1 Year Anniversary Edition: Answering Readers’ Questions On Blogging
The reality of blogging, for me, was a mixture of discoveries. On one hand, there was a lot of work that went on behind the scenes that I didn’t necessarily think about before starting mine. On the other hand, I started something I thoroughly enjoyed and because of that, putting in the work was also something I could push myself to do.
It’s been a year since I published the very first post where I described it all as complicated. It still is very complicated today, but what this year has thought me is that life is ever-changing and perhaps, if it wasn’t complicated wouldn’t we then say it was boring?
To celebrate, I published a full article recalling all that you and I have managed to accomplish over the past year where I also outline my desires and plans for the future. I also asked you guys to send me any questions you had on what the blogging experience is truly like and I’m here to answer them.
So, let’s get right down to it!
Q1: Where do you get ideas on topics to write about on the blog? I mean, do you need to be in a certain mood, or does it happen at any time? In other words, what do you draw inspiration from?
The reason why I wanted this to be the first question I answered,
is because it has to do with the thing that held me back the most in the
beginning.
I also wrote about questioning whether I really had anything to say in my very
first blog post and because of the doubt I kept pushing the idea away for the
longest time although I knew it was something I was so interested in.
I learnt later on that all I had to do was start it anyway because opinions can always be formed, changed or maintained as time goes on. Also, turns out I have a lot to say and I have a feeling things are going to stay this way.
My main inspiration is my life, simply. I love to write from a personal perspective because for me, it’s like a full-on therapy session to throw words down and sometimes I realise feelings I didn’t know I had. Whether it be mental health struggles, friendships falling apart, a trip I’ve recently been on or just my opinions on the way the world works, these kinds of topics come naturally to write about because I’ve lived through them first-hand.
Lastly, in regard to my mood, I do believe it plays a big part in not only the topics I write about but also in how I write about them. I keep a notebook where I jot down ideas for posts, but even then, whatever I choose to write is determined by how I feel and if I believe it’s still relevant, buzz-worthy or just simply interesting. Sometimes, I don’t write at all and that’s a curse for every writer – writer’s block.
Q2: When you write you are very transparent, even when discussing topics that are very personal, were there any times you published a blog and regretted putting yourself out there too much?
I truly believe that in every art form honesty is inevitable and it’s no wonder most of my favourite artists are the ones whose soul I feel I can see within what they create.
I have written very vulnerable stuff and sometimes they were really hard to write let alone publish, but what’s the point in putting in all the work into things I don’t care about?
For me, it’s important that what I write to be real, relatable and raw. I never just want to write for the sake of it because that would be an utter waste of time. it’s important that people read and say ‘Oh, I totally feel that way sometimes’ or ‘Wow, I’ve never thought about that angle before’. I’d also like readers saying, ‘She must be crazy to think that, has she completely lost it now?’ rather than have them say nothing at all as that would mean no reaction was prompted by what I wrote.
There have been ones I hesitated to post like On Disability And Why I Used To Hide It On Social Media. It took me two to muster up the courage to let it go into the world wide web and that was because it was probably the first time I was so real about something I deal with on a daily, but write about it rarely.
I never regretted though, if anything I felt liberated in a sense because those were words trapped inside me that were finally released and that, oh, that’s a feeling I always want.
Q3 What surprised you the most when you started to blog?
This has a simple answer; the hard work and time that goes into writing a post. Not so simple anymore, right?
Maybe I make it difficult for myself, but I’ve often found myself working on one post for hours straight. It’s the writing, then the editing and then it’s Lightroom and more editing. You might find yourself sleep-deprived at 4.00 am toying with exposure, shadows and saturation or maybe you won’t, and my time management skills are just questionable. If it’s something you really want to do, I’d say jump right in, but be ready to get down and dirty with all it comes with.
Q4 Do you think blogging is dying?
I’m honestly not sure how to answer this question because there are so many ways to look at it. It might be true that traditional blogging may be in decline, but I believe blogging has definitely evolved over the years due to the rise of social media.
Things are changing, but I’d also say that a lot is changing in most industries nowadays. Also, I have to keep in mind that I’m in so many ways late to the party and didn’t get to watch the change happen from the inside out. I have spoken to bloggers who think the industry is overcrowded and in decline, but I have also had conversations with those who strongly believe that there’s space for more voices at the table and blogging will never go out of style. They believe it will only keep changing in the way bloggers and consumers relate.
Truly time will tell, but I hope it still carries on for a long, long time. I mean, I just got here!
Your restless romantic roamer
