Friday, October 25, 2013

5 Things I Have Learned In My Incredibly Short Career As A Blogger

1. I love swaps!

I discovered Swap-Bot, which is beyond fun.  I've been doing some small "digital swaps" this past week, including this super fun Photo Scavenger Hunt and a music playlist that was akin to making a mixed CD. Now I'm in the process of putting together a cute little package of things to ship off to a swap partner in Finland. FUN! I'm also going to try to get in on the next swap hosted over at Chaotic Goddess Swaps

2. My voice has faded. 

Back about ten years ago, I did a lot of writing. I wrote thousands of words every day on my Livejournal. I had  paper journals that I filled so quickly I bought them three at a time. I wrote stories and poetry. And I had a voice. A big beautiful flowing writer's voice.

 Look How Young, Punk, and Writerly I was in 2003!


Now as I edit my posts and read over the things that I have written, I cannot hear myself. My posts read in a very flat affect.It's something that I want to work on, and I have a feeling that just writing more often will bring that lyrical voice back. 

3. I really want to be stylish. 

My gosh, some of you amazing bloggers have style! For the longest time I blamed my  lack of style on being fat. "Fat clothes just aren't as cute!" But, man, am I eating those words now! You are all so gorgeous! As I sit here in a thermal and yoga pants, I'm feeling a little bit dowdy. I think this calls for an outfit of the day blogging series from me (and a shopping trip!) 

4. I don't own a full-length mirror.

And to follow up on that one, the few days that I have felt particularly cute and fancy, I realized that I have no way of documenting it! I guess I could use my self-timer on the camera, but it would be so so much easier if I just had a full length mirror somewhere in this house. 

5. The world is full of some amazingly kind and loving folks.

I posted recently on a blogging group that I belong to over on the ol' Facebook about feeling like the possible niches that I could fit my blog into are pretty clashing. I'm gay. I'm Christian. I'm liberal-as-F. I'm a mama, but he's 16 and not exactly toddler cute. I cook and DIY and craft, but it's all pretty mediocre. And I was a bit frustrated with that. It seems if I could find readers in one circle, they would be turned away by another aspect of my personality.

But the women on the blogging group circled the wagons and filled me up with so much love and support and enthusiasm.  So here I am, blog-world. Me,with all of my flaws and scars, me with all of my ideas and big heart. You get what you read here, and I really hope you'll find a reason to stick around.

3 comments:

  1. I completely understand how you feel about "not being stylish"! I feel the exact same way. The only time I'm not wearing yoga pants and a t-shirt is if I'm actually going out of the house for errands or appointments! I really need to work on that, as well as go back on weight watchers.

    I hope that you can find your voice again soon! I can't wait to read more!
    --Michelle @ The MaMade Diaries

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  2. Hi Amelia, I love the tagline of your blog. Sometimes the most freeing thing to do is to release ourselves from obeying the "follow the masses" rule. Visiting from SITS.

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  3. I hear you about the voice. Trying to be authentic, yet structured....it's difficult. But I think niche-less blogs are the way to go (if I had to stay in a niche, I'd resent it eventually, personally), and I'm grateful to read blogs like yours, written by women closer to 40 than 20, finding a balance between DIY/craft desire and time/energy/other obligations...things that feel closer to my own experience of life. I think there's great value in that, so I look forward to being inspired by your bloggy journey. :)

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