogging has been an absolute babe, and there's so many awesome people that I'm yet to meet, whether that be pr's that I enjoy long email conversations with or whether it's you! I can't wait for even more awesome people to come into my life.
It Looks Great On Your CV | Having a blog shows that you have interests outside of your job/ studies and that you're actively engaged with something that you don't have to be engaged with. It shows work ethic, commitment, passion.. but most of all, it shows you. Let's be real here.. you wouldn't have a blog if you didn't love something enough to write about it occasionally.. whether it's the love of writing itself or maybe you're just obsessed with lipsticks (guilty) and that shows an extension of your personality.. Employers LOVE personality. (Unless you're a puppy hating, pizza shaming weirdo but I know you're not.. so you don't need to worry)
It Opens The Door To Opportunities | Having a blog has given me the most amazing opportunities that I would have never imagined and would never have experienced without it. I get invited to press days, blogger events and get to try out products before they're available for sale. HOW. SICK.IS.THAT. When I think about how I'm only at the beginning of my blogging journey and am aiming for much more growth it makes me so excited for the future. Just in-case you're sitting there having not gone to your first event yet.. that's not the only kind of opportunities your blog can bring you! Every day I feel lucky to have the opportunity to interact with you guys.. to get involved in chats and work with brands and other bloggers. The more you put in, the more you get out.
It Invites You Into A Community | Something I've found more and more since getting involved in all the blogger chats is what an amazing sense of community and support I feel from fellow bloggers. I really feel like I've built up my own little support network of like minded people (welcome to the Blundergang) who are all lovely and all support each other. I remember at the beginning of my blogging life there was a lot of talk of competition between bloggers but I've honestly not come across it. If you've got a blog and aren't feeling that sense of community then seriously, take part in a few chats and drop a few comments here and there and you'll be glowing from the inside in no time.
It Has Potential | Your blog has the potential to be whatever you want it to be. It has the potential to help you heal, it has the potential to make you laugh.. to make others laugh, it has the potential to send you around the world and round the twist. It is what you make of it and whatever that is, is the right thing for you.
It Promotes Growth | Personal growth? Skill growth? Your blog has got your back. It'll help improve your writing, your photography.. maybe it'll help you grow your creative eye when it comes to blog design. It'll also undoubtedly aid your growth as a well rounded human. It introduces you to all sorts of people and their opinions, and it'll probably teach you how to deal with online negativity and people that just don't 'get' you.. but that's all positive right? Without sounding too emosh, blogging has given me a much better understanding of myself and my worth.. and I no longer spend hours worrying about what people think of me. I'm doing me boo.
Your Voice Matters | As strange as it might feel.. your voice matters to so many.. they just don't know it yet. (Or maybe they do.. soz big-time) Sharing your story can bring people together, give people hope, and help people relate. And I mean, let's be real.. even if you're just sharing
what's in your Asos basket.. you're helping a sista get some new threads! But seriously.. I was blown away by the response I had from my post,
'Ideas On Friendship' and it really opened my eyes to how much this platform is not only awesome for sharing snaps of outfits but also for actively making a positive difference to someones life and that ladies and gents, is the greatest gift.
It's Unique | Last but by no means least, your blog is different to every other blog out there. I don't care if you give in to the hype of marble and candles (double guilty) and you write about your new jeans or your new blush, you'll do it totally differently to the way that anyone else does and that's something to be proud of. Everyone has a different style of writing, shooting and even posing (ha!) and that's what makes your blog loveable. That's the reason that people check in with it occasionally and it's also the exact reason why you should be so damn proud of yourself: For sticking with it, for fighting the urge to give up, for having to re-take photo's that spontaneously disappeared off your hard drive, for trying something new, for opening yourself up to new possibilities, for being brave, for being honest, for being committed, for seeing something through and mostly? For being you.
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