Dear Bloggers

It use to be that keeping a blog was like keeping an online diary... somewhere to store thoughts and ideas without the inhibitions of confiding in another person. With the rise of the blogger readership, however, these personal tributes have become more about saying what people think they should
(in order to get more views, be liked by more people, or just trying to fit in) than compiling your own inner thoughts and feelings. There's nothing wrong with that but if you're wanting to stand out from the crowd, let your personality shine a bit brighter, and just have a little more fun with blogging, here are some tips to keep you on track:

Love it

Before anything else, make sure you're blogging because you genuinely enjoy doing it. It's a lot of hard work to keep up to date especially when you're doing it all on your own - design, research, outreach, photography, editing, writing, scheduling... the list really is endless. If you don't love every bit of it, it'll soon become a task rather than a hobby and that will reflect in your posts (or lack of posts). People want to read something that's heart-felt, honest, and fun! If you're not loving it, stop doing it. That's also true with each post. If you're finding yourself stuck in the middle of writing or you can't quite get the perfect image, stop writing, put down your camera and come back to it when you're feeling a little more inspired. The break will replenish your creativity and your post will be better for it (when it comes to blogging it's better to be proud of your work than to be on time).

Identity
One of the most important things for me when I'm following a blog is that they stand out, they've got a particular style that I can't find elsewhere. Everyone is unique and has a different take, different vision, different style and that is what makes us all individually interesting. I can find a million cookie-cutter moulds on any given blog style or topic, but what intrigues me into seeing and reading more is a new take on something. If we're talking specifically beauty blogs, the topic is shared, so it's a difference of opinion, an individual writing style, an original design that makes for an interesting blog and keeps me coming back for more.

Support
One of the biggest challenges that comes with keeping a blog is the misconceptions of the people around you. People may not understand, have false preconceptions, and belittle you, but if you can keep your spirit high, your ego in tact, and your blog going you'll be fine. Surround yourself with people who do support your blogging and who inspire you. It can be too easy to shut down and not talk about it if you're faced with disapproving comments or unsupportive reactions, but keeping it to yourself will only make it seem like a dirty secret... something that's wrong or to be ashamed of. It's not, it's a lot of work and takes a lot of skill, patience, and time. Tell people about it, get excited by each post you write, keep the conversation going so that people can see your passion and they'll repond with interest and excitement, too.

I hope this has helped some of you and please let me, and any blogger, know what other tips you have for blogging and keeping inspired in the comments. Let's share some love, people!