I started my blog in mid 2013; I was getting ready to leave college and honestly I was terrified of starting a boring job and not having anything creative to do. I've always been a bit artsy and photography had always been a big thing for me too, so to leave all of that behind to work full time was such a shock. I needed a creative outlet, something of my own to put my time and passion into but now I'm not so sure what I'm doing anymore.
I loved posting hauls, telling you all about my holidays and maybe snapping the occasional outfit photo and while I still post those kinds of things I feel my little corner of the internet and blogs in general is changing rapidly. Bloggers are making magazine quality content now, with photographs you'd mistake for something out of Vogue. Their posts are written in such a professional way and I can't help but wonder what happened to diary style blog posts? Where did all the basic bloggers go? Don't get me wrong I love looking at content I know someone has spent hours on but sometimes I just want to see something a bit more raw.
Daily vlogs are probably one of my favourite things right now. Youtubers like Helen Anderson record every aspect of their lives, the ups, the downs and even the arguments. Thats what blogging was about, sharing you life with the world. I still love the blogging community and I've never had any negativity shown towards me or my blog but I can feel it getting a bit more catty. Bloggers are changing from friends to competitors. Now that money is involved, and its not pennies either, bloggers seem to be climbing over each for opportunities and jealousy is rife.
I'm still a small blogger, I'm probably not known enough to warrant nasty comments about my content but it does make me wonder what could happen if I do get a bit more popular. I'm quite sensitive about this site, I put so much effort into it and I'm not sure I could take negative comments. Would it make me quit? Most of my friends don't even know I blog.
I've noticed a lot of really unnecessary comments on Gracie Francessas videos lately, granted a lot of that has come from Youtube users and not other bloggers, but it could make her lose sponsors. She even commented in a recent vlog about how worried she was that so many people reacted negatively to a sponsored video she put out and it made her concerned that she would no longer be given paid work from that brand. That's her bread and butter, she needs to do sponsored work so she can make the content that people originally followed her for. When did it become okay to be so horrible about peoples work, sponsored or not?
This year I was also given my first ever press pass for The Clothes Show. I was over the moon. I'd been going for the past couple of years and now to actually be invited as a blogger was just incredible to me, and all of this was just after my weekend in London at The Vuelio Blog Awards. I was on a high, my blog was taking me so far and I can't even explain how happy it was making me. The day was quite nice, I handed out a few business cards and chatted to a few other bloggers but honestly I left incredibly disheartened.
I didn't look like the other bloggers, I was fatter than most of them, I didn't have half the followers, I hardly had an Instagram theme and my blog didn't look as professional as theirs. My confidence was knocked like it never has been before and I just didn't feel good enough. I know you shouldn't compare yourself to others but its just so easy. When everyone else looks like they've got it all together and you can barley find time to slap up a blog post how do you go on?
My blogging mojo has been wobbly at best lately. I'd never publish anything I didn't love 100% and this has left me with pretty basic content recently. I really enjoy writing product reviews and my latest OOTD post was my favourite yet but I still feel like there's something missing. I wan't to write more honest raw posts like this, I wan't to talk about things that are important to me, not just makeup and clothes. I wan't to express my opinions on Brexit, health, sex, politics, feminism and anything else that I feel passionate about.
If I died tomorrow I wouldn't want my legacy to be Asos Hauls and Eye Shadow Palettes. I want to make a difference. I want my blog to be positive, make others feel good and talk about the important things.
I know this has been a bit of a ramble and if you got this far well done but I just needed to get this all out. Lets take blogging back to its roots and write for ourselves again.
Thanks for reading
xxx
Sorry if this response ends up looking like War & Peace, I'm going to go through your post and reply where I see fit! Firstly, I feel you when it comes to being in an odd place with your blog. My blog has become my baby and I dedicate so much time to it, but for me, I've been putting too much on my plate. I didn't take into consideration how much time is taken up when you work full-time, and as a result, it was beginning to stress me out and make me unhappy so I've had to take a small break and re-evaluate things. I've only been blogging for a few years but I see a change too, and I agree that everything seems very editorial. I suppose it's because it *is* becoming a form of journalism (which is why, if you ask me, actual magazine journalists are acting so bitter and petty). I do enjoy the professional content, but I also love to read about personal lives, the not-so-great, the down-to-earth posts that remind me that this polished, put-together person is just a human too, and it's something I intend to focus on more on my own blog. (Totes agree about Helen Anderson, I LOVE how much she shares). I feel like in the blogging world, not so much that I see a lot of cattiness but that there's a lot of flat-out unnecessary drama and that there's a fair bit of hypocrisy. Everyone's human, they have flaws, I know, but I feel like a lot of the same bloggers preach one thing whilst practising something else entirely, which I don't understand at all! This leads to a lot of online drama that isn't necessary and doesn't do anyone any good. Thankfully I also have missed out on seeing a fair bit of it as I don't seem to follow the people who get involved in it.
