Five Things I Learned in My First Year of Blogging…
Five lessons in life and blogging inspired from my first year with The Glenny Girl (@theglennygirl).
Looking back now on my first year of blogging I am excited to recap highlights and lessons learned. I can hardly believe it’s been a year—January of 2018—since I started The Glenny Girl. The idea of blogging began as a creative outlet and also a chance to write and design my own content. I believe it is powerful to have a voice and your own brand. Although there are many folks represented online today, I chose to create a blog be able to work on a project that I could completely own.
For those of you who know me, while I can be outspoken and fun, I am most definitely an introvert. Putting yourself out there and creating an online presence can be quite intimidating and scary. It’s easy to follow along and read other folks feed or content, but when you create your online presence you are opening yourself up to criticism. Having said that, let’s dive into the top five lessons learned and thoughts from my first year with The Glenny Girl.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
What a great lesson for both life and my blog. There are a lot of folks online, and if I spent all my time comparing myself to others I would be missing out on posting and creating content for what is actually happening in my life. While others can inspire and motivate me, trying to be just like another blogger who has a different house, city, personality or style is not beneficial. Gratitude and investing on what already exists in my world is when my work is most alive. I have a mental check to daily give myself permission to be me.
Be Consistent
One of my teachers in high school said, “I don’t believe in talent; I believe in hard work.” Showing up every day will get me farther than one brilliant idea. In fact, a lot of followers look for consistency. One of my favorite bloggers, Emily Henderson (@em_henderson), is an extremely talented designer. However, I’m addicted to her blog and content due to the consistency of her brand and message. She gets bonus points for her quirky personality and approachability. More of that in the next point: authenticity.
Be Authentic
Some of my favorite bloggers show up mistakes and all. Rachel Hollis (@rachelhollis) has discussed her Instagram feed explaining how she posts a few photos not completely put together before she posts a pretty or perfect shot. Emily Schuman (@emilyschuman) posts after lunch photos with her lipstick slightly off her lips in a candid shot questioning whether or not her co-workers, with whom she just had lunch, hate her. Keeping it real makes me secretly think Emily Henderson (@em_henderson) and I could be best friends and has continued my dedication to following her for years. One of my dreams is to meet her. Not always impressing your audience is in my opinion way more impressive.
Create Community
As an artist and also someone who works in an arts-related day job, I can attest that folks at the top of their game as artists don’t stand alone. They surround themselves with community. If we are around folks who challenge, motivate, and inspire our efforts we will go farther. Those who have been true and steadfast in friendship and support over this past year have meant the world to me! Find folks who invest in your life outside of your online presence.
Know Who You Are
Know you will be growing and evolving at every stage and like any true art form you are never finished. Yet, don’t forget why you started. Then, focus on who you are at the core vs. what people think you should be. You at the core and your vision is more important than your number of followers. Your online presence is a small representation of your life. Some of us bloggers call our Instagram a highlight reel. Finally, when you find folks who think differently than you, be kind. There will always be many opinions, and if you find those who disagree strongly, be gentle and kind so you can walk away respectfully with your head held high.
Outfit details: Shoes from Target. Dress from Anthropologie; perfect for any dress-up occasion. Lace for the win!
