Blogging for the right reasons

Over a month has passed since my last post, and with good reason. Sometimes, there is a lot going on in your life and you simply have to prioritise things and relieve the pressure you’re putting on yourself to get everything done and be super successful. So lately, I have prioritised my study sessions, heading out for walks with my tunes in and doing things that have helped me stay calm and not lose the plot (reading a good book and watching Love Island to name a couple – no judgements here!).

I started this blog 20 months ago (say what?!) hoping to build some sort of positive online community, and although I know I reach out to a lot of people (including many of my friends and family who I love for all their support), I’ve become a bit disengaged with the whole ‘blogging’ thing. It’s such a saturated, competitive and dare I say samey environment, where women seem to be posting the same content across all their feeds: outfit posts, make up tutorials, shopping hauls and pretty flat lays, bikini pictures and product reviews all in cutesy pastel shades with rose gold accessories. And these big accounts are getting a shit tonne of engagement, leaving us lil old bloggers feeling a little bit left behind.

Am I the only one sat here thinking that it’s all a bit… boring? Blogging has been about for years, and was something for you to create that is fully yours, talking about things you’re interested in. I sometimes feel that many twenty-something women writing their own blogs are talking about the same things, posing in the same places (where are these pretty doors in London and do the residents mind having their doorstep used for a photo shoot?!) and churning out the same stuff. All the #ADs and affiliate links, 10% discount codes and product placements. It has me feeling a bit numb and shit and confused all at the same time.

Just because my blog hasn’t got a huge following, it doesn’t mean I’m a failure. If you also write content for yourself and others, but don’t have 1000s of page views or instagram followers, it doesn’t define you or your blog or mean what you’re writing about is any less worthy. It’ a shame that a lot of people in this community want to aspire to be the new Zoella, but it’s all about timing, opportunities and outreach. If you’re in blogging to get famous, chances are you’re in it for the wrong reasons. I love writing. I may not be amazing at it, but I really really enjoy it! Any topic, any time – writing about it feels good. Taking photos and arranging them in my posts, putting together my little YouTube videos of all my trips to savour and look back on – it all keeps my creative side happy. If anything were to come of this blog, I’d hope it would be for the right reasons. E.g. encouraging others to talk about important issues, inspiring people to travel somewhere new, starting new conversations and squashing stigmas. Not making people feel the need to buy a new product just because I can get them 10% off whilst posing in full make up in a sponsored outfit.

Social media marketing, especially on Instagram, is very clever and of course there is a time and place for it. However I do not want to be bombarded with it on my feed day in, day out, reminding me that women are building their careers not based on talent or meaning, but rather on their looks and how they can promote a weight loss drink and get paid for it. Just because some choose to do it and seem to be living this amazing life, doesn’t mean ours are meaningless. Social influencers are everywhere. It doesn’t help that reality shows churn out more and more each year and it’s all getting a bit much. I’ve done a bit of a purge on instagram this week, unfollowing those accounts that don’t make me feel good. I don’t want to see celebrities trying to sell me shit. I want to keep up to date with my friends and look at funny memes, dog accounts and yummy recipes. So that’s what I’m doing.

My blog posts are there to encourage, enlighten and hopefully educate. Breaking down stigma and certain ideologies about a number of topics starts a conversation. Sometimes a different take on something is needed and sometimes I write about something just because I want to. And that is the beauty of blogging.

I’ll continue writing here and there, on things that interest me, not because I feel I should be writing a post this week. I know those that support me already will continue to do so and if any new people want to join the conversation along the way, I’ll happily welcome them! Long live seeing the positive in things, not getting bogged down in the negatives and encouraging each other to succeed and do what we love.

#Deep

Tiff xx