Monday 16 April 2012

Don't Let The B**tards Grind You Down


There is nothing I love more than to sit at my laptop when I feel I have something to say. Today I'm not quite sure what that is but as with most posts of this kind I'm sure I'll find my point. I just read an article on making a living via an online blog.. not unlike this one you're reading right now. I am under no illusion that just anyone can start a blog and quit there day job but said article advised that very few people had the talent, the reach or the stamina to achieve such a feat. Rather than motivating me it left a defeated feeling in this otherwise positive person. 

When I started blogging I like to think I started for 'the right reasons' I wasn't aware of the potential earnings, I wasn't even aware of how huge the blogging community was or how much competition there was out there so I blogged for fun. It wasn't until about a year in that I realised there was money to be made and given my impending maternity leave I took steps to take advantage of that. I saw that there was an opportunity to apply myself and see what I could do, I did and I have been pleasantly surprised. Obviously I wont talk numbers - nobody ever does, isn't that annoying? - but I will say that I am not yet earning the kind of money that will allow me to extend my maternity leave.. though I'd very much like to be. I only need part time earnings, if that, It can't be so hard, can it? Apparently so. The aforementioned article tells me I'll never make it as a pro blogger and that I may as well give up now! Of course that will never happen, regardless of money I will continue to blog for the same reasons I ever did, for the pure enjoyment.

I rarely wax lyrical about this kind of thing here on what should be my beauty blog but I know there are a lot of start ups out there with questions. I get them all the time, how can I be more successful? how can I make money? how can I get free stuff? I can't answer those questions, I'm not sure anyone can. I would doubt anyone that started blogging for the money ever got it. There's an impatience that goes hand in hand with hefty goals like that and impatience is effectively an expiration date on your blog. You will only be willing to wait so long before people read/you see the fruits of your labours. My blog turns 2 this month and I am immensely proud of it and me because I am very much a quitter. 

I'm the one that has lots of ideas but no follow through and as a result nobody takes me seriously. When I first told my Mum I had started making videos online she thought I'd finally crossed over to crazy town but she's now one of my biggest supporters. If you want to do something and you think people wont understand.. don't tell them! My blog/YouTube channel remain a pretty secret part of my life, I don't broadcast my internet dealings on my 'real' facebook page and I don't think I'll ever want to. It's my little escape from every day life. Most bloggers - beauty bloggers anyway - keep themselves private and blog about their chosen topic, not me, number 1 oversharer right here! I tell me modest following everything about myself and I've been chastised for doing that, I've had my share of people who disagree with me and my life choices and yes that's hard to deal with but I have. 

As I said at the start of this post I don't really know what I want to say but I guess in a nutshell I'm saying don't let the bastards grind you down! There are plenty of people out there that say you can't do something but who are they? No matter what it is don't allow them to tell you you can't do what ever it is you want to do because you can! If you want something enough and you think you can do it you can do it, just don't give up. In the case of blogging or - worse still - YouTubing there are definitely times you want to pack up and go home but put it in perspective and the good far outweighs the bad.

When I had questions I never felt like there was anyone I could ask, everyone is so vague because you are their competition. No matter how modest your following there will be few bloggers who really want to help you but I'd like to be one. So if any of you are starting out or just have questions that you think I could answer send them my way and I'd be more than happy to help in any way I can. The article I read made some very good points but it also hit home that the 'community' is not quite as community minded as it should be, I'd like to change that!

Khila

23 comments:

  1. brilliant post :)

    i realy love my blog and i do i for that reason that i enjoy doing it, i only have a few followers and that dosent bother me as long as people are reading it that's what makes me happy.

    xxxxx

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  2. Love this! Especially how you've turned a pretty negative article read it and flipped it into an emotive post. My blog will be a year old in July and it's my escape too. I'm also a quitter and I never thought I needed it at the time but it's a huge creative outlet for me. Glad we have someone with community spirit!

    Liz
    http://www.aspirationsofglam.blogspot.com
    xxx

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  3. I love this post. I’m just starting out as a blogger and I’m also a quitter but not many people want to talk to you about your favourite hair product or lipstick I think blogging great for sharing your passion with other people. xxx

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  4. Love this post!

    My blogs been going fr well over a year now, and sometimes I see newer blogs with more followers, or youtube channels with better cameras I cant afford and more followers, and it can get me down. But really the numbers werent the reason why I started and need to remember that more often! x

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  5. This was such a lovely positive post! I'm just starting blogging, and I had no idea people seriously made money - it's just something fun to do, and a way to meet fantastic new people. You're right, we all need to remember that more often xx

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  6. hey you :) well you know full well i love love love to read your posts hun and i totally agree, for me my blogging is almost like a little diary that i can write all my little fav things down in and express my thoughts about them! i mean my hubby isnt going to sit here and listen about my combination skin, or if this lip butter is to sheer or heavy!!! so i love it, you are MY TOTAL inspiration for starting blogging and you know that from when i first contacted you! so i thank you and you have helped me more than i could have ever dreamed of, keep it up! your doing amazing x

    Natx

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  7. I love how you turned something negative into something positive! :) x

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  8. Brilliant post,when i started blogging i did it for ME, mine is completely different to yours.Since starting i have found support for my journey .I am trying to earn a little with the ads but as you are no doubt already aware thats not easy but every little helps.

