I think that lately, I’ve been taking myself too seriously. I love blogging; I love the supportive community I’ve found in the style blogosphere; I love getting dressed up every day, taking pretty pictures, and sharing them with you. But lately, I’ve been worrying too much about aspects that don’t really matter. Like how my site statistics were doing. Or how many comments I got that day. Or, heaven forbid, seeing my Alexa rank go down. Or how I haven’t received offers from any potential sponsors that fit with the vibe of my blog.
I didn’t realize how much I was worrying about these things until reading this post at Fell 4 Fashion, where Danielle reflects on what blogging means to her, and how it was starting to stress her out. I love blogging, but it is a hobby. I do not make my living off of blogging, and really, I don’t ever plan to. I’m not opposed to making a little money through sponsorships, which can then be put back into the blog, but only if it doesn’t change the overall feel.
So I’m coming to a realization – I need to focus on what I love, and stop worrying about all these extra things that ultimately don’t really matter. It’s okay if I’m not able to comment on fifty blogs everyday. It’s okay if I don’t always get every outfit posted to Wardrobe Remix, Weardrobe and Chictopia. It’s okay if my site statistics aren’t always stellar. It’s okay if I cut back the number of blogs in my Google Reader to something that I can actually manage on a daily basis. It’s okay if my outfit isn’t always super-amazing and creative.
I love blogging, and I want it to be fun and enjoyable, not stressful. So I’m pledging right now to stop worrying about all these things. And I’m going to make sure that I have at least one photo in every outfit post that is just plain fun. Because really, if I can’t have fun, then what’s the point?
Have you ever had a point in time where blogging/blog reading became more of a chore than something you did for fun, because you loved it? What did you do to rekindle your love of the blogosphere?
Blouse: Target
Cardigan: J Crew (via eBay)
Jeans: Gap Curvy
Shoes: Born Sokal (via eBay)
Necklace: Thrifted
Purse: Morelle City Bag
Quote: Daughter’s Day Blues (Picture Puffins)
Good attitude! Yes, this should be fun for you, not stressful. Shifting your thoughts about it sounds makes sense.
I love this cardigan and purple mixture, but I really love LOVE love the picture of you jumping. You look so happy and wonderful!!
.-= alechia´s last blog ..Fat-Bottomed Beliefs =-.
I think that’s a good realization and a very healthy attitude. I’m at that point right now, but that’s just because I’ve been working on whittling down my Google Reader queue from 1000+ posts (currently down to 431!). On a typical day, though, I’ve juuuuuust about reached my blog reading breaking point – I doubt I’ll be adding many more subscriptions anytime soon. If I do, I’ll have to cut somewhere else (all the ICHC spinoffs would probably be the first to go…)
.-= Kate´s last blog ..Daily Outfit – Jen -3/16/10 =-.
I can understand your feelings because I’ve been there. I finally just took a break, stopped reading blogs and tried to remember that time when I just lived my life without the internet — back when I used to sew because it’s what I loved. I realized that I was getting too tied up in the blogosphere and yes, stats, etc. So, yeah, I took a break and the sky didn’t fall. I’m slowly working my way back into the groove (commenting on lovely blogs like yours) and some small posts on my blog. I haven’t sewn anything and I’m resisting the urge to sew just because I feel that the blog needs a project. I think, in the end, it’s all about perspective for me. When I get too wrapped up in blogville, I make myself take a step back, remember why I started blogging in the first place and remind myself that I need to be truly present for my friends and family and not perched in front of a computer for hours on end.
.-= Christy S´s last blog ..Ladies, Would You Like to See a Magazine About Real Women? =-.
I love reading your blog because it truly makes me feel a little more optimistic about life. You have good perspective. So even if the stats are not what you would want them to be, or you just obsess over the little things, you really are doing good work! Keep it up
and really, who has the time to post their outfits everywhere? I don’t!
.-= Rachel´s last blog ..huh? =-.
I’ve been blogging for several years and each time I discover a hugely successful blog about something or other and they then celebrate their thousands feedreader and shortly after that their one year aniversary I feel kinda meh. At peak times I had about a 100 feedreaders and around 150-200 visitors a day. Then I didn’t blog regularly for a while and made an adress change and people just didn’t come along. I obsessed and was discouraged and then I deleted feedburner and my statstool. I feel much better now. I still don’t get a lot of comments, but those I do are from regular readers that care about me and about whom I care.
I comment only on blogs that I care about and I don’t feed my posts into anywhere else, except facebook automatically. It is good that way. A small following also makes it possible to write about personal things without feeling exessively exposed.
There are several good ways to gain a huge following, they seem to really work. They also take a lot of time and discipline and a narrow subject you know really well (It was working for my chemistry blog, while I was still keeping that up.). It doesn’t leave much room for experimenting or changing your subject matter about. But those things are important to me. My blog has come to really be a diary or maybe better a zine of stuff Paula thinks about or does. It’s good that way.
.-= Paula´s last blog ..[WImW] What I’m Making Wednesday 17. 03. 10 =-.
I wanted to come back and say- yes, blogging sometimes can take some life out of me because people expect little tidbits of awesomeness and wisdom, which I don’t always possess or am able to articulate. Good for you- stop worrying, you know your blog rocks and people love you! Don’t be a gooey gooey chocolate chip cookie!
Those colors look phenomenal on you – everything about them. I like how they each get the chance to stand out and compliment each other. You look great!
Great post. I know what you mean. Sometimes I think, “What am I doing with a blog?” I can’t afford designer clothes and shoes, and most of the time I wear loose, comfy outfits. I don’t have that many readers.
