Happy New Years everyone! It is OFFICIALLY 2015! I hope you all had an amazing holiday! It has officially been ALMOST two months since my last post…super not cool. Something that is cool though is that I have finished my degree! WOOH. I’ve been relaxing with family and friends the past few weeks, working, soul searching…..ANYWAYS, it’s time to get back to blogging! Vacation is over! LOL.

I wanted to write about how to stay motivated to keep blogging once you’ve started. Yes, this will be more of a reading-type blog post rather than the usual visual and style ones (so if you don’t like reading, scroll and see the pics and goodbye!). I wanted to share tips on things I’ve learned to stay motivated to keep blogging and how not get discouraged when things don’t take off as fast as you’d have liked! Remember, your blog will only become a success if you have a passion for doing it. If it’s a chore to you and you’ve never enjoyed blogging, quit now.

I’ve been blogging and making my own web content since around grade eight when Piczo was a thing, then I started Tumblr in grade eleven, then I tried to have a Blogger.com page and wasn’t a big fan, then I also dabbled in the Blogspot world…long story short, all together, that is around eight years of blogging life. This blog you are reading now is so far my favorite of my web creations. It’s still a work in progress (obviously), and NO where near where I want it to be, but I’ve definitely dedicated the most time, thought, money, blood, sweat, and tears to it compared to anything else I’ve ever put on the Internet (including my YouTube channel), and I’m proud of it. I know, I know, after all these years, I still don’t know much about coding, or web design, or graphic design, but I have a passion for communication, writing, and sharing things I love through words and photos, and all those other things I’ve just gotten help through friends. That is why I have put off learning them, but they are on my “Things to Read About” list!

Anyways, I explained all that about myself because I wanted to show you that I have been doing blogging for years, and now and then I do briefly run out of ideas. DON’T let a little bloggers-block (like writers-block lol) cause you to get frustrated and start drinking LOL. You don’t need this “Blogging For Dummies” book either (random fact: the version I’m holding is actually dated way back from 2008).

Just read these five tips I have written below and hopefully it’ll help provide inspiration to my fellow bloggers out there!

1. Blog about something you love!
   See how I look kinda frustrated/annoyed/displeased/whatever-you-want-to-call-my-facial-expression in the photo above? Well, that usually happens when you are stuck and can’t think of what to write/visualize/create for your next blog entry. When a blog is TOO general or broad, it tends to be hard to create a post because there is no area of focus. Choose a theme, hobby, or interest that you are passionate about and enjoy. Now that there is focus, coming up with ideas should be fun and a little easier because it’ll be on a topic you love. Your posts will also be more interesting because people like reading things that were written with passion and knowledge, rather than someone just writing a half-assed post to fill their blog with. Totally not worth anyone’s time.
2. Plan, Plan, Plan!
   Planning blog entries in advance is a huge help when it comes to staying on track and posting regularly. It also allows you to put a lot of thought into the content you are creating. When I do blog posts with other people contributing to it, which is nearly every single one of my style posts, such as photographers, makeup artists, boutiques, and anyone else especially, planning is very important in order to answer their questions. Questions I get are: “what day do you plan on posting it?” “What are you going to write about us?” “What time will the post become public?” “What area of my business do you want me to focus on?” These are all things you should know in advance. Planning also gives you things to tell people to look forward to on your blog. It is true, when things are written down they are more likely to happen, so PLAN it out!
3. Jot Notes!
   Often, ideas are inspired at them most random times.. for example, at the grocery story or walking to the gym. If an idea pops in your head, don’t sit on it, type it into your cell phone, jot it on a napkin, your hand, or anything to remember it! Once you get back to your desk (or wherever you blog), start drafting up a post!
4. Collaborate and Meet People with Similar Interests!
   Just like many things in life, conversations are great resources of inspiration. Meet other bloggers, photographers, business owners, or anyone that is a creator. Ask them questions about how they got started, why, discuss your favorite things, and you never know what kind of ideas this could lead to…and better yet, collaborations! Also ask your family, friends, and readers what they want to hear from you…now and then I’ll post on my social media “What topic would you like to see on my blog?” and some ideas are really creative!
5. SHARE. SHARE. SHARE.
   Remember to SHARE your blog wherever you want to reach your audience. The more people reading, the more people rooting for your next post 🙂

^^^^^^^So don’t let THIS happen! haha ^^^^^^

Photos by Lord Ski