Blogging has changed a lot since I first started writing here a looooong time ago. It used to be something that people did for fun, to keep their friends and families updated on their lives. Personal blogs used to be really big, and I loved being able to keep up with my friends and whatever they were doing.
Then things changed.
Blogging turned into something people could make money at. Soon, instead of fun, personal posts, bloggers were writing about crafts and recipes and anything else that appealed to a wider market. Then they started hosting ads on their pages. Next came sponsored posts. And now, we are where we are. People are blogging for money, and taking high profile sponsors. Every post had to be Pinterest worthy and appeal to everyone.
And I don't like it.
I used to love writing about the random things that happened to me. I wrote honestly about my life. So when the era of big bloggers started, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I wrote a post or two that maybe could have been popular. But I didn't like how it felt. I wasn't saying things that I really thought, I was saying things that I hoped people would like. I wasn't being true to who I was.
So I'm changing it.
I've started doing monthly recap blogs because I like to. Sure, I was inspired by some popular bloggers, but I genuinely like looking back through the past 4 weeks and remembering the adventures I had. I've written about goals I've set, because that's something important to me. I want to start writing blog posts about dream vacations, short stories, and just random things because that is what I find interesting. That's what I like writing about, and I don't care if it makes me popular or not.
And I don't expect it to change.
It's clear that blogging is now it's own beast, and that there's no way to control it. I don't expect to change the world of blogging with my little stand. I'm going to keep writing for me because it's how I want to grow as a writer, not because I want a thousand followers or to become popular on Pinterest. I just want to be a better writer. And when I start listening to me, and stop writing for other people, that's when I write the best.
Then things changed.
Blogging turned into something people could make money at. Soon, instead of fun, personal posts, bloggers were writing about crafts and recipes and anything else that appealed to a wider market. Then they started hosting ads on their pages. Next came sponsored posts. And now, we are where we are. People are blogging for money, and taking high profile sponsors. Every post had to be Pinterest worthy and appeal to everyone.
And I don't like it.
I used to love writing about the random things that happened to me. I wrote honestly about my life. So when the era of big bloggers started, I thought I'd try my hand at it. I wrote a post or two that maybe could have been popular. But I didn't like how it felt. I wasn't saying things that I really thought, I was saying things that I hoped people would like. I wasn't being true to who I was.
So I'm changing it.
I've started doing monthly recap blogs because I like to. Sure, I was inspired by some popular bloggers, but I genuinely like looking back through the past 4 weeks and remembering the adventures I had. I've written about goals I've set, because that's something important to me. I want to start writing blog posts about dream vacations, short stories, and just random things because that is what I find interesting. That's what I like writing about, and I don't care if it makes me popular or not.
And I don't expect it to change.
It's clear that blogging is now it's own beast, and that there's no way to control it. I don't expect to change the world of blogging with my little stand. I'm going to keep writing for me because it's how I want to grow as a writer, not because I want a thousand followers or to become popular on Pinterest. I just want to be a better writer. And when I start listening to me, and stop writing for other people, that's when I write the best.
It can be really hard to navigate the boundary between blogging purely as a hobby and blogging for income...I like to write because I enjoy it, but I've also enjoyed the creative push/prompt that's come from a few (very carefully selected) sponsored opportunities. I feel like it's easier to say that you're going to blog 100% because you love it or 100% for business--mixing the two can make things kind of muddled. That's something I've struggled with this year!
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