I have been "blogging" on and off since the 90s (!!!) but only in 2012 did I start blogging with any consistency or conviction. I started with a self-hosted Daemon domain, moved to Blogger, switched to LiveJournal, switched back to Blogger and, after multiple reincarnations, The Private Life of a Girl was created.
So why have I been blogging for so long and why do I carry on?
PERSONAL
I want to document my life
I want to have a digital record of the things I've done, the places I've been, and the experiences I've had. I've never been the sort of person to keep dusty photo albums on a shelf so this is my alternative.
I want to connect with people
Blogging is an amazing way of getting to meet other people; I've made some of my closest friends online. By sharing online we can get to know other people, form friendships, and build support networks.
I want to live a more intentional life
The more I document my life, the more I think about who I am, what I'm becoming, and the direction I want my life to go in. I have become more intentional with my actions, my goals and how I aim to achieve them.
I want to inspire others
I want to inspire others to explore the world, go on adventures, read more, learn more, be positive, and enjoy life.
I want to open up to constructive criticism and debate
It's important our ethics, morals, and ideas are challenged so that we understand why we believe in them, whether we should believe in them, and so that we can stand by our decisions or change them. Constructive criticism offers new ways of viewing situations and it's important we take on board what other people have to say, whether we agree or disagree.
BUSINESS
I want to share my experiences and advice
My business wouldn't have been successful if it wasn't for all the free resources I made use of when starting out; I want to give something back by sharing my perspective and experiences of running a business.
I want to connect to other business owners
Through writing about my business experiences I get to meet other business owners, which in turn helps form a larger, more solid support network. I can engage with, encourage, support, and befriend other creatives.
I want to share as I grow
My business is still young and I still have a lot of stages of development to go through. Sharing that process helps remind me of where the business started, how far it's come, and how much further it has to go.
I want to inspire others
I want to encourage and inspire others to follow and achieve their goals. I want to share my journey and provide support and inspiration for others who wish to do the same.
It's good for business
Blogging is an amazing way of engaging with a target audience and customer base. It allows people to get to know me better as a person but also take a peek behind the scenes and learn how the business is run.
I've never been able to pinpoint exactly why I wanted to blog. Yes, I want to practice writing, but it's coincided with me wanting to live a more mindful and intentional life. A bit of an epiphany reading your post.
ReplyDeleteclementinebuttercup.blogspot.co.uk
Great post, I agree with all of these! My writing has also definitely got better over the past few years xoxo
ReplyDeleteI question in my head often why I have such a desire to blog. I think i want to mostly as I love the connection, and I do think I agree on your point you then try to live more intentionally. I don't know why that's a side effect but it does seem to be.
ReplyDeleteI know this sounds a daft question, but you clearly put your full passion into your blog, Do you feel its a good use of your time?
(I really am wanting to Carve out some blogging time in my week, just for me, despite having little purpose on my front other than rambling away to myself ... But then I always end up using that would be time on something else as I don't feel I'm using my time wisely ...)
More personal posts are totally my favourites! I love to learn more about people, apart from their work! Your shop is absolutely gorgeous! I have to make a few orders as soon as possible! :)
ReplyDeleteI'm also really interested in 'working from home/running a business on your own' posts, as I'm thinking of it as an extra, apart from my daily job! :)
Diana P. | Cups & Roses
That's awesome you've been blogging since the 90s! I remember I had my first blog in 2003. My sister bought me my own domain and I posted like 1-3 times and forgot all about it haha oops! I was on livejournal too - I had so many accounts! A few months ago I sat and tried to find a lot of those accounts and I managed to find quite a few! Gosh they were so embarrasing to read lol! I've had many blogs since then, the one thing I regret the most is deleting them all š
ReplyDeleteJessica
the.pyreflies.org
Great post, it's interesting to see what other people strive for from their blogs and then see it reflected in their posts. You are definitely one of my favourite blogs.
ReplyDeletehttp://insidesai.blogspot.co.uk/
Great post !
ReplyDeletehttp://fruityandpassion.blogspot.co.uk/
Since the 90s? That's impressive. I've only been blogging for 5 months so I don't think I have anything to add. I'm happy I started though. I wanted to blog for over a year now but never felt confident enough. You're a real inspiration :)
ReplyDeleteWohhh we have similar reasons! I just started my blog 4 days ago. I am trying to lead myself into a better and healthier lifestyle and gaining and creating inspiration.
ReplyDeletehttp://litheandwhither.blogspot.com
livejournal, yessss. i started off making boomspeed websites until i began my lj in 2001, where i documented my fascinating life until 2007. thankfully all of that stuff is friends only!
ReplyDeletei actually just popped a couple of my boomspeed urls into archive.org - hello flashbacks to crappy teenage websites!
