What I wish you knew about being a blogger

Everyone has an opinion

I want to talk about this one first because it's the most glaring piece of blogging that both bothers me and energizes me. Because of the topics I write about on this blog, it can be like taking my personal journal and opening the pages for all to read. Therefore, it's open for all to have an opinion, and I have found my share of critics. I have also found an amazing community of people. Really amazing!

Each time I hit publish, I have to take a deep breath. You never know how someone will perceive your writing. The hard part is that many of the critics are the people that I thought would be the most supportive. They are also the ones that probably have the most comfort to tell me what they think (or in most cases tell others what they think of my blog).

The emails that I have received from complete strangers who share their stories with me stay with me each day. This world has some amazing people who have overcome some serious obstacles. I wish I could share them with you, but that is their story to share.

I have had people reach out who want to talk or who are inspired or provoked by something I've written, and I've had people send their reading lists because they think I might enjoy them (I do!). I've connected with other women who are afraid to take the next step or to speak up in meetings. Through my various blog series that feature guest bloggers, I have made new friends with people I normally wouldn't have reached out to and I have had people reach out to me because they want to share a piece of their wisdom or experience.

You get better over time

This blog has been a place for me to grow - personally and professionally. Since my day job is in the marketing and philanthropy field, it's helpful to engage in a blogging platform that changes daily. I have learned more about SEO, HTML, email marketing, etc. than I ever thought I could squeeze into my head. It keeps me on my toes as this stuff changes daily.

I have grown in my storytelling and writing skills as well. Looking back at some of my first posts is so embarrassing, but I have left them there because they remind me that this blogging hobby is evolving as much as I am as a person. Neither will ever be perfect.

Learning by doing has always been my greatest teacher.

Selfies. Lots of selfies.

It would be ideal if I hired a photographer to take photos for each blog post, but it doesn't make sense to spend even more money when I have not monetized this blog. That means I have to ask my husband. It doesn't work out well for us. Therefore, I get creative and I take photos of my coffee and my notebooks and my kids. And I take lots of selfies.

I have hired photographers to take my head shot and a few staged smiling face photos, but I need new photos every week! It's a constant struggle to produce blog content with high-quality visuals. And, I work in marketing, so I know the power of a great photo.

And, as much as people groan about selfies, the data proves that while you groan, you click. Selfies drive traffic. I conducted a little, unscientific experiment on my Instagram account, and you clicked more often on the selfies than anything else.

It's like when Americans say they want to buy "Made in the USA" but they will almost always choose the product with a cheaper price. Consumers say one thing but their spending habits really show how they make spending decisions. Price (selfie) wins almost every time.

But because this photo is WAY better than any selfies in my camera roll, here is my new head shot from Miriam Bulcher Photography.

Money, Money, Money

Blogging is not free. I pay for hosting, domains, photos (not enough of them), graphic design tools, and an email address. My annual expense is about $500 for all the basics. There are many people making money blogging, but I have not devoted the time to make this happen -- because this takes some serious time!

My time is also not free because when I say yes to this project I am saying no to something else. I devote time to writing, connecting with other bloggers, fixing broken hyperlinks, redesigning pages, and reading lots of other blogs. I also purchase online courses to teach me the latest and the greatest, and I buy coffee for my local blogger friends who are very generous with their knowledge. (Thanks, NewlyWoodwards!)

Most hobbies have an expense, and this is no different.

I don't tell you everything.

This is one slice of Amy, and I understand that people will form opinions of me based on the information in front of them. I can't share it all.

It's important to me that you don't always see the perfectly crafted blog post with the perfectly staged photo. I want to share the messy stuff too. It's a central part of why I started this blog.

But I am not going to share every disagreement I have with my husband or every mistake that I make at work. I want to reassure you that these things do happen -- just like they do for you.

I manage the blog at my own pace.

I receive so much joy from sharing and engaging with this community. Time is my most precious resource and that's why I choose topics that I think will be the most helpful to my audience, but I also choose what I write based on my emotions and my experiences.

Sometimes I write blog posts because I want to put my thoughts to the screen after a great day or a difficult day. Sometimes it's after an awesome conversation with someone. Sometimes it's years after a hard-learned lesson. Sometimes it's after a light bulb moment when I realized that I was able to put knowledge into practice.

This blog can be my journal (if only you could see all the posts sitting in my drafts!). I often remind myself that this is my hobby and I get to make the decisions -- it's easy to let this blog be the boss that guilts you into doing more!

My little contribution

As I write this post, my entire family is sleeping, but the thought that I can make a little contribution to the world through my blog is more energizing than the coffee I will need in the morning.

Thank you for being here with me.

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This post is part of an ongoing series called, "What I wish you knew ... ". For more in this series, click on the related posts below.

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