Blogging is hard. I know I’ve said this before, but I’m going to say it again now and probably in the future too. I built my website in Spring 2013 as a space to unleash my thoughts, publicly post my writing, share my controversial opinions, and maybe sell a painting or two. In the two years since the advent of Space, Place & Southern Grace (formerly Bajo Estas Estrellas for those who have been with me since day 1), I have worked diligently to build a modest, but loyal following on my site. I’ve chronicled my international experiences, joining a sorority, losing who I thought was the love of my life, new jobs, and numerous other adventures. My most popular post to date is still the God forsaken fraternity cooler painting tutorial I did that follows me around daily on Pinterest. Since the start of 2015, in particular, I’ve worked especially hard at developing strategies to gain a stronger following, become a more “serious” blogger who utilizes high quality photography, works with popular and reputable brands, and maintains an insane number of social media accounts to promote her site. In June of this year, I attended a blogging conference with individuals from across the country who have been running blogs and websites for nearly longer than I have been alive. I learned so much at this conference about the logistics of blogging, strategizing, and gaining wider recognition for my work. I came home from this conference enthused about what I had learned and ready to implement the tricks and techniques of veteran bloggers to get SP&SG seen by a larger audience.
The numbers came. Slowly, but they came. The money did too. Not to say by any means that I could make a living off of what I earn from this blog and my ever-growing Instagram blog roll, but I started getting more offers than ever from amazing companies and brands to review products and include their name in my work. I also made the conscious decision to transition primarily to fashion-themed posting to make a more specific genre for my blog audience – at the expense of my writing. One of my respected coworkers looked at me about a week ago and said, “Sarah, I miss your controversial and political posts. What happened to those?” I was shocked that this triggered a revelation for me, but it did. In a way, I had sold out. And sold out for too little at that. I started looking for a growing follower count on my blog and social media sites, and how many companies could offer me compensation for promotion. Before I knew it I was writing about pads and tampons on my social media accounts for money. Nothing to be ashamed of – but also nothing I passionately care about.
While I want to continue my fashion Instagram and the occasional outfit post on the blog, I am going to shift Space, Place & Southern Grace back to its roots – a blog about my life experiences and encounters as a twenty-something coming out of college and into the professional world. That is to say I want to make a conscious effort to write more. Period. Whether it’s blogging about the terribly stressful week I had to unwind, or a raging critique of the latest sexist comment Donald Trump has made in his presidential campaign, I’m going to write. My boss reminded me that my blog is a hobby, and that is how I would like it to stay. It is one of my biggest passions that I do not want to let become merely a job I maintain because it is a source of income or something I feel obligated to upkeep. I’ve made it a personal goal of mine to write and post weekly now about current events and happenings in my life and far beyond – and the posts will, of course, be filled with my usually unpopular opinions and feminist slant.
Cheers to getting back to where I want to be!
