Blogging Things I Don’t Care About
I’ve been blogging for 3.5 years now. No, that doesn’t mean I’m an expert or anything, but it has given me enough time to learn a few lessons and figure out which aspects of the hobby I should stop caring about. When I first started out, I was determined to post something every day, but soon enough it become impossible since I started getting busier with work, freelancing, and life in general. Below are a few blogging things I just don’t care about anymore (or I never did)!
Styling photos to perfection
There’s something really unauthentic about overly-staged photos, especially on Instagram. Even when reading magazines, sometimes I feel pukey looking at how a recipe photo has so much going on in the background, you don’t even focus on the finished food itself. When bloggers post photos that are meticulously crafted this way — such as a shot of your “desk” where it’s totally clean and you have color-coordinating scissors and post-it notes alongside a diamond necklace (what the heck is your necklace doing there?) — I just roll my eyes. I’m thankful that I spend my time doing better things on my blog like, you know, writing or something.
Having a ton of comments
I love hearing from people who read my blog, but I don’t measure my worth on it. If you ask anyone who isn’t a blogger or internet troll how often they comment on things they read online, 95% will say “never”. Lots of people may read your post, but they don’t enjoy commenting or find it useless. And that’s fine. I’d rather get a detailed, thoughtful comment on a post I spent a lot of time writing than 10 comments on an outfit post that say “Nice dress xo follow my blog!”
Trying to become a YouTube sensation
Ok, I’ll never been a “sensation” of any kind, but it’s definitely run across my mind before when I saw all these 16-year-old girls making thousands a month from posting YouTube videos. “I can curl my hair way better than they do, so why don’t I make videos?” I would often think to myself. Turns out that I just don’t have it in me. Making videos is extremely time-consuming and expensive — actually filming the video is relatively easy, but editing it and packaging it takes hours. Not to mention that you need the perfect lighting and camera equipment to get a video that looks marginally better than an iPhone video. I’m awkward on camera, I make unattractive faces a lot (I only learned this after seeing myself on video, of course), and I just don’t have the time. Will I do some more videos in the future? Perhaps. But will I try to become the next Carli Bybel? Nope. And I’ve accepted that.
What are things about blogging that you just don’t care about, but you feel like others do?
I think all of the above is true for me as well but also it’s the picture perfect manicure. I tried being a nail blogger and swatcher and I just don’t think I have it in me for many of the same reasons you mentioned with YouTube. I don’t have all day to do my nails. I’m messy and that’s always going to come across. I don’t have the time or patience to sit there and make certain my manicure is absolutely perfect because I know it’s going to be messed up in about five minutes. I’m not photoshopping my images nor do I have the lighting resources to make my nails look like they came out of a magazine. I still post manicure posts because I enjoy nail polish but I’m not aiming to be perfect nor the best nail blogger out there.
It’s funny you mention that because I have not-so-beautiful fingers (I have small hands/nails and they don’t grow long. Also I had a club thumb. Pity me.) And when I got engaged, I was so worried that people would focus on my ugly nails and not my ring haha!
Based on your Disqus photo, I think you’re doing a good job of photographing a nice manicure 🙂
That is sweet of you to say so, thank you 🙂
These styled to perfection photos are exactly why I couldn’t bring myself to join Instagram for the longest time. Some of the are staged to a point of ridiculousness and the styling makes no sense. I mean who wants to see shoes next to food. In defiance to this, I tend to keep it simple with my styling and concentrate on getting the best shot I can instead.
I think some people just leave comments to get hits to their blogs. I can’t leave a comment for the sake of leaving one. I usually comment when something in a post resonates with me and I try to respond meaningfully to the point someone is trying to make. I agree with you on quality over quantity with comments.
Btw we met recently at the Instyle Summer Social. Hi Rachel!
Hi Rowena! It was great to meet you at the event.
I agree — I feel so lame sometimes when uploading “boring” Instagram photos (boring compared to some people I follow).
I LOVE that you said the thing about the stylized photos. I know that’s why I’m not an sensation, but I am authentic and that’s okay with me. Also, no comments is okay. I only comment on a tenth of what I read. But if I really enjoy something, I comment. Kudos! you made it! 😉
Aw thanks!
I love this post!! I Like my Instagram photos to look pretty, but only because of my own personal OCD nature. I like to look at pretty pictures LOL. I agree on the comments – I like commenting on my friends blogs, blogs I really enjoy. I don’t have the energy to comment on 900 blogs a day. I also don’t care to be on every social media platform out there. I just don’t have it in me. I don’t understand what Snapchat or Periscope are, and I don’t care to. I am sticking with what I know right now. I also have no interest in doing any videos. I am doing good to get my posts done!
Yeah I can’t keep up with all the new platforms, either! I just stick to the basics
Hammer… nail 🙂 I’m with you on your first point. First of all, the picture, if that were my table or desk it would immediately annoy me because all I see is clutter. It’s basically saying, ‘Hey, look at all my shit I think you should be envious of’ Yeah, no thanks. Videos are SOOO time consuming. I think I’ve done 3 in my 4 years at this.
I have so much respect for people who do videos, it just takes up so much time!
Haha this made my laugh! I’m totally fine with never being a youtube sensation… not for me!
Same!
BAHAHAHAHA Rachel this: “post-it notes alongside a diamond necklace (what the heck is your necklace doing there?) — I just roll my eyes. I’m thankful that I spend my time doing better things on my blog like, you know, writing or something.” YES. I always ask myself that too. Why is there a necklace there, unless if you are scrolling through emails while getting ready and about to put it on. But let’s be honest, that is not going on 😉
So bizarre!