The Truth About Blogging

I wasn’t planning on writing this post but here I am. Recently I’ve been getting a ton of questions regarding blogging: how I got started, any tips I have, and the secret to being successful in this niche. While I do plan on writing that post, giving you all my secrets and lessons learned from these past few years, that is not what this post is about. This is going to be very real and raw. The truth about how blogging has affected me, I guess you could say. So buckle up and get ready to dive into my life – my real life, not the pretty edited version you all see on my Instagram.

True life: blogging has turned me into a crazy person. You read that right. Social media is dangerous in the way that you can so easily get sucked in. You might be sitting there questioning what I’m talking about and as a normal Instagram-goer you may not understand. If you, on the other side of this screen, happen to be a fellow blogger though, then I’m sure you will at least somewhat relate to what I am talking about.

The world of blogging and social media consists of much more than what meets the eye. As a follower you get to see the edited, pretty picture, usually accompanied by a witty caption. What you don’t see is the process of going through the 100 other similar pictures from the shoot that for some reason didn’t make the cut because you THINK your legs look too big, hair is too blown, or that soft smile looks too awkward. The tedious editing process that follows, because hey, the picture HAS to match your Instagram theme right?! The time it takes to add relevant hashtags and tag each brand, especially in a sponsored post, because what’s up FTC rules?!

And to think that the process listed above occurs BEFORE the picture is even posted. If you are a serious blogger then I assume you have a business Instagram account, which allows you to go even crazier than if you had a normal account. Is anyone else obsessed with tracking the analytics and reach your picture gets once it’s posted? Or is it just me?

It may sound crazy but when your life literally becomes your brand it’s hard NOT to become obsessed with every little detail. It used to not be this way though. The moment my mindset changed was when I started getting opportunities from this little site I write about my life on. Once I saw the potential of what could come and the payment of my hobby paying off (literally), was when things changed. There’s no pressure when you are doing something for fun with no expectations. A business on the other hand introduces all sorts of pressure.

With said pressure, comes comparison and anxiety surrounding the idea of wanting everything to be perfect. Let’s say it all together: social media is not real, social media is not real, social media is not real. I can not even tell you how many times I’ve posted a picture (because it was required to be up that day due to a content calendar, etc.) with a fun and happy caption while I’m literally crying typing it out. The point of me saying that isn’t to point out how emotional I can be because let’s be honest, I can cry at just about anything. The point of telling you that is to show that life isn’t all fun poses and bright colors. I am obviously not going to post a picture showing the days that I feel like I can’t get out of bed or the burnt Pinterest recipe that I followed to a tee but still came out AWFUL (I am a very bad cook). That is not fun and who wants to see someone wallow and complain all over their social media?

The first time I realized this facade that my Instagram was giving off was awhile back when a girl messaged me for advice. If we’re being honest, this past year has been one of my hardest and I was feeling pretty low around the time I received her message. We talked a bit and then one of her responses stopped me in my tracks. I sent a message relating to one of her issues that we were discussing and she replied, “I am surprised you understand and feel the same way, your life looks so perfect.” And I cried. I cried at the fact that there were girls out there struggling that thought they were alone. I cried at the feeling that I had done an injustice to my platform in the terms of not openly being more real, raw, and relatable.

The truth is, anyone can post a picture of a cute skirt and talk about their favorite sale items. While that is what we tend to do as “fashion bloggers”, which I love because fashion is so fun to me, I also want to be that girl that others can relate to on a deeper level. I find myself gravitating more towards wanting to read lifestyle blogs and posts. I think reading about fashion can get boring but reading about someone’s experience’s, feelings, or even hardships never gets old.

Sticking to fashion is safe though. People can judge me for what shirt or bag I’m promoting but if we’re being real, that judgment doesn’t even compare to the judgment you can get from sharing personal testimonies and real life struggles. I think that is what the world needs more of though. Voices that aren’t scared to be open and honest. The amount of times I’ve considered quitting all of this the past few months is shockingly sad to me. The exhausting comparison game has almost been too much and made me wonder why I even do what I do based on how many other “perfect” girls there are doing the same. damn. thing.

I love blogging. I love photography. I love fashion. That is why I started all of this and I am so proud of how much it has grown and how far I have come. To think that last year I was the one messaging people trying to figure out how to do all of this and now I have girls messaging ME asking ME for advice and being able to give insight and answer the same questions I had back then is amazing. Every message I get from all of you makes me so appreciative and want to keep doing what I’m doing. As a blogger you automatically become your own social media manager, editor, amateur web designer, content creator, photoshoot coordinator, business woman, and accountant when it comes to working with brands and the monetary side of that. A lot more goes into it than what people think which can get very overwhelming trying to accomplish all these tasks (that people with a “real job” get paid a good salary to do) all by yourself.

I am not saying all of this to complain or put a bad rep on blogging. Anytime anyone messages me about getting started I always encourage them to do so. It is amazing having your own little creative outlet and you will love it. You kind of have to love it in order to do what it takes to be successful. So here was a little insight on what has gone on behind the scenes, at least in my mind.

Here’s to being more raw and relatable.