I made the decision to link my blog to my Facebook almost as soon as I started blogging as I thought it would help increase awareness and drive traffic but whenever people find out that I have a blog, they invariably ask "Why do you blog?" and I am always caught off guard and fail to give a good answer. For those who don't blog, sharing so much of your life online is a scary thought and for many, it is seen as self-obsessed and narcissistic. I mean why would anyone want to look at pictures of you showing off a dress or a new pair of shoes?
I read blogs before I wrote one and as many people did, I thought "I could do that too!" and so decided to set up Frills 'n' Spills with Danni. When I first started writing, it was scary but I soon found that the blog became my creative outlet. It wasn't just an online diary (no-one wants to read about arguments I have with my siblings :P) but rather a journal of experiences. It meant that I was able to catalogue the highs and lows of university, moving away from home and generally finding out a bit more about myself in the process.
As cliché as this may sound, blogs and blogging are such an inspiration for me. I have been inspired to wear clothes which I would never have dared to even consider before and to conquer my fear of standing out and looking different. This little blog has inspired me to be more confident, dress better and (hopefully!) improve my writing and photography skills at the same time. I like the fact that I can see a Topshop dress on another blogger with a similar shaped figure or a lipstick on another pale person and see whether it is likely to suit me. I'm not a 5'11" willowy blonde (my childhood ideal!) but I'm OK with that, blogs provide me with the inspiration to learn to accept this fact. I'm not gonna lie, there are days where I just want to chop all of my hair off or somehow stretch my legs out a bit more but 90% of the time I am happy with the way I look. I'm sure that getting older also plays a part but blogging has encouraged me to expand my horizons and to grow in confidence, no bad thing surely?
The blogging community is the best part of blogging for me and I have met some really amazing people through it. The support and feedback I received when I posted about my struggle with depression simply blew me away. I have had millions of inane questions answered, clothing items tracked down and support in both the good and bad times. What more could you ask for? I genuinely thought that due to the sheer number of females involved in blogging, people would be catty and mean and I have been lucky enough to be proven wrong. Anyone I have ever met has been really lovely and I have never met a blogger who doesn't reply to an email or a tweet. I think Twitter really helps with getting to know the person behind the blog better and I know that I am an addict! Blogging obviously has it's ups and downs (see Jen's posts HERE for an informed and insightful take on some common blog issues) but I have never regretted my decision to start a blog and I hope I will be able to blog for a long time yet! :)
I read blogs before I wrote one and as many people did, I thought "I could do that too!" and so decided to set up Frills 'n' Spills with Danni. When I first started writing, it was scary but I soon found that the blog became my creative outlet. It wasn't just an online diary (no-one wants to read about arguments I have with my siblings :P) but rather a journal of experiences. It meant that I was able to catalogue the highs and lows of university, moving away from home and generally finding out a bit more about myself in the process.
As cliché as this may sound, blogs and blogging are such an inspiration for me. I have been inspired to wear clothes which I would never have dared to even consider before and to conquer my fear of standing out and looking different. This little blog has inspired me to be more confident, dress better and (hopefully!) improve my writing and photography skills at the same time. I like the fact that I can see a Topshop dress on another blogger with a similar shaped figure or a lipstick on another pale person and see whether it is likely to suit me. I'm not a 5'11" willowy blonde (my childhood ideal!) but I'm OK with that, blogs provide me with the inspiration to learn to accept this fact. I'm not gonna lie, there are days where I just want to chop all of my hair off or somehow stretch my legs out a bit more but 90% of the time I am happy with the way I look. I'm sure that getting older also plays a part but blogging has encouraged me to expand my horizons and to grow in confidence, no bad thing surely?
The blogging community is the best part of blogging for me and I have met some really amazing people through it. The support and feedback I received when I posted about my struggle with depression simply blew me away. I have had millions of inane questions answered, clothing items tracked down and support in both the good and bad times. What more could you ask for? I genuinely thought that due to the sheer number of females involved in blogging, people would be catty and mean and I have been lucky enough to be proven wrong. Anyone I have ever met has been really lovely and I have never met a blogger who doesn't reply to an email or a tweet. I think Twitter really helps with getting to know the person behind the blog better and I know that I am an addict! Blogging obviously has it's ups and downs (see Jen's posts HERE for an informed and insightful take on some common blog issues) but I have never regretted my decision to start a blog and I hope I will be able to blog for a long time yet! :)
Why do you blog? Do your friends and family know about your blog?
EDIT: I meant to include Bee's post about Blogging vs. Real Life as she covers this topic much better than I do! I think feelings like this pop up fairly often if you're a blogger so it's worth sharing :D