These are all great reasons! I don't blog for business but I relate a lot to your more personal reasons. When I started blogging, the idea of documenting things was a big factor for me. Even though I haven't been at it for that long, I love that I have a digital archive of some of the stuff I've been up to. And I find that now that I'm taking more pictures and putting time and effort into documenting, I remember things better as well.
ReplyDeletexx Kathryn
http://www.throughthethicket.ca
Thank you, Sophie. You are an inspiration. Your blogging expertise is proven every day you post. It has given me a better sense of the structural aesthetic of the blog page. Thanks! Keep on!
ReplyDeleteGreat post
ReplyDeleteXoxo
http://fashionbackyard.blogspot.fr
Nice list :) I, too, have enjoyed blogging for a while but only since the mid 2000, when I was in high school. I thoroughly enjoyed writing down my thoughts and posting photos, and overall documenting my life, in a sense. It used to be fashion-related but I've come to realize that's just not my thing. Now, I blog mainly about my travels and other lifestyle related posts, and loving it. I still have a hard time keeping as consistent as I want to, but getting better! :)
ReplyDeleteLove the photo! Its so bright and crisp :)
ReplyDeleteCharlotte - http://charlottesophiaroberts.blogspot.co.uk
Always love your photographs on your blog. Lovely post and a great list x
ReplyDeletepintsizedbeauty.blogspot.co.uk
I can't believe you've been blogging for so long! Great list of reasons.
ReplyDeleteGreat list!!!! The "constructive criticism" comment was interesting. I've caught at least one blogger deleting anything even remotely critical. Fair play in one way, her site, her rules and she wanted all kittens and rainbows. In another, just odd as it's a very one sided dialogue. And that's tedious and rather dishonest IMO.
ReplyDeleteI'm impressed by how long you blog already, but that really explains why you're so good at it. Your content is magnificent! But you did switch back to wordpress, didn't you? Your blog just doesn't look like a blogger blog at all!
ReplyDeleteElina
MISS BLUE EYES
Such a great list and I'm so glad that you blog for meaningful reasons. Blogs, I feel, are reflections of ourselves and yours is so lovely. You can tell you've been blogging for so many years - such an accomplishment :)
ReplyDeleteCarmen Ri.
Thank you so much, Carmen :))
ReplyDeleteNope - still on Blogger! :)) I code the blog's design myself. I think Blogger gets quite a bad rap especially since Wordpress is everyone's favourite at the moment.. it's pretty versatile if you know what to do with it :))
ReplyDeleteThank you for the wonderful comments, Elina.
I've never needed to do it (thankfully) but I think it's important not to allow abusive comments to remain on a blog, so I think blogger's are right to delete and block readers who leave those sorts of comments.. but I don't think criticism should be deleted. Constructive criticism allows us to see what's wrong, what we can change, and makes us think about our decisions more closely.
ReplyDeleteA lot of bloggers are very quick to accept compliments about themselves and their blogs but rarely do they accept criticism; they only want to hear the good stuff and I think that's appalling.
I am happy to listen to readers who want to tell me, critically, how they feel about my blog, my attitude, or the content I produce. I will listen and learn from it.
I'm still going :))
ReplyDeleteSO LONG!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much
ReplyDeleteThank you, Charlotte
ReplyDeleteIt's important to keep evolving our content as bloggers; personally, I blog to share my creative life, so over time I expect it will change along with my life and the things that happen in it. That's an awesome thing :))
ReplyDeleteThanks
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment and compliments :))
ReplyDeleteI enjoy blogging about my creative life and work.. but I do really enjoy documenting my personal life. I like the idea of looking back over the years and seeing where I went and the things I did :))
ReplyDeleteLiveJournal makes me CRINGE now (I can't believe it's still going) but I guess, if it hadn't been for that, I don't think I would be blogging like I do now.. I don't ever want to revisit my old journal though!
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased you found my blog and you're enjoying it :))
ReplyDeleteI was surrounded by computers when I was younger, it's how I learned to code HTML so I'm totally thankful for that - I just really enjoy the internet ;))
ReplyDeleteI wish you all the best for 2015 :))
Thanks
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in why people blog, I think it brings you closer to the person behind it :))
ReplyDeleteI remember having an AWFUL domain, covered in terrible graphics and multicoloured writing.. so bad! I never want to revisit any old journals I had online, I think I would die of embarrassment.. ;))
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Diana!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to write more personal posts like this and share more of the 'behind the scenes' at my studio :))
It's nice to switch between my creative job and a creative hobby; blogging is fun and it helps me stay creating something every day.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Hannah :))
ReplyDeleteI definitely feel it's a good use of my time; just like with any hobby, it's a "waste of time" that we enjoy :)) I could do something else during those hours.. but then the same could be send for any other hobby, right? What makes one better than the other? We could argue nothing, it's just whatever you prefer doing.
