How good is this reminder, you guys? Truth time: I've thought about quitting blogging 1,000 times. More probably. There are days I've wondered what I'm doing this for (other than to connect with amazing like-minded people like you) and convinced myself to throw in the towel. If you blog as well, you know that this "hobby" takes a lot of time. It's a part time job. You give up a lot to do it. And in the beginning it's pure joy. You're sharing your passions, giving yourself an outlet, building an audience, making new friends (real life ones even!), learning about yourself and honing your aesthetic. Awesome people that you have long admired start recognize you. What the heck could be more fun?? But then all of a sudden "the chase" sets in. You need to build a brand, improve your numbers, make career-building connections, get sponsor deals, make MONEY, and do it all while maintaining that carefree passion that you started with.
Shit can fry your brain. Make you crazy. Make you a little bit ugly even. And, eventually, sort of make you want to quit.
But I have to say, blogging is something that I truly love. It's part of who I am. No, I'm not 100% (or even 50%) professional about it, I don't have my shit together and I don't promote promote promote. Maybe I should? I don't know. Honestly, that aspect of blogging still feels really icky to me and and I'm so glad I've waited until just the right brand alignment opportunities have come along. In my mind, NOTHING is more important than integrity when it comes to blogging. I make a bit of money with affiliate links and the like, but I honest to goodness do it featuring things that I sincerely think are awesome.
Whew. Tangent. All of this to say that things are starting to happen around here. Four years later, I've begun to gain some clarity about who I am, what I want out of this space (out of life!) and I'm so so grateful that I didn't throw in the towel. So if you've thought about quitting something important to you that really brings you joy, I encourage you to think hard about your decision. Often, the moment we quit is right before things are about to get really really good! And, on the flip side, if you're doing something that is hijacking your joy, give yourself permission to leave it behind. Life is honestly too short.
Happy weekend, friends! ox
* I wrote this post last Sunday, but came across these inspiring words from Megan Gilger yesterday on a very similar topic. Worth the read!
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