stephmodo: Some Thoughts on Blogging

Some Thoughts on Blogging

• 17 July 2008

I love blogging, for the most part. I love viewing so much useful and inspiring information right at my finger tips. I love the sharing of ideas and I love connecting with amazing people out there. I consider it a great blessing in many ways.

There are, however, a few down sides. First, you are putting yourself out there in a big way and sometimes people judge. Not my favorite. Second, friends think they know what is going on in my life by reading my blog, which is really only about 10% of my "real life". Last, sometimes all the ideas that make me love blogging in the first place, become overwhelming. When I realize I can't possibly do all these great things, I get a little bummed. I'm no stylist from New York or LA after all--just a mother of 3 trying to create a life I can be proud of. I try to take it one project at a time and I've learned to be content with that approach.


Anyway, here are a few things I've learned along the way that keep blogging fun, which is what it is supposed to be after all!

1. Designate an amount of time to blog surfing.

2. Don't read every blog in the world every night...perhaps just your "top 5".

3. If you take the time to read a blog, let that person know and leave a comment. They are so fun to read and it's a great way to connect with each other.

4. Do the best with what you have; as in, don't get hung up on what someone else has, does, or completes. Allowing yourself to get sucked into the "I'm a failure because..." trap is not healthy for anyone's self image. Instead, allow the inspiration you receive via blogs to motivate you to shake things up a bit or to finish something you've wanted to complete for some time. Again, it's all about doing your best with what you have and not comparing yourself. I've had to learn this myself.

5. Keep it real :)

46 comments:

  1. I love your blog - I read it every day and find it very inspiring.
    Thank you!

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  2. Your blog is fabulous, and I read it almost every day. I agree with your thoughts on blogging. I have my own as well, and I sometimes have to remind myself why I do it and to shield myself from the judgment of others or the comparisons to others. I'm just another girl doing my best to keep life fun and simple, and my blog is my own little space where I can focus on happy and positive things. Keep yours up! It's an inspiration.

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  3. I like your tips. I find it essential to limit my blog time...there are so many good ones out there but you would never have time to read all of them!

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  4. this is great advice...especially the part about not getting overwhelmed or bummed out if you can't do everything that some uber creative stylist is doing. i've had to remind myself of that over and over.
    thanks.

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  5. I am so glad that you posted that little bit of truthfulness on your blog. SO true. PS I read your blog :) and I love it.

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  6. I have had the same thoughts, especially since it IS so easy to become overwhelmed by the creative blogging world. Sometimes I feel I have nothing to offer in the face of such professionals. Love your blog!

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  7. Great tips Steph - I know I have had to set {limits} on the amt. of time I spend on my blog & others - its so fun & inspiring to read about how other people do things but it is a time sucking activity and it is more important to be doing SOMETHING with your own life/time/family/etc. that surfing the internet all day! having said that I'm on your blog right now instead of working! lol.

    xo, jenny :)

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  8. I should leave you more comments as I read your blog every day and find it very refreshing!

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  9. I agree with you 100% and only read my very favorites consistently. Thanks for sharing.

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  10. I must say that it is good to hear you say this. It is hard not to get caught up in the comparison trap. Your blog is one that I can only aspire to. You seem to do so much. Thank you for your ideas. It is great to hear you say that you feel the same way sometimes.

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  11. Oh so true - this was very well written and again, very very very true. Something I'll probably have to keep telling myself constantly. :)

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  12. Very well said and you are a very talented person. You inspire many.

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  13. i have been having very similar thoughts lately. i often ask myself why i blog, why i spend the time on my "design" blog, and don't get a whole lot in the way of tangible returns (ie, a whole lotta work for no money). ultimately, if i blog or not, it really makes no difference. my kids are what matters right now, and not a whole lot more than that.
    i've toyed with the idea of "reality posts" or "humility posts," where i post something that's really truly real from my life, like the fact that i wore my pjs until 2 yesterday or that i still have stacks of boxes unpacked, or that i buy all my clothes at target, not jcrew. blogs are just not that great of a representation of real life, at least not my real life! :) i definitely believe in keeping it real.

    and comments. i believe in comments. :)

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  14. I totally agree. Especially the about the downsides of blogging... oh the time! But it is so fun and so easy to get sucked in to all the things I'm not doing... But the blogs I read are only 10% of their lives too which I must remember. It's so easy to seem all put together /creative/happy/cool when it's just 10%! You're great. At least the 10% I'm 50% aware of! :)

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  15. Yep, yep, yep and yep!

