#selfiesunday: Things I've learned about blogging since I began.

This blog has been up and running for a little over three months now. I went into it thinking that I'd just begin and get a lot of views automatically, and I figured out quickly that simply sharing it with my Facebook friends once isn't enough. It's taught me a lot:

 

 

 

 

My writing skills have significantly improved. I actually feel even more comfortable with writing papers than I was before. I've always felt like writing came somewhat easy to me, and I say that with the utmost humility. I can remember enjoying writing even in elementary school, and since I started this blog, and I've been writing a few posts a week. I think I'm really honing this craft of mine, and getting better every day, which can only help me in college, and well, the rest of my life.

 

It's not always fun, or glamorous. I imagine popular internet bloggers sitting by their computer, sipping on creamy coffee from mugs with cute sayings on them, with the morning light streaming into their pretty suburban offices that look like their Pinterest boards brought to life. Blogging is not like that (most of the time anyway). Like right now, I'm in the living room with my parents, trying to block out the obnoxious blur of sound coming from the television because I'm too cozy wrapped up in these blankets to get up and move to my little office space.

 

 A lot of the time it's a discipline to post; it'is the act of me dying to the self that wants to binge on Netflix, but rather posting instead because I do want this blog to be a success, even if it's success at a small level, and I know that the only way it will be is if I continue to post regularly.

 

And by the way, posts do not come easily all the time. Sometimes a post idea just smacks me in the face, and sometimes I have to think, and think. There are actually about 5 drafts of posts that I've halfway completed that I either can't decide if I like them, or I'm saving them for a day where I literally have not one clue what I'm going to write about. I've learned that it's not always best to do a post just in one sitting, but to type some of it in the morning, some of it in the afternoon, and edit and format it at night.

 

In order for me to keep this blog interesting, informative, and fun, I have to get creative. I've got a tonnnn of new ideas for the blog that I'm sifting through. It can be a little difficult to judge the good ideas from the "ehh" ideas, but I'm working on it.

 

Aside from creative, I also have to be a little brave. This may sound silly, because I am, in fact, just sitting in front of a computer screen, but I'll let you in on a secret: I'm not the most extroverted person in the world. I'm talkative to those that I know, and I'm polite to strangers, but it's hard for me to have a legitimate, genuine conversation with a someone that I don't know very well. It makes me nervous. So when I have to go out on a limb, and talk to other bloggers and moms of kids I want to feature, I do get a little anxious, and doubtful. But the desire that I have for Name Loves to be successful helps me to push past that anxiety and take a chance to get what I want.

 

Probably the most valuable and precious thing that I've learned is just how supportive and encouraging people are. I was very hesitant on starting Name Loves. I knew I could do it, but I was afraid of the people in my community thinking it was a little weird that I love names (and I'm sure some people do.) But the most supportive and encouraging people are from my community! People that I never would have guessed would ever see my blog, are the very ones that have given me the best compliments on it. There are actually two babies that I know of that my blog has had an influence in naming and that is totally crazy to me! I'm so lucky to be able to share what I love to do with people.

 

 

;)

 

 

 

 

That concludes my #selfiesunday post this week! I'll be back to naming tomorrow, hopefully, if my homework load is light. Have a great week guys!