But it’s the people that make it worthwhile, and I’ve found some cool people to keep in contact with in the blogosphere (including you)!
Keep it up, I love your blog!
.-= Suz´s last blog ..Just don’t know fo’ sho’ =-.
that picture of you jumping is TOO FREAKING ADORABLE! i absolutely love it
and this outfit… the turquoise against the eggplant is amazing, and the yellow too! great color combo!
sometimes i start feeling guilty about my blog. guilty when i don’t have time to post. guilty when i don’t have time to comment on all the blogs i follow. guilty that my outfits aren’t awesome enough. guilty that I don’t FEEL awesome enough to take pride in my clothing/style/blog/life. but when this has happened, the best way for me to deal has been to just go through my google reader and check out all the latest posts from the blogs I follow and let myself NOT feel obligated to comment… just enjoy the pleasure of seeing others’ creativity and style, and inevitably i feel inspired and then my drive to blog because i love it returns. and my drive to comment on certain posts feels more like fun than a task.
.-= Chelsea´s last blog ..Outfit log: St. Patty’s Inspiration =-.
I have to remind myself of these things semi-frequently too! My readership is probably now many many times what it was one year ago, and yet instead of being grateful for that, if I’m looking at my stats I will get overly-bummed if one day is a couple hundred lower than usual, which doesn’t really make sense in the grand scheme of things! And just now I am experiencing what Chelsea talked about — I haven’t had time to read / comment / respond to comments, I haven’t had time to take outfit pictures, and I’ve been feeling guilty and unhappy about it. Just allowing yourself to relax and imbibe blogs without pressure is so relieving sometimes, I need to do that! Blogging and reading blogs is supposed to be pleasurable and like chatting with friends, and it’s so sad that we get caught up in things like this and forget all that.
(Oh, and before I forget, fantastic color scheme in your outfit, as usual
)
.-= goldenmeans´s last blog ..Latest Anthropologie Reviews =-.
Great post – thanks for sharing especially because it’s something I think alot of us go through. I did the same thing…I wanted to blog as a creative outlet, meet people and use it as a platform to start my online store. But then you start getting sucked into that craziness of how many readers are you getting daily, how many are subscribing, did I just lose people and then it becomes stressful. So thanks for sharing…it’s a great reminder to me to stop being so stressed and just enjoy
!
.-= Piper´s last blog ..{blog it forward} =-.
Thank you so much for this post! I had to come to this realization as well and I have really only been bloggin for half a year! The questions that you asked yourself were the same that I asked myself…I really just do this for fun, but it gets hard to not obsess over comments and followers. I am so new I didn’t even know about the OTHER stuff you use to track your site! OH GREAT! New things to stress about! HA ha… I kid.
Regardless. I love that cardi!
Oh, yes, blogging can be very fun but can also lead to huge feelings of guilt if you don’t do everything you think you should. And as you say, if we’re never going to make a full living off it, it really does need to stay FUN!
I totally agree! If you’re not having fun with it then that will come across in the quality of the posts and in the response you get from readers. That’s why I don’t advertise on my blog — I didn’t want it to start to feel like a job.
.-= Audi´s last blog ..Resistance is Futile =-.
Hey, the comments worked for me — yay!
.-= Audi´s last blog ..Resistance is Futile =-.
I think that both Audi and Chelsea’s comments are great points. Being able to read through the Google Reader posts withOUT feeling obligated to comment is so important. And keeping advertising minimal, if not entirely at bay, keeps the responsibility factor from creeping in. I’ve definitely been wrestling with this for awhile, and just recently have allowed myself to take entire days or chunks of time “off” from blogging and reading and commenting. It’s a bit liberating, actually.
.-= Clare´s last blog ..I Know Times Are Changing =-.
Love all the colors in your outfit!
.-= Leia´s last blog ..Style Swap with Anna Jane =-.
Blogging should be fun. Never feel guilty about tweaking your method in order to enjoy it more. Love the turquoise beads. Can’t wait for your shopping trip!
First, love your look and the jumping picture. You look like you’re having fun!!
I agree with so many things that you and others have said. I don’t check too much in the way of stats, but I can relate to getting too in to making sure to post every day, comment on others every day. It starts to feel like a job and I have enough of those, I don’t need another one! I’m at the point now where I’m getting back to doing what’s important first and if blogging or jewelry making fits in somewhere else, than great. If not, I’ve done what matters so that’s all that matters.
.-= Kim, The Closet of Kim´s last blog ..That Thing Called Life =-.
Sometimes I also wonder what is the purpose of my blogging and stop for some time but then I truly miss the other bloggers and miss showing whatever I have to show.
I hope you continue to enjoy your blogging because I enjoy seeing your outfits,even when I don’t comment.
And I love the color combination between the shirt and necklace.:)
.-= Cecilia´s last blog ..Friday Indulgence- Take a journey to your happy place =-.
Thanks for being so honest. It really can be stressful — coming up with a “good enough for the blogosphere” outfit, thinking about numbers…so much to think about. Do what you need to do to make yourself happy!
On another note, I really like the color combo here — I never would have thought to pair purple, yellow and turquoise together, but it works so well!
.-= JoAnn, Sidewalk Chalk´s last blog ..A Maven of a day, or Dress #19 =-.
love that thrifted necklace. jumping pic is my fave. you are too cute!
It definitely is like a chore at times, thats just when I don’t have the time to post but of course I still feel obligated…
.-= eyeliah´s last blog ..Thank You Disillusionment =-.