Over the last couple of months the blogging industry had undergone a massive transformation. It might not even be obvious to everyone, but since this year started, blogging has changed from a creative outlet to share knowledge, ideas and opinions, to a competition, where everyone seems to be churning out similar content.
Have you noticed that when you click onto your Bloglovin' feed these days, it's a mix of sponsored posts and 'blogging tips'. It seems, much like there's a formula for the 'perfect' Instagram, there's now a formula for the perfect blog. The most PR friendly, click bait-y, traffic increasing, blog. And that's great, if you're in it for the views and the money, well then go right ahead.
But for me? That's not what I want. I started my blog, well, because I was lonely. I'd just moved to London and I was all alone. I was buying makeup as a way to cheer myself up, and by creating my blog, I created a community, where I could share my purchases and my thoughts with other like-minded people. But it became so much more than that.
By creating my blog, I created a platform where I can share knowledge, and pieces of my life, whilst creating content I love. I turn down press opportunities daily, because they don't fit with what I'm creating, or they don't allow me to put my own spin on things. I'm proud of the content I create across my blogs, and no amount of money or perks would convince me to share something I wasn't proud of.
As a writer by day, I don't find maintaining a blog hard. I find writing easy, I find the process of writing blog posts soothing and enjoyable, it's never hard or stressful. When I see people on Twitter talking about having to force themselves to create content for their blogs, it makes me really sad. If you have to force yourself, what's the point? Blogging is supposed to be a fun, creative outlet, not a job that has to be done. Blogging should never be a chore.
I guess my question for you is, why do you blog? I think we all need a little reminder of our intentions from time to time.
