What I've Learnt In Two Years Of Blogging

Happy Tuesday! I hope you've all had a lovely weekend, whatever you did! I spent mine taking photographs for my blog and binge watching Hemlock Grove (all because I'm a little obsessed with Bill Skarsgard after watching the new IT movie at the cinema. Sorry Alexander!). I was supposed to have today's post up much sooner but so many things have gotten in the way; so here it finally is! It was my 2nd bloggiversary on the 10th of this month and if you didn't catch my post on the day, you can see it here. It's been a wonderful journey of new friendships and self-discovery, and I've certainly learnt a few things along the way about blogging and the blogger community. I wanted to share them with you guys. I hope you enjoy reading!

1. Blog about whatever you want! You don't need to stick to a particular theme; people will come back if your personality shrines through in your words! Sure, there are lots of niche blogs that are dedicated to specific interests or hobbies, like beauty blogs or film review blogs, but it's up to you what you share on your own little corner of the internet :)

2. Getting involved in twitter chats is really important for making new friends and networing your blog. There are so many chats all run by different groups and each chat usually as a different topic. There's twitter chats going on every day of the week, and I definitely recommend getting involved, whether you're a blogger or just enjoy reading blogs. (Are you following me over on twitter yet?)

3. A good photo editing website will become your new best friend!

4. Even if you are anxious about posting something personal on your blog (Believe me, I understand. I get anxious before posting anything and everything!), they are a great way for you to connect with your readers and can be really helpful for others who might feel the same/have had similar experiences to you. The same goes for sharing posts about more controversial  or taboo topics, you can use your platform to help get people talking or at least thinking about those topics and that's a great thing!

5. If you can't blog, don't. Don't force yourself. You do you! Take a break when you need to and don't feel pressured to get content created if you are feeling ill or tired or if your mood is low, whatever the reason is, put your well-being first and take all the time you need. People will be there when you come back; they'll understand. 

6. Comparing yourself and your blog to others will be your nemesis! It's important though to remember that we are all unique in our own way and your blog is a little piece of you, so it's okay to be different because there will always be kindred spirits who relate to you and love the same things you do, and therefore will enjoy readng your content. I know it's tough, but don't let numbers and stats make you feel bad. You are awesome and so is your blog!

7.  On your blogging journey, you will master the art of getting into awkward positions to do the photography for your posts, haha! Tip: don't make the same mistakes that I do, standing on the edge of chairs or beds, falling off and injuring yourself! 

8. The blogger community has its negatives sometimes, but it also includes some of the most supportive and amazing people you'll ever meet! I have met so many fabulous people through blogging and there is always someone there when you need to vent, someone to cheer you up, someone you can relate to. This is especially the case for me when it comes to the spoonie blogger community. I don't feel alone in my struggles anymore and my fellow spoonies offer such a big support network. Thankyou guys ♥

9. Through blogging, I have personally learnt to have more faith in my writing abilities. I've always enjoyed writing. English was one of my favourite subjects at school and I have been a hobbyist writer of short stories since my teens, but my anxiety forever gets me feeling insecure about my work. I constantly manage to convince myself that what I've written sounds rubbish and that no one is going to enjoy it. However, sharing my posts has made me more confident in myself and this is a big thing for me! 

10. The most obvious thing that you learn is that blogging is very hard work! I had an idea that it would be difficult with all the various elements that go into each post, but you don't get just how much work is involved before you start your own blog. Each blog post requires hours of planning and preparation, proof-reading and spell-checking is a pain and taking photographs can be too! I wouldn't really change a thing though! I love blogging; the pros outweigh the 'cons' and I love looking back on my blog posts, reading through memories and sharing my interests with others :)

I definitely have a lot more to experience when it comes to blogging and I'm really looking forward to what the next few years will bring. I hope this post has been fun to read for my fellow bloggers who can relate to the things I've mentioned, and that it's been helpful for those of my readers who are considering starting their own blog. Here's to my 2nd year of blogging and many more years to come!

Thankyou for reading!

♥

 What's one lesson that you've learnt from blogging?

Or what have you learnt about blogging from blog reading?