I was reading Aunie's page a couple of minutes ago and was bombarded with a flood of emotions. I recently have been quite frustrated with the blogging world. I feel like all this "world" is, is a compilation of women trying to show that they wear the most fashionable clothes, or have the most perfect lives or are the most trendy women on this planet.
I follow so many blogs.
Not because I care about knowing "what's in" or "what's popular" but those specific blogs that I follow are ones that are REAL. Some of them are women that I have met and truly enjoyed being around in person, so I WANT to follow their blogs because I like them. But these are blogs that possess a quality of truth to them-- I can hear, read, and even feel the blogger's personalities.
I originally started this blog to write.
To write down my thoughts and feelings. I have a lot of those. And I needed an escape.
And it just so happened that others liked reading it.
I write for me. My blog is for me.
Do not get me wrong, I am so happy for all of my followers and for all of the support and for all of the friends that I have made over the course of this time, but I have learned to just accept my blog for what it is.
It is, in a way, therapy for me.
And I'm going to be real. I'm going to be honest.
I am so sick of the competition that takes place in this blogging world.
I asked to button swap with a certain blog the other day (I won't name names, however, I will say that I instantly stopped following hers) and she sent back an enormously condescending email that essentially said, "Oh honey, you don't have even close to the amount of followers I have, so that's not okay. But go find someone who is small like your blog."
I laughed out loud as a I read it. I totally understand where she is coming from. But seriously?
You are not a celebrity because you have 1,000 followers.
You are a blogger.
Who clearly is not blogging for YOU.
So, my ladies (and few gentleman!) I am not telling you to write on your blogs. Believe me. You can do what you want. But as for me and my blog, we will be keepin' it real over here.
If you know what I mean.
So much love.
Really.
(maybe a little bitterness, k?)
xoxo.
So really, aunie, in a round about way, I was thanking you for your post :)
Amen to ALL of this!! it is ridiculous how much competition there is for something that is meant to be so real and personal. People lose sight so quickly.
ReplyDeleteI love your REAL blog:)
<3
Kenzie
Oh man, I hear ya! I just started getting more into blogging and posting more regularly a month or so ago and I've already noticed how insane of a world it is out there. The worst is having multiple people discredit my blog because it's not a fashion blog. There is more to life than showing what I'm wearing every single day.
ReplyDeleteGreat pot Sierra, I can really relate to it. I would much rather read a blog that focuses on life and the ups and downs of it than one which shows outfit after outfit, don't get me wrong, those blogs look great but it's not the kind of content I want to read in a blog, I want to hear about life not clothes.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry that you got the email you did about button swaps, this is why I don't want to put myself out there and ask to do it. I'm getting a blog makeover in the next few weeks and I'm having a "must read" section on my sidebar., I have asked a few or my favourite reads If I can put their buttons their, two or them came back to me and said that they would put my button on their blogs in return even though I didn't ask for that. Both of these people are nearing 1000 followers, I have 52!! This is why I love the blogs that I follow, kind, real people.
Amen! I really try to be myself and keep my blog true to who I am. I follow you and am proud of it because, like you, I want to read blogs by people who don't put on airs and think that the number of followers you have make you better. xoxo
ReplyDeletehonestly, this is why i haven't updated my blog in so long and feel overwhelmed at one more thing to fail at. the pressure to be perfect is hard enough in real life, i don't need the headache of trying to maintain a perfect blog. i used to be witty and then i had kids and all my creativity went into making my kids' lives great (outlets as a mom are essential, mine just morphed into quilting instead of writing). i still love writing and need to be better about writing on the blog, just because sometimes i have more to say than a facebook blip. but with instagram, socialcam, and facebook, people can stay up to date on my life without having to seek out my blog. i have some friends who keep their blog up to date because they love it and it's fulfilling to them. maybe someday i'll get back into it when i feel like it's more of a journal for me and my family. for now, if i can't do while i wait at the bus stop or piano lessons or dance, it ain't happening. keep it real, sis. i love your blog and i love that i can stalk you, even when i can't chat with you. :) can't wait to see you at Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI found you through Brook. I couldn't agree with you more! Thank you for keeping it real!
ReplyDeleteAnd THIS is why I follow your blog. Because it's real. You know I hate the fakeness and perfectness of so much of blogging. It really gets me. And somehow I still keep coming back to those blogs even though they don't make me feel good. Thanks for this. Glad I'm not the only one!
ReplyDeleteLike. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the perspective. Sometimes I think I get down when reading how happy people are on their blog and it's probably not even true. I like the real stuff. I like to read blogs to learn and relate that I'm not alone in my struggles and frustrations.
ReplyDeleteThanks.
The flu AND strep throat? You poor thing!! I totally agree with you on this. Some bloggers act like because they have so many followers it makes them better than you. I'm not blogging for the fame im blogging because I like to! And by the way im emailing you about swapping buttons :)
ReplyDelete-Jessi
haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com
Amen Chick! Blogging is for you so poo on all the haters. That's what I say!
ReplyDeleteawww girl I totally hear you!!
ReplyDeleteI've totally been thinking the same thing lately and its been driving me crazy!
Oh and just so you know, I really like the things you write and I would swap with you =) haha!
Much Love,
L
I loved Aunie's post today. I can't believe that someone would send a comment back to you like that! How rude. Your blog rocks. End of story.
ReplyDeleteYou are the third person that I have been in contact with today that has talked about an unfortunate blogging experience- it makes me so sad! Way to rise above :) You rock Sierra!
ReplyDeletesjdmiller.blogspot.com
I totally get what you mean! There are so many blogs that I don't like to read because I feel like they are competitive or not realistic. I love how you are honest and real on yours. I can't believe someone said that to you! And good for you for not naming names...but if you did...I would TOTALLY avoid her blog!
