I love these sorts of posts but despite blogging for over three years now I’ve never actually written one. I don’t think you realise just how much you have learned until you try and sit down to write it out, so this was a really fun post to write. Here are eight things blogging has taught me:
1. YOU CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE
Okay, so I knew this before and I’ve never really had any horrible comments, BUT this is definitely something I’m realising more and more. Disagreements are rife, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. You do you.
2. THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH DRAMA IS TO IGNORE IT
For me anyway, I’ve found that the best thing to do when something kicks off is stay away. I’ve never been at the centre of anything so I wouldn’t feel like I should be sticking my nose in, but I am quite easily annoyed when I see people getting personal with each other for no reason. However, often it’s better to let people fight their own battles when stuff like this kicks off so that it dies down quicker.
3. I AM A BETTER PHOTOGRAPHER THAN I GIVE MYSELF CREDIT FOR
This is a bit of a silly one having done a Photography A level and then gone on to study it at university, but I think uni made me feel worse about my skills if anything. I ended up focusing on film editing because I felt like I couldn’t keep up with all these amazing photographers and have felt pretty crappy about my skills ever since. However, blogging allows me to be creative with my photography and whilst there are definitely better photographers out there, it’s nice to work to my own brief for once.
4. YOU DON’T NEED ALL THE LATEST TECH
It’s easy to get caught up in the material side of blogging, but all you really need is creativity. All the other stuff is just a bonus. It’s easy to see bloggers buying new makeup/clothes/tech every other week and think you need it too, but this isn’t realistic for everyone. Just know that you don’t actually need it.
5. SOCIAL MEDIA IS A BALLACHE
I love social media, but my God is it hard. I congratulate anyone who is smashing Twitter, Instagram and their blog because the struggle is real.
6. BLOGGING IS A FULL-TIME JOB
Before I started my own blog I didn’t realise how much work would go into it. Obviously you can choose how much time you spend writing and doing admin bits but for a lot of us, this is a passion that we love and so it makes sense to spend as much time as possible working on our blogs.
7. BRANDS ARE HIT AND MISS
I would never have discovered the shadier side of blogging if I’d not started my own, or maybe I just wouldn’t have cared. Whilst some PRs are wonderful and the brand really lives up to expectation, sadly this isn’t always the case. It’s sad when this happens but I don’t always think it’s a bad thing as it can often be an important learning curve.
8. KNOW YOUR WORTH
If there’s one thing being a blogger teaches you, it’s what you’re worth. Having been paid anywhere between £20 and £150 for posts in the past, it can be a tricky thing to put a price on but once you’ve nailed it you’ll realise exactly how much you should charge for your time. I’m still happy to work for free depending on the brand etc. but learning how to put value on myself has been a real curve for me as I’ve been guilty of undervaluing myself in the past.
So there you have it. Some of these are a little silly and maybe they aren’t things I’ve learned solely from blogging, but they are important lessons nonetheless. Have you learned anything you didn’t expect to while blogging?
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