    I read a few differnet bogs where people trial products i would love to get into that but havent a clue how too.
    I dip in and out of your blog .Keep it up and pop over and see me at some stage
    x

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  9. Wow great post, look at all the people talking about what blogging is mainly about, just writing about things you love and interest you.
    Its true what you say :)
    I started blogging on my maternaty leave purely for something new and interesting to do, and it stops me from talking to people about beauty related things who actually dont care..such as my fiance haha. so i can share with people who have my passion for these things :) i think its great.
    and its a bonus for me when people read/comment and follow my blog.xx

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  10. Replies
    1. Totally forgot to mention well written x

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  11. Love your honesty. I've had my blog for a while and don't even have any followers (insert violins) but i enjoy doing it and I can see people are reading so am happy to waffle on. Keep up the good work x.

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  12. I think it's great that you want to go against the grain and give help and advice to people just starting their blogs.

    Your honesty in both your blog posts and your youtube videos is what made me come back time and time again. You don't just say something's good for the sake of it. You take the time to actually try things out, and to me that is a breath of fresh air xxx

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  13. I agree the community of beauty bloggers is huge and the blogging community even bigger, so where would you go to tell people about it (I dont share with most of my real life friends they too would think im crazy) but how do I reach this blogging community more just so I can go 'hey im here come check me out you may not like it but just incase you do come say hi!'

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  14. I agree with everything you have said in this post. I blog and I love it, I loved it when I had 1 follower (I still remember my excitement that day)and I still love it now I have over 200. I love how you reply to your comments, something other ppl rarely do and that does make me a little sad. I know when the numbers get big it must be hard but I notice those ppl make time to reply to companys or now there in the 'well known' group they will talk to the other well knowns. Anywayyy I reply to every single comment i get and I love it. You have allot of followers and you do, and I for one appreciate it. Your easy one my fav bloggers/youtubers. I think this post is great coz allot of ppl get touchy about helping, I think more should take a leaf out of your book :):) x x

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  15. I totally get what you mean. I started a little blog last year, just for me. I stopped for a while because when I started telling people on the 'outside' (makes it sound like prison!) about it they somehow managed to talk it down, it'd never be successuful, and who would want to listen to me wittier n about nail polish anyway.

    It's only after having a think over the past few weeks that's made me remember why I did it in the first place. Truth is I love withering on about polish. Whether other people get it or not is up to them. It was so nice to take the time to create a post last night.

    Of course I'd love it if folk came and joined in but reading back over old posts by myself is still amusing to me. I have 2 followers which to me means the world.

    I love your blog/videos, you keep it fun and informative and more importantly you obviously love what you do!
    Your really an inspiration to the rest of us, x

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  16. so glad you are willing to support bloggers, alot of bigger names, just ignore and dont help, its nice to feel there is someone there. I love your blog anyway & just wanted to stop by to say all this xxx

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  17. I love this post. It's so odd, I was just feeling like I had made my blog the other day and thought "who am I kidding? Who is going to read MY blog?" and no one has yet, granted it is only a few days old.
    But I've wanted to do it for so long; but now I have, I feel a little daunted and then I read this. (:

    Thank you for the inspiration.

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  18. You are such an inspiration! this post really made me think, te only person that knows about my blog is my boyfriend. and he keeps telling me to keep going with it but i didnt see the point, i just started writing about stuff that i know, love and have been doing, and i am really enjoying it. So i am going to keep going with it, even if nobody reads it its a good place to just write, which i love to do anyway. i absolutely love your blog and youtube channel and how honest you are!
    Lots of love
    KayleighJane

    kayleighjane16.blogspot.com

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  19. Thank you so much for writing this post, it is really inspirational. I started my blog just over a month ago and the only person who knows about it is my boyfriend, like you say, I think most people I know would like I was crazy if I told them.

    I've been thinking whether or not to start going YouTube videos but have been a bit nervous about all the negativity that surrounds it, however, you've helped me make my mind up, who cates what other people think, if it's something I want to do, I should do it!

    Thanks again!

    Lisa, xx

    www.pearlsandpyjamas.com

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  20. Thank you so much for writing this post, it is really inspirational. I started my blog just over a month ago and the only person who knows about it is my boyfriend, like you say, I think most people I know would like I was crazy if I told them.

    I've been thinking whether or not to start going YouTube videos but have been a bit nervous about all the negativity that surrounds it, however, you've helped me make my mind up, who cates what other people think, if it's something I want to do, I should do it!

    Thanks again!

    Lisa, xx

    www.pearlsandpyjamas.com

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