Life Lessons I’ve Learned as a Blogger

I’ve been blogging for almost 3 years now and while growing it from Harper’s Hats Love to Pursuing Pretty I’ve experienced a giant learning curve.  I knew nothing about blogging before I started and I still feel as though I have a lot to learn after coming this far.  Here are the most important lessons I’ve learned the hard way since beginning this journey.

I always think it’s funny when people refer to me as a “writer”.  Because that is not at all what I think of myself while writing my weekly blog posts.  When I think of writers, I think of newspaper columnists and authors of bestselling novels, not someone who writes like she would be talking with you over a glass of wine.  Blogging is great that way, you just write like you speak.  I think of myself more like a content creator, it’s more visual for me.

Blogging can be very isolating.  I’m legitimately a one woman show.  How do I write each blog post?  It starts with an idea.  Then I take plan a photo shoot, edit the pictures, write and revise the content, then publish and promote like crazy.  It’s very time consuming, so much so, that I now consider blogging a part-time job for me.  I’ve had a lot of ups and downs along the way.  I’ve been happy and I’ve been hurt.  Here are the difficult lessons I’ve learned:

Life Lessons I’ve Learned as a Blogger

Be Kind.

Because the world just needs more of it.  I try and take the time to compliment others.  To say thank you.  Just because social media is an online form of communication, doesn’t mean that standard rules of honesty and politeness don’t apply.  Seeming genuine can be hard through text but it’s still worth making an effort.

Comparison is the Thief of Joy.

This one I struggle with the most.  I have a hard time just being proud of my accomplishments.  I’ll be scrolling Instagram and see another blogger partnering up with a company that I would love to work with and I feel almost jealous.  Even though I have collaborated with companies that I’d only ever dreamed of working with, it still never feels like enough. Or I’ll have spent so much time on capturing the perfect photo only to have it get half the amount of love I expected on Instagram.  I compare myself and it takes from the fact that I should just be proud of how far I’ve come.  I’m learning to keep that in check and focus on my positives instead, but it ain’t an easy thing to do.  I just want to be happy for others and their accomplishments too!

Hustle.

It’s that drive that keeps me hustling.  Don’t sit around and wait for things to happen.  Make them happen.  Reach out to people and companies that you want to work with.  Send emails, make phone calls, be annoying. Keep trying.  I’ve learned that things in life don’t just fall into your lap, it takes hard work!

Don’t Take it Personally.

As I mentioned earlier, blogging can be competitive and not so friendly.  I’ve had other bloggers talk about me behind my back and people who I thought were supportive friends in the blogging world, stop speaking to me because I wouldn’t share a coveted PR contact with them or didn’t comment on their photos enough (seriously).  It’s pretty fake at times, I’ll admit it.  But as Drake would say, “I’m doing me” and that’s exactly why I started blogging, to have something for myself.  I can’t allow those people to ruin it for me, I won’t let them win, I have to rise above.

I would say that even though my blog and social media are quite established, most companies that I reach out to, don’t respond to me.  It’s almost worse than rejection because they couldn’t even take the time to hit the reply button.  You feel ignored and frustrated but you have to shrug it off and just keep trying.

Never Give Up.

Keep sending those emails, keep seeking inspiration.  A prime example, I reached out to a tourism company last year that I badly wanted to work with and they were totally uninterested.  One year later, I tried again and they replied within the hour, excited to start a partnership together.  Don’t let “no” stop you!

Remember Your Why.

Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up and forget why you are doing something in your life.  Those days when thejuice isn’t worththe squeeze and you’re wondering if it is all worth it.  We all feel like that no matter what our chosen life path is.  Take a step back and remember why you started this in the first place.  I didn’t become a blogger in the hopes of getting free goods or payment.  I just wanted a place to share my experiences as a struggling mother who loves fashion.  Thank you being here with my along this journey and taking the time to read Pursuing Pretty.

Keep on truckin’,

Kiki

Say hello: FACEBOOK / INSTAGRAM / TWITTER  / PINTEREST / YOUTUBE