Monday, September 1, 2014

Confessions of a NEW DIY/ Home Improvement Blogger


I have only been blogging for less than a year, but I have to say that my blog has already been so rewarding and educational.  Looking back at all of my posts so far, I am able to see everything that I've accomplished in the last 8 months.  In a way, this blog was created as a "journal" of my home improvement projects...a journal that I share with anyone who wants to read, of course.  This blog has also been very educational for me because there are aspects of blogging or having a blog that I never considered.  Let me share some of the things I've learned..

1.  Blogging will become more than just posting pictures and directions of your projects.  When I initially thought about starting a home improvement/crafts/DIY blog, I just thought it would be me posting "how-to's" for the projects that I'm working on and the progress I've made on my house. I am coming to find that blogging is also about taking great pictures, giving clear and concise directions, and making sure your blog content is appropriate or interesting.

2.  You might hear crickets for a while.  Believe me, I'm still hearing crickets.  Although the feedback I've gotten have all been positive, 90% of the feedback I've received are from family and friends - the people who love and support me.  I remember reading blog posts about "How to Start a Blog" before I started Life on Elizabeth and every single post mentioned a lack of feedback or very little to no follows.  In a way, I really like this.  Not that I don't want anyone to read my blog, but I want a little (or a lot) of time to find my voice and what my direction really is.  Zero to very little followers will give me time to do that. I hope.

3.  Home Improvement/DIY/Crafts projects don't happen all day, 'er day.  When I do work on a project, I make sure to take as many pictures as I can along the way so that I can have great visuals for the directions I give.  However, there are times when I finish a project and decide not to post about it because I feel like it isn't really interesting or helpful to anyone in the world wide web.  Then, there are times when I just don't want to work on ANY projects (like the last hiatus I had).  Having a 40+ hour/ week job and 4 dogs doesn't give me a lot of time to work on home projects all the time.  Most of the time, I'm just trying to keep my house clean and tidy.

4.  Sometimes I want to write about things that have nothing to do with my home.  What can I say?  I'm a woman with more interests than just my house.  I LOVE makeup, I like finding crazy bargains, and I like to shop.  I'm constantly debating whether I should post about the things I've bought or the makeup I love.  I know blogs should have a specific idea or focus, but I can't help it.  I really do see this blog as my journal for my life (in my new home).  So I'm just going to blog about anything and everything I want, ok?  Ok.

So, that's it.  That's the list of things I've learned in the last 8 months of blogging.  Even though having a blog turned out to be a bigger hobby than I had originally thought, I love how blogging gives me a creative way to share my projects!  Are you a new blogger too?  What have you learned from your blog?

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