1) If you’ve got a dream, GO FOR IT! I’ve probably said this a zillion times on this blog but ever since I was a little girl, I’ve wanted to be either a film critic or a (Oscar Winning) screenwriter. I’ve always had a passion for film/TV (pop culture in general) and writing, so I wanted to make sure my career was heavily centered around those things! Blogging has allowed me to take my dreams into my own hands. Since starting this blog, I’ve had the opportunity to attend dozens of film screenings so I could write my own film reviews. I know it’s little but I feel like it’s a step in the right direction and in some ways, I feel like I’m slowly but surly getting closer to my dream of being a film critic!
2) Don’t compare your chapter 1 to someone’s chapter 20. It’s very easy to compare yourself to other people. Often we only see people’s triumphs and not their failures. As a blogger, I’ve learned not to compare myself (or my success) to anyone (blogger or not.) I don’t know how many “No’s” a persons heard before they got their “Yes.” A while back someone I (barley) knew from college messaged me (out of the blue) to say they wanted to start their own blog because it seemed that I get “a lot of perks.” The reality is, it took me awhile before I saw any “perks.” I know people who have been blogging for 5+ years and are just starting to see the stats they want and people who have been blogging for 7 months who are already working with top brands. It’s different for everyone! The only person you’re in competition with is yourself.
3) Know your worth! A lot of bloggers don’t like to talk about the money aspect of blogging but blogging can be a great source of income (there are some people who live solely off their blog.) As a blogger you wear many hats. You’re a marketer, a freelance writer, a social media manager, an editor, a graphic designer and a photographer all rolled into one! Therefore, you truly understand just how much work goes into creating content. I’ve learned that company’s need bloggers and they ‘think’ bloggers will work for practically nothing because they don’t understand how important their role is. Well thanks to blogging, I KNOW my worth (and that definitely comes in handy!)
4) If it stops being fun, STOP doing it. If you don’t have anything to write about, then don’t. What I love about blogging is it’s YOUR blog. You’re the boss. If you ever feel pressured to publish x amount of posts, just take a break! If you ever feel like blogging is getting in the way of your personal life or interfering with school/work/whatever, you have the power to stop! That goes for anything, not just blogging. I’ve learn that if hanging out with certain people always brings down my mood, just stop. If I don’t like my routine or how things are going, I just stop, reevaluate things and start a new!
5) Opportunities are just around the corner! Never in a MILLION years did I think that blogging would lead to so many incredible adventures! If you would have told me two years ago that I’d be asked to fly to Miami to cover the iHeartRadio Ultimate Pool Party or have the opportunity to work with some of my favorite brands like Target, or most surprisingly, work with my FAVORITE company Disney to write a Disney World Survival Guide, I WOULD NOT have believed you! Blogging has turned me into the ultimate optimist! Now instead of thinking “I hope things turn out good,” I just say “I can’t wait until the next amazing thing comes along!”
I still can’t believe this is my 300th post!?! When I look back at my first post (which was of course, about my Funko collection,) I always think “wow, look how far you’ve come!” Here’s to many more posts and fun experiences! If you’re a fellow blogger, what’s one thing blogging has taught you?