2019 is a season of inspiration for me. After living in a constant state of busy-ness and toxic stress for years, it is taking intentional practice to slow down and rediscover my love for things that had been on autopilot. I was hired to document a conference recently and a quote from one of the panelists resonated with me… create more than you consume.
When I first started “blogging” (before blogging was a term) I didn’t post anything thinking anyone would see it. My website didn’t have subscribers, search engine optimization wasn’t a thing, and I didn’t care about tracking page views or bounce rate. It was a haven for creative experimentation and ledger of my life. I wrote about heartbreak, my dreams for the future, and – in retrospect – some pretty uncomfortable truths.
But now, “successful” blogging looks like hours of scrolling through an Instagram feed trying to crack the code on a mystery algorithm, analyzing affiliate earnings data, and comparing your site to others wondering what you could/should be doing to compete in this blog eat blog world.
It’s enough to drive a person mad, let alone away from blogging all together. Most of my best blogger friends (who are now just my best friends) have moved on from this industry, investing themselves in creative and purposeful business endeavors instead. (Shout out to Fiercely and Outside the Lines)
I’m going to try my own act of rebellion against the blogging machine by going back to square one. Creation without being driven by consumption as its end. Posting with the purpose of feeding my soul. Publishing without fear that photos aren’t shoppable or Pinterest-worthy enough. Words and pictures that don’t need to make sense to anyone but me. So when, in looking back someday, even if it never measured up to outside standards, there is incontrovertible evidence that I was here.