ReplyDeleteblogging varies so much from blog to blog. I find if you read & support the blogs you love they generally are pretty receptive & nice. That email you got was RUDE, everyone was a small blogger with zero followers when they started!
ReplyDeleteI like a mix of both. I love everyday real blogs but I do read the occasional 'perfection' blog.
GIRL - preach it. Reading this was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly fantasized worlds most bloggers seem to live in. I applaud you big time :)
ReplyDeleteSierra, you are SO SWEET. I love that you're real. That you're you. And that you KNOW what your blog is for... for YOU. You have some amazing and very supportive followers and that's so refreshing. I am so inspired by you and your honesty. And thank you thank you for not only linking to me, but including me in your post & thoughts. You made my day!
ReplyDeleteRead this via AunnieSauce. Amen sister. I'd love to swap with you! So stop by my blog and hook yourself up via passionfruitads. No blog is too big or too small for sponsor partnerships.
ReplyDeleteXoxo
Megan
I'm so sorry that you feel this way Sierra! Blogging can be an amazing, empowering experience, but like anything, there are the mean people out there that ruin it for others. I think it's really admirable that you blog for "you", since not many people can say that these days. We all need to take a moment sometimes to remember why it is that we blog, and for whom. You're fabulous my dear, and I wish you the best in this blogging adventure! xoxo
ReplyDeleteI couldnt agree with this more. thank you for sharing this. you seriously rock.
ReplyDeleteI started my blog only a week ago and I was inspired by genuine blogs like yours, which remain faithful to the visions of their creators. Stay strong and don’t give up!
ReplyDeleteoh i loved this. i loved the crap out of this. i wrote something very similar on my blog because i was genuinely frustrated. i felt like i had to be like all of those other bloggers in order for mine to be worth something. but i found myself resenting blogging,i found myself frustrated with my small number of followers. and then i realized how screwed up that is. i didn't start this blog to please people. i started this blog a long time ago when my emotions became too much to hold in. thanks for this perfect post. love it. new follower. genuine new follower. :)
ReplyDeleteI just stumbled upon your blog and reading this post made me instantly love you!! I am relatively new to the blogging world and I've TOTALLY picked up on everything you're saying. Right on sista!
ReplyDeletei agree, too. it's kind of sad, really. i remember when i first started a blog in 2007, and the blogging world wasn't like that at all. now it's gotten really saturated and competitive, the community isn't what it was. it's harder to find bloggers who blog for them and not others. personally, i blog because i love it, but my content is a combination of things i love and things that my readers might like. like, i would never blog about something that i don't like, but i wouldn't blog about every aspect of my life because that's probably really boring for people to read (and me to write!) about.
ReplyDeletesometimes i feel like there is a "bloggers club" for popular bloggers, and it's like... becoming well known is near impossible. but other times, i feel like if you're authentic, unique, honest, and consistent, you'll find "success" in the blogosphere.
it drives me insane how shallow people can be about blogging, like... when people say "want to follow each other?" like.. i will follow blogs that i genuinely like, i'm not going to follow a blog just because someone will follow me in return. i'd rather have a tight knit readership of people that are genuinely interested, than a laundry list of followers that don't visit. you know?
sorry for rambling. in a nusthell, i know where you're coming from. and i hope you enjoyed your weekend <3
xox, amber
LOVE this post! And AMEN, AMEN, AMEN! :)
ReplyDeleteOh MY GOSH. I'm so in like with you for writing this.
ReplyDeleteSince I started blogging several years ago, I've noticed a huge change in the 'blogosphere'. It seems like being genuine isn't enough to get you followers anymore. You have to have a fashion sense, or know how to take great pictures, or know how to steal pretty pictures off the internet to post. I follow blogs that I like. I post about things that are on my mind. I'd rather have a small amount of followers who genuinely read my posts, than 1,000 followers who leave comments like "Love it!" or "Great post!" ..It's so frustrating.
I love this post! And how bold you are :) Hahaha
ReplyDeleteI think for so many people, it's soooo easy to get caught up in this crazy blogger world. Sometimes it can get the best of us and then we lose track of our goals in the process.
Boy can I related to this. The thing about blogging is it is FABULOUS! But, it's terrible at the same time. I have been super busing in my "real" world that I just recently am going through and replying back to comments from over a week ago. And the thing is, I am afraid I'm becoming one of THEM. (You know, the "I'm better than you, too good to strike up conversation" types).
ReplyDeleteBut that is what I find so frustrating about blogging. It's constant. You publish, people start replying. Heaven forbid you have a life. You know? Like, on any given random night I have time to read through and comment on blogs, reply to my blog comments, yadayadayada. BUT... life happens. Not just big life things but little life things like that husband who is waiting for me to get off the computer... you know?
So, anyway, I love blogging and I love the friendships I've started through blogging. I want to have MORE real friendships. But, I hope I never become the type of blogger that is clearly in it to be "better than everyone else". Thanks for writing this!
Thank you so much for this! I think large bloggers forget what it was like to be starting out. We all have to start somewhere so why not help out the past 'you'? I pray that if that day ever comes that I would never feel that way , the best way is to keep it humble at all times! So sorry his happened to you!
ReplyDeleteI stumbled on your blog through another blog (Alyx @ Every Day is a New Adventure) I follow and all I have to say about this post is ... THAT'S RIGHT. I almost left blogging because I didn't feel "good enough" and didn't have many followers. It took months for me to realize that it didn't matter that I didn't talk about fashion or celebrities (although I do talk about makeup but that's because I'm addicted to it) and that I could talk about whatever I wanted as long as I remembered that this truly was my blog and I could do whatever I wanted with it, followers or not. Great post, beautiful blog, and I'm a new follower!!
ReplyDelete