Today I felt like a bit of a ramble/heart-to- heart about blogging. From what I love about it to what I secretly dislike. I say secretly because no one likes a negative nelly but hopefully it won't come across that way and some of you that also blog may be able relate.
Loves
Creativity...
For me blogging is all about being creative... something I've always loved being. From thinking up post ideas to photographing products and even the layout of a post. This makes me thoroughly enjoy blogging and always thinking up new ideas. Even though I love photography it's the initial idea for a post that excites me, especially when it's a post full of different products... a few upcoming posts that I've excited about are - My Top 5 eBay Purchases, The Bare Necessities, Spring Lip Picks and Makeup Storage Hacks. I definitely feel very lucky to be able to be creative everyday!
Freedom...
Creating a blog is very much creating your own part of the internet and that in itself is pretty great! But what is even more amazing and pleasing is that you can decided everything, from what you blog about to, to the layout and the direction in which you want your blog to go. As a hobby this makes it so much fun, which is why I'd recommend to anyone that enjoys reading blog to start up their own (please do not let the number of blogs around put you off!). But as an actually profession the freedom you have with your time and decisions really becomes apparent and that's such a great feeling.
Dislikes
My secret pet peeve with other bloggers...
"But it's not really a real job, is it?"...
Perfection...
With so many amazing blogs around today that offer polished layouts, perfectly engaging writing styles and photoshop edited images that are magazine standard, it can seem the norm for bloggers to be naturally multi-talented. But the fact it a lot of bloggers try to be that (with a lot of hard work and determination I'm sure)... and succeed! But for me they are the Vogue's & Harper's Bazaar's of the beauty blogging world. I'm more of a glossy weekly mag... still enjoyed but definitely not up there and not trying to be either. But this is where I've had comments on bad grammar and even my not so perfect layout. Negative comments now affect me less but I still wish some readers would see that I'm not aiming for perfection.
My secret pet peeve with other bloggers...
From when I started Makeup Savvy back in 2010 to now the beauty blogging world has changed dramatically. Beauty blogs are now seen as quite a bit deal and a reliable source for reviews, beauty news and swatches. Which is why I feel bloggers need to be genuine and provide honest reviews... but this is where I feel some bloggers fall short. In the beauty blogging world PR samples are often sent out all at the same time and to my dismay I often see bloggers reviewing said PR samples in the same day of receiving them. Of course an overview of a new collection with initial opinions is fine but it now seems like a race between some bloggers at times to be the first to review a new product/collection. An honest and informative review comes with using a product and that really should be the main goal. Not pageviews or getting the first re-tweet about the new product from the brand!
"But it's not really a real job, is it?"...
My last small irk is about how blogging as a profession is viewed, especially when it comes to beauty blogging. Makeup is seen as a light past time so when people find out I'm a 'Beauty Blogger' 9 times out of 10 they will thinking I'm talking about a hobby yet even when corrected I get the idea they still think it's not a 'real' job. Jobs comes is all different forms and really shouldn't be judged based on a lack of knowledge. I could have never foreseen blogging (and freelance work) being my source of income but I feel quite proud that it's something I've developed and grown myself!
Hope you've enjoyed this post! Let me know your own thoughts/opinions below.
Fee xo.