ReplyDeleteIt's really nice having a creative hobby alongside running a creative business. I switch between the two and it feels natural and comfortable. Blogging gives me the break from working on business while keeping me creative - both feed into that natural desire to produce something every day.
If you're wondering whether you should blog or "do something better with your time," I suppose what you really have to ask - as with any other hobby - is, "can I commit to this?" Although hobbies are "just for fun" they also require some level of commitment to make them fun. You've got to do it regularly to get better at it.
Blogging is only really rewarding when you do it regularly; I have always found, whenever I have blogged on and off in the past, I never really committed to it and therefore, the blog never grew, I never gained any regular commenters and didn't get to engage with people. That meant I ended up asking myself, "what's the point?" and I ultimately stopped blogging. More often than not people start blogs to engage with other like-minded people.. but it takes a little time for those people to find a new blog, which means people give up pretty quickly. It's not instantly satisfying; you have to stick it out to make it worth it.
With this blog, I did it consistently from day one. I treated it like a project.
My writing and photography has definitely improved, even over the last couple of years :))
ReplyDeleteAwesome :))
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm impressed! I never saw a cleaner blogger template before! I personally like blogger a lot so it's nice to see what's possible :)
ReplyDeleteSwooning over that photo Sophie! I can't believe you blogged in the 90's - I was barely even born then haha. I understand what you mean about being more intentional with life as a result of blogging. I feel like I have taken more opportunities since I started blogging because, well, I want to live a life worth writing about in the first place :)
ReplyDeleteAngi | iidifferentworlds.blogspot.co.uk
Documenting life is one of the main reason why I blog as well, and to cringe at the amount of makeup I buy!
ReplyDeleteAnnabel ♥
Mascara & Maltesers
Great blog post. It's always good to remind yourself why you're doing something, especially if you're going through a rough/dry patch to refer back to. I just started my blog a few months back and the 'personal' reasons all resonate with me, as they're the main reasons I decided to start. I particularly like the 'opening up constructive criticism and debate' point!
ReplyDeleteAlex | alexrichwrites.blogspot.co.uk
I love your "I want to live a more intentional life" reason, I think it is amazing you can reach people from places all over the world, maybe even places you have not even heard of, and seeing they others live their lives is also really interesting as well.
ReplyDeleteWow, Sophie, thanks for such a lovely thought-out reply!
ReplyDeleteEvery point you've made here rings true to me. It's obviously the where I'm placing my priority/time/and hobby time right now!
The commitment is true. When I first blogged, I blogged often, and had a real sense of community which I loved. I want to gain that back, but you're right, in the beginning you sort of have to push on and do it just for the want to write.
Thanks Sophie!
It really does make you feel closer to them and that's awesome.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is very inspirational. Probably one of my favourites for 2015.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Emma
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely. Living a more intentional life and reaching out to engage with new people are my top reasons for blogging.
ReplyDeleteI think we should always check back in with the reasons why we do things. It's been a really important process for me during the transition into a new year,
ReplyDeleteUgh, yeah.. I definitely think tracking purchases means we become more aware of our money.
ReplyDeleteThank you! :)) Yeah.. I have been "blogging" for a long time; it wasn't really called that back then, most people had their own domains and coded the site themselves (which is when and how I learned.) It was a whole different scene and it was pretty awesome; I kind of miss it because people were a lot more original then. People were trying new things.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy to (finally) know your reasons. Can't believe you've been blogging for SO long !
ReplyDeleteDocumenting life, one of my top personal reasons as well.
Agree totally.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog and now I love it even more knowing WHY you do it! Can't wait to see what comes next for the private life of a girl!
ReplyDeleteSarah :)
Saloca in Wonderland
I enjoyed readying this blog post so much!
ReplyDeletehttp://splash-of-edge.com/
Ryan x
Livejournal!! I miss it so much. The friendships, the fandoms, the wank! :D
ReplyDeleteLove love love what you're saying here. It totally resonates with me!
ReplyDeleteThis is my favourite post in ages, and this is my favourite line of it, "I want to live a more intentional life". That's how I've been feeling in all areas for the past year or so, I think everything you said in that point is perfect.
ReplyDeleteyeahh.. a SUPER long time, before blogging was called "blogging"
ReplyDeletethank you so much for reading, Sarah
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDeleteomg, this made me laugh so much!
ReplyDelete<3
ReplyDeleteI got a bit sick of quite a lot of things before Christmas and I wanted to make this space a lot more.. meaningful, I guess. The same goes for my life; I want to live more intentionally in every aspect.
ReplyDelete<3
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