    Blessings!

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  16. While I don't have my own blog, I love reading what other people write - especially yours. You have such great ideas and find such great deals - now I just need to find some time to put some of these into practice - and love seeing the pictures of your kids. (Your L. will always be one of my favorites from nursery! Can't believe how big they get so fast.) So thanks for all the great posts! Since I don't comment hardly at all, I'll take your advice and leave one today. :) Carrie O

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  17. Pfew...I'm so relieved you all feel the same way! It feels great to get that off my chest :) Thank you so much for your kind words and support. I give the same back to all of you! xoxo

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  18. Great post. And since I read it and agree, I will leave this comment. Keep it up - your viewer-ship and resulting number of comments has gone WAY up!

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  19. I appreciate your blog- I read it almost every day but don't comment. I don't really know why, I just don't. Thanks for reminding me to do so!

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  20. Your blog is definitely in my 'top five' and I read it every day. Even as I was decorating and organizing our new home, all of your great ideas and advice were in my head. Thank you for your wonderful blog and for 'keeping it real' at the same time!! - Heidi

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  21. Look at all these people who love your blog, Steph! Very neat.

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  22. Great post. Your blog is one of those in my top five that I read almost daily. Thanks for all of your inspiration.

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  23. I read your blog every day! I'm a total technophobe, but my friend Char - check out her blog at http://wink.typepad.com/ - told me about bloglines and now I'm hooked. Keep on keepin' on - this blog is great! I might even be inspired to create one of my own one day!

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  24. You're my number 1 blog I read daily...I love you!

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  25. I'm guilty of the "friends think they know what's going on..." comment. I check in everyday and get my stephmodo fix, but then when I get to see you I realize...it's been awhile. We need to get babysitters and go out to dinner or something!!

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  26. I love these tips. Thank you for posting them. I also love your blog & read it all the time.

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  27. I love your blog, just found it last week. I'm a SLC gal too. I try to stick to blogs that uplift and help me, not blogs that make me want to compare, or that are a complete waste of time. Yours is NOT in either of those categories and I want you to know you have made a difference in my day today. Thank you Stephmodo.

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  28. "Keep it real." Great advice for all of us!

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  29. I just think it is so inspiring to take a peek into so many different and wonderful lives via blogging. Perhaps I'm just nosy, but really it is just so cool to read/see what everyone else is thinking and doing. Thanks for creating such a cool blog!

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  30. This was great to read. Thank you. Just found your blog and I really love it. I like how you stressed celebrating the awesome community of bloggers and blogging but the need not to be overwhelmed. To focus on the inspiring. Also what you said about realizing you can;t do ALL of it..this is great. I know it is redundant or obvious but focus is a good thing to remember..an essential characteristic for every creative success. Thank again!

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  31. what a brilliant post!
    this was such a good thing for me to read.
    thank you!

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  32. I love what you said here. Just recently found your blog and I love it. These are words of wisdom you have offered. It is so easy to be overwhelmed by all the great stuff and people out there. Thanks for sharing your perspective.

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  33. This was a great post, and so true. I hav found that I have to take a break from blogging and reading blogs to go out and have a real life. Im thinking of making a 2nd blog which is my real life, and password protecting it, and then having my business blog. Because so much of what happens to me in real life I feel I cant talk about on my photography blog. Like my weight loss attempts, emotional things about family, and more personal things. Ive had mine for about 4 years and have thousands of posts and im thinking of only blogging like twice a week in 2010 and learning to live life more.
    just my two cents. Thanks for writing this Stepmodo! Hugs from Texas

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  34. Simply perfect. I feel exactly the same way.

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  35. Well said! Sometimes I get bummed about aspects of blogging, these are good things to remember :)

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  36. Excellent! I shared your post on my facebook as well... (linking it to you of course!) You have expressed this subject so WELL...
    thanks for sharing...

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  37. So true! I am the worst with comparing myself to others.

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  38. love this! Glad I came across it!

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  39. Brilliantly said.
    I just stumbled upon your page and I am so glad I did...off to explore more. thank-you!
    www.snickerdoodles.typepad.com

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  40. I don't agree.
    Too many rules can very easily kill reality and honesty.

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  41. This comment is about 2 years late but I was doing some clicking around and came across this post and loved it! Thanks for sharing your perspective and for reminding me that the bloggers I love are real people too! Isn't it funny how easily we can imagine other people's lives as being fabulous yet have such a hard time seeing the wonder in our own lives?

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Thanks so much for taking the time to drop a line. I really appreciate it!

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