Blogging: Why You Should Be Proud of Yourself

I have been reading a lot of these sorts of posts recently, and I was inspired by Amy from Salt and Chic to write my own; it's a topic that is very important to me, as blogging has helped me to grow both personally and professionally, and I feel that it's seen as almost a bit of a joke to some people. Now if you aren't a blogger, let me tell you, blogging isn't easy. Creating new and engaging content, posting regularly enough to grow your online presence and for people to develop a connection with you, but not too much that they get sick of the sight of you popping up on their feed.. there's a lot more to consider than people may think!

Now I am a strong advocate for believing in yourself, and doing what you love regardless of the views of others, however sometimes it can be hard to ignore negative comments.. The online world can be a dangerous place, with the slightest comment having the potential to be twisted out of context and deemed 'negative' or just downright rude; it is so important to choose your words wisely, and understand that no matter how innocent your intent, others may feel differently. Whether you're goal is to be a full time blogger, or you're just doing it for a hobby, you need to be thick skinned- I'm not trying to put anybody off, because the blogging community really is a great thing to be a part of!

I think that blogging is something to be proud of; like many others who have made the decision to share their views online, I understand that it can come with judgemental and hurtful comments (however I have been lucky enough to escape this particular form of negativity) but despite this, I get great joy out of writing and sharing my thoughts with others. Having been blogging for a little over a year and a half, I have seen a progressive increase in traffic, and have always been open about what I do; when people ask me about my hobbies I think nothing of sharing the details of my site, encouraging others to take a look and tell me what they think! I have never considered keeping it a secret (aside from the very early stages when I was trying to create something that I was happy with!), and feel that others should be proud of what they do, too.

Here are a few reasons why you should be proud of your blog:

1. Blogging is a lot of work! Whether you do it as a full time job or as a hobby, it takes a lot of time and TLC, and certainly isn't something that should be taken lightly.. Keeping a blog going requires dedication, which is something to be proud of in itself!

2. Your blog is yours, so you should celebrate every victory.. It is down to you how well your blog does, so you should take credit for this little online space.

3. Being strong enough to keep going after a set back isn't easy, but when you're dealing with something as complicated as the Internet (and pesky blogging platforms!) there is always the potential for mishaps.. 

4. You are somebody's inspiration, whether you know it or not. Now I haven't been blogging for all that long, and I don't have a huge following, but you would be surprised how many people that have told me that I have inspired them to create their own- and it feels great!

The point of this post was to share my thoughts towards blogging, and why people often underestimate the effort that it requires; today every other person seems to have a blog about something, but is that really a bad thing? I am all for discovering new blogs, and find that it is an interesting and convenient way to catch up with what people are up to!