ReplyDeleteI get hugely offended by negative comments, I've not had many -some on YT, some when I've been re-grammed on IG - but I actually get really annoyed that someone has the audacity to type shit at me when they don't know me or whatever, my opinion on any haters is simply, don't you have something better to do? We can all have our opinions but when you go out of your way to @ people and comment on their site - THEIR creation - then I draw the line. In my opinion that's defo over-stepping it. I hate the unnecessary and that's all negativity & hate on someone's work is to me. The Gracie scenario, again, seems silly and unnecessary from the end of those commenting.
I think sometimes we just have to take a step back and disengage from our blogs and online presence to refuel and think about where we want to go next. For me, as I mentioned, I'm cutting down my posting to twice a week starting in February so I can concentrate on creating better quality content rather than half-assed posts for the sake of a four-day schedule. I want to improve my photography, perhaps rebrand again, and focus more on my online presence by participating in more chats (I'm the WORST for this, it's probably been a year since my last one haha!). For me, I LOVE writing beauty content but I'm excited to open up more about my mental health this year and discuss body mods a little more.
It can be hard to not compare, it can be hard to not see each other as competitors but you need to remember why you started your space on the internet - to share a love of lipsticks, discuss daily struggles and meet like-minded people, that sort of thing. When you look at it from a business perspective, it can ruin the fun and enjoyment as well as also making it harder for you to be creative. In response to that end para: you should feel free to write about whatever you want - this is your own platform, and if it's interesting and passionate for you, then you should absolutely write about it, so I say go for it. YOU DO YOU! I can't wait to see what your new content brings :) (I'm also sorry if this whole response is a ramble, just thought I'd throw my two cents in!) xx
Only just replying to this comment but honestly thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I'm really really glad I'm not alone on this one. I don't want my blog to be a negative space at all but I just felt like I needed to get all of this out! Hopefully this year bloggers will start getting back to create more raw content! xxx
DeleteFirstly I've got to say how much I love you Grace, you're a total star and I believe in you and your beautiful blog 100%. Believe me when I tell you you're perfect as you are; a gorgeous, talented, bright blast of sunshine that we all need a daily dose of :) Your stunning blog always gets better and better in my eyes, you cover so many topics and do so well in keeping it up. Your artistic vibe always emerges in the creativity of your posts and yours will always be one of my favourite blogs. I know you're going to turn all your dreams into destinies and that your lovely life will be just as magical as you deserve <3
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you felt that way at The Clothes Show. I hate the thought of you feeling disheartened but I can completely understand why you felt that way. I found myself relating to this post so much. You've summed up how I've felt for a long while too. Blogging sometimes pisses me off so much that I wonder why I'm doing it in the first place haha ;) I don't like people being so judgemental, and like you I've wondered how I'd ever cope if I did well and received a lot of nasty comments that seem to be part and parcel of being successful. I also don't like how everyone seems to ram their opinions down your throat on twitter, everyone's entitled to an opinion but people are often so critical of anyone else having one that I often don't talk about issues I'd like to half as much. The pressure these days is just ridiculous and it can be so frustrating knowing that the best time to get into blogging was when it was fresh and new in order to stand out and do well, I've always felt a little like I've missed the boat on that one. It makes me feel like rubbish how hard it is to do well on Instagram when I spend hours on it and so many bloggers just cheat and buy bots and all that crap. Blogging has definitely become a bit of a silly cliche of itself in so many ways. Like you I enjoy watching YT now, it seems you get more of an unclose peek of the real person behind the blog/camera.
I'll always be here to support and remind you how bloody brilliant you are girl! I know you can reach the stars and back, you deserve all the happiness out there <3
Sophie | soinspo xo
Thank you so much for writing this my lovely! Its having online friends like you that really makes blogging worth while. Everyone I've ever come across has always been so friendly and supportive which is why its such a shame the blogging game is changing. I'm really glad you feel the same way and you know I will always be here to support you and your blog too! xxx
DeleteI love this post, I really do (I have something vaguely similar scheduled). I've been around the blogging world for a long time and I've never taken it seriously, now I wonder whether there's any room for me in the blogging world - my photography isn't great and I've got no idea about seo. But if you enjoy it, and I really believe this, the enjoyment shines through in a way that some bloggers never manage and that's what I stick with in my head.
ReplyDeleteannie appletoothpaste
That you for commenting lovely :) Its so nice to see I'm not alone with this. Its something that has been playing on my mind for a while and now its clear to see others feel the same! I'd love you to link me to your post when its up! xxx
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