Hello sweet friends- and happy Sunday! Is your week off to a great start? How are we entering the year 2020? Is it me, or did we blink and 2019 was gone? Glad it is not just me! Thank you for visiting my page! I get asked a lot, “Why do you blog?”. It’s a great question! Today I want to share why I started a blog. Join me!
This blog will turn five years old in May. It’s almost ready for kindergarten! Ha ha! It certainly does not feel like it has been almost five years. In 2011, I found Pinterest. Immediate love! I was immediately drawn to blogs on home decor and beauty- hair and make-up. It was inspiring to see everyday people doing cool things and sharing their passion with the world at large.
Have you thought about starting a blog? Click here for a step by step tutorial to get one up and going to share your passions with the world!
Are you on Pinterest?
Pinterest, and the blogs linked through the site, allowed me to see other creatives doing the things I enjoyed. I got to see really cool decor ideas, and some people shared step by step tutorials on how to recreate the look. It was fun to just explore the site, checking out different styles and ideas!
Pinterest helped me develop my passion for seasonal decorating. I watched people make wreaths and garland, and fell in love with trying to make these things myself! Trying new ideas for decor was made easy by watching and reading tutorials. Additionally, it was fun to discover a whole community of people that shared my excitement for home decor. Styling your home is a thing- and I felt such comfort in being surrounded by friends that love it too!
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My Blog is Born
So one Saturday afternoon in May 2015, I decided to paint stripes on a wall in our family room. I had pinned lots of inspiration on Pinterest, and while the hubby was at work, I found some gray paint in the garage. Insert sneaky, hand rubbing top of hand picture here. Yes! I was ready to begin!
Getting the tape lines straight is harder than it looks in the blogs, my friends! Like way harder. My patience wore thin but I hung in there- and the end result was stripes that held my heart! I was so in love!
From start to finish, I took pictures of my progress, although I did not have an actual purpose for doing so! I was so proud of my work, and the finished product truly made my heart swoon. While it was no where near the level of work I submersed myself in on Pinterest, I loved it because I DID IT! I had a vision, I worked hard and did not quit, and that vision came to life. Me. I did that. Bam!
So I had these pictures and a story to tell. I searched blogging platforms, found WordPress, and joined. I launched two short posts that day- one welcoming my blog to the world, and the second, a tutorial on how to paint stripes on a wall. With one click, I hit publish and launched this space.
And just like that, I am publishing my 47th blog post with this writing!
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Why I Started a Blog- The Benefits of Blogging
Blogging is a fun hobby! It is a great way for me to share ideas and projects, and I love, love, love you- my readers! I sometimes post often and sometimes I am a bit MIA, but this blog is always here, ready for the next challenge. My blog is a creative outlet for me, and as my page views have grown-,it has provided a small side income for me and my family. Win win!
As my blog has grown, so has my expectations for it. Isn’t that the way most things go? Short posts and not so great pictures I once found acceptable to publish no longer make the cut. Sometimes I look back on my first posts and cringe at the writing, but I know that practice and experience are helping me become a better, more impactful blogger.
While I am mostly a leisure blogger, I have dabbled in areas that require more than just writing and posting pictures. For example, placing ads and affiliate links on my blog took a while to learn to do. I spent an entire Saturday trying to properly install an Amazon plug-in! I have mad respect for the big bloggers that do all the things and make it look easy. Serious blogging is no joke, my friends. I am not very tech savvy so just maintaining this space is enough work for me.
Why I Started a Blog- The Joy of Blogging
I owe a lot to other bloggers- they inspire and motivate me and so many other people to try things we never imagined before! The blogging community is incredibly supportive. It is exciting to watch other blogs grow- and I know I have felt supported by many for the work I do in this space! Bloggers have an innate sense that a win for one is a win for all, and that makes this little community so unique.
Do you have questions about blogging? Ask away! I am happy to help!