I’m so grateful to have been nominated for the Blogger Recognition Award by Naomi at Inching Forwards. It’s an honor to be nominated by such a talented blogger. I love her content related to anxiety and social injustice!
Rules for The Blogger Recognition Award
- Thank the blogger/s who nominated you and link to their blog/s.
- In the award post, share a short story about how your blog started.
- Share two pieces of advice you have for bloggers just starting out.
- Nominate ten other bloggers for the award!
How My Blog Started
I never had any intention of starting ab blog. At the time that it occurred to me to do so I’d never even read a blog! See, I’ve always been a bit of a technophobe so even reading a magazine article on line would’ve been a stretch. I could barely use my email account!
Early this year I felt a sudden driving force to start a blog. I honestly have no idea why. Whether you call it intuition or God I just knew that I needed to do it! It became a driving force that I couldn’t deny or avoid (even though I desperately wanted to).
I started floating the idea to my family and friends. Fully expecting them to tell me I was crazy or at least to be hesitant. But they weren’t. They thought it was a great idea and were very supportive. Then I was REALLY stuck!
I did all of the easy stuff first. To begin, I pinned blog instruction posts on my Pinterest and started to think about my niche. Next, I signed up for a blogging class… I even purchased additional instruction! Then I wrote down all of my blog post ideas. When I had over 200 I figured I should stop putting it off and build my actual blog.
The tech was overwhelming! There were many, MANY tearful moments… and days! I struggled so much with building my site and setting up my social media sites. But, I was determined to do it myself. It was so important to me to overcome my tech fears. I wanted to challenge myself and to Upcycle my own adult life.
I’m still learning and the tech stuff is still a struggle but I LOVE writing. I enjoy blogging. And there is nothing better than getting messages and comments from my readers saying that I helped them. In some small way, I hope that my blog makes the world a better place.
My Advice for New Bloggers
1. Interact With Other Bloggers
Put yourself out there and interact with other bloggers. I was hesitant to do this at first because I was concerned about comparison and negativity. But, it has been SO beneficial to me! It’s such an awesome source of support and encouragement. And I get the best advice from fellow bloggers. When I’m frustrated or stressed or I want to celebrate something they are my go to people! No one understands the ups and downs of blogging like fellow bloggers!
2. Stick With It
Blogging is a marathon not a sprint! Stick it out. If you really want it just keep at it. Over time you might need to make changes or even start a whole new blog but that’s ok. If you want to be a blogger, keep blogging and be flexible! You aren’t likely to get discovered overnight. From what I’ve seen the most successful bloggers (financially and popularity wise) have been at it for at least a few years and are adaptable. The pay attention to what their audience wants and they consistently deliver!
My Nominations
Even though I’d never read a blog before I started my own I read them a lot now! I love discovering new blogs and checking out other people’s writing and format styles. There are some VERY talented writers and researchers in blog world! I try to share the love and choose new bloggers for each of my award nomination sections. Be assured that if I nominated them it’s because I really enjoy their content and writing style and I think you will too!
I love that Naomi included a little blurb about her nominees so I’ll do the same!
Grace ~ Blogging With Grace
If you’re a fellow blogger you have to check out Blogging With Grace! I find her witty, funny and informative. Her content is concise and approachable and not at all overwhelming as some blogging instruction sites can be. I discovered her through her recent post How to be the Perfect Blogger.
Kerstin ~ Dandelion Seed
Kerstin writes beautiful pieces about living with mental illness. Whether you suffer from mental illness or not you will find something here to fall in love with. My favorite piece is a beautiful tribute she wrote about her friend Julia on Suicide Prevention Day.
Beth ~ Quirks and Queries
The short concise posts Beth writes are perfect for people on the go! She shares life lessons and observations. I love her piece about figuring out what you want to do in life in just a few simple steps!
Jenny ~ Jenny in Neverland
No, I don’t just love this blog because of the Peter Pan reference! Jenny covers a broad range of topics but makes it all work. Obviously you’ll find fun Disney content on this blog but you’ll also find practical blogging advice and Great motivational information about overall wellness!
Erica ~ The Prepping Wife
Erica has just celebrated her 1 year blogversary! She writes amazing content about practical ways to be prepared and uplifting motivational and inspirational content (among other things). I am a big fan of her new piece 12 Months of Prepping. It starts with January so I’m prepping to prep!
Beth ~ Simply Bethany Megan
I simply love Simply Bethany Megan! This blog has such a cozy feeling with a big scoop of southern charm! Follow along while Beth and her husband build a home with their own two hands while raising a toddler! There are all kinds of fun lifestyle posts but my favorite is a much more serious piece. It’s a candid discussion of postpartum depression will strike the depths of your heart.
Nancy ~ My Everyday Challenges
There is something for everyone on this diverse blog! Nancy writes about addiction recovery, home, family, health, wellness and more. She has a beautiful writing style and her content is very easy to read! I particularly love her Mindfulness post!
Ilene & Gary ~ Our Italian Journey
Ilene reached out to me a while back about blogging awards so she’s the first person I though of when I was choosing my nominations for this one. Since she and Gary write about one of my favorite topics… Italy, I knew I needed to check out the site. The photography is breathtaking and so original. I love the piece about old doors. It’s nice to see someone writing about off the path places. My advice to everyone going to Italy is always to find an out of the way restaurant and eat like a real Italian. I love the post found on this site about how to know if you’re eating in a tourist trap.
BTW… Did I mention the authentic Italian recipes? Yep, you’ll find plenty of those on this site too!
Ruth ~ That Autistic Fit Chick
I’m pretty obsessed with Ruth at That Autistic Fit Chick! As the parent of an adult child with ASD I know that the struggle with health and fitness is a big deal. I love the way that Ruth discusses her triumphs and struggles with both Autism and fitness and the interesting ways in which they intersect. It’s helpful information for me as a special needs mom but also as a fitness and health enthusiast. I can’t pick a favorite piece, I love it all!
Julie ~ Dark Blue Journal
Julie writes about one of my favorite topics, minimalism and eco issues. She also writes tons of awesome motivational and inspirational content. These can be challenging topics but she makes them very approachable. Somehow she makes you actually WANT to purge and simplify your life. I’m planning to use the advice in her capsule wardrobe post to guide me through creating my own. I think she’s going to be my guide through the process of streamlining my house for my move next summer!
I hope you’ll take the time to check out some of the blogs above! Be sure to show your support by following them on social media, commenting on their posts, sharing their content and using their affiliate links! Your interaction on blog posts makes a world of difference to the hard working men and women diligently working to create contact and make an impact!
Thank you for being such awesome readers and supporting my dream! I couldn’t do it with out each and every one of you! You believed in my crazy passion project and it means the world to me!
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Congratulations!
Thank you SO much! I’m always so grateful for the encouragement from other bloggers!
Congrats again! This is a lovely post, I’m very pleased that I nominated you 🙂 I had no idea that you were so scared of the tech side of blogging – I never would have guessed. Huge well done for overcoming that, it must have been difficult. I also LOVE that you decided to write little blurbs for all your nominees too! Some of them I know, but some I don’t – and I will be sure to give them all some love soon.
Thank you so much for the nomination! I am so grateful to find other bloggers enjoy my content! I am still struggling with tech but I devote a little time each week to learning something new. I found that I had to do it my way. I don’t learn from tutorials or lectures. I have to read it and take notes. I have A LOT of pages filled with tech notes but they come in handy!