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15 In blogging/ ramblings

blogging | reflections on my first full year

AugSepOct

1 full year of blogging: how on earth did that happen?  In some ways I can’t believe how quickly the year has flown, yet at the same time it feels like a lifelong hobby.  1/16th of my life is close enough.  🙂  Obviously one year is no grand achievement relative to those who’ve had their online space for half a decade or more, but still.  Let’s just take each milestone as it comes!

I *think* I’m still at the stage where I can remember at least something about every post I’ve published, whether it be where I went wearing that outfit or who I was with at the time.  That screams newbie in itself, don’t you think?  I can’t wait to have a little more hindsight and be able to look back and browse as if I’m reading someone else’s writing.  When I first started out, I thought bloggers who’d been writing for a year were mega experienced, however in that position myself now I can safely say I still feel like a total beginner.  And still will in years to come I’m sure. 🙂

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Things I’m grateful for/that blogging has taught me:

How to write in more relaxed styles.  Before my blog came to be, the only place I wrote regularly was in the pages of my English exercise book.  Because of this, I tried way too hard to use the most ambitious vocabulary I could think of, and my usual trick was to use 22 words where 2 would suffice.  My writing sounded way too formal for what is essentially an online journal, so as a result I spent ages editing each post, making it a little easier to read.  Since last September, blogging has opened my eyes to a much friendlier, chattier style of writing and I now feel much more relaxed typing in the way I’d talk.  Even if that does still involve long waffly sentences and excessive use of parenthesis.  Brackets in every second sentence are a definite ‘bloggerism’!  Writing to a real audience – however small it may be – feels like a totally different ball game to writing a letter, or story, or description purely to display your writing skills to an examiner.  Actual people being involved makes it so much more fun!  Not that examiners aren’t real people… but you get my idea.  I’m not studying English at A-level, so I’m grateful that blogging gives me a reason not to let my writing slip out of practice.

Creative juices ebb and flow.  I’m sure we’ve all had weeks with tons of bloggy ideas in the pipeline and the corresponding weeks where nothing quite jumps to mind.  Best just admitting it!  Daily bloggers really are inspirational to me, so props to you guys!  Fancy sharing your secret?  Anyways, in my now 52 weeks of blogging I’ve had my fair share of both, but I’m trying my best to work on consistency.  If i want a creative career I’ll need to be prepared to accept not always overflowing with ideas, so I’m glad to have recognised this now.

Expanding my social circle.  Twitter is home to the majority of bloggy socialising I know, and I’m so glad that I’ve been able to talk to people from all over the world that I would never have come into contact with otherwise.  We all have at least one thing in common so age, background, other interests etc. don’t really have much significance.  Nowadays, I can’t imagine having only a circle of friends that I know and have met in person, as I really feel that I’ve formed friendships with people regardless of having never met face to face.  That said, it would be fab to meet up with more bloggy friends!  I can’t wait to see Alice again either.  OK so this has turned into more of a hallelujah to the internet in general, but I think bloggers are an exceptionally nice and supportive crowd!

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How I think blogging has changed over the past year:

Comments: Nuff said.  Many a blogger has posted about this already: that traffic might be on the up, but comments and general interactions seem to be decreasing in quantity.  I’m lucky enough to have several loyal commenters who genuinely put a big smile on my face every time they take the time to leave such lovely thoughtful comments.  The fact that a few people have continued reading as it evolved from a craft blog into my whatever-it-is-now-blog means so much.  Sadly, I’ve perhaps alienated a few of the earlier readers along the way, so thank you so much to those who have stuck around!

YouTube for bloggers has become more popular. As you can tell, I’m fully backing this one!  The added dimension that video brings to a blog is great, IMO.  Over the last 6 months especially I’ve started watching YouTube a lot more (as well as reading more blogs), and I’ve noticed quite a few other bloggers have made the leap too.  It’s all very exciting!

Twitter chats have become huge.  Hundreds of tweets appear faster than you can hit F5 and it’s so hard to keep up!  They’re still invaluable though.

More bloggers are blogging about blogging.  Wow that’s too many layers deep…What I mean is that I’ve noticed far more observational, informative and ranty posts, about blogging itself, appearing recently than I did 12 months ago.  All of which are super helpful and interesting so I’m not complaining!

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**(Photos are a selection of my favourite outfit posts from the year – one from each month)**

So, there are my reflections on my first year.  Anybody else with a similar blogiversary to mine? 😛

lily kate x
follow me on bloglovin | twitter | instagram | youtube | email me

15 Comments

  • Reply
    Matthew Pike
    2nd September 2014 at 5:43 pm

    Funny you mention the last section because that’s totally what I’ve blogged about today. I say embrace the whole Youtube thing, it’s bound to be a learning curve and whole new experience. Plus it’s also great to discover new blogs from up north!

    Buckets & Spades

    • Reply
      lily
      3rd September 2014 at 7:00 pm

      I love your posts about blogging especially! There don’t seem to be that many northern blogs, so I love finding others too!

  • Reply
    Rebecca
    3rd September 2014 at 1:15 am

    I don’t really have a whole lot to say… I just wanted to tell you that I loved this blog when your mum ran it, and I love it now too. I’m always so excited when it pops up on bloglovin. 🙂 So there’s at least one person you didn’t lose in the switch.

    • Reply
      lily
      3rd September 2014 at 7:10 pm

      Thank you so so much Rebecca! It’s so lovely to know that I haven’t put people off by not being 10 anymore!

  • Reply
    jen
    3rd September 2014 at 4:18 am

    Okay Lily, you want to know something? On Ravelry, I really don’t bother to read the ‘friends’ blogs much anymore, well, I have so many other things which pique my interest these days (designing , knitting, promoting my patterns….moi, moi, moi! (( I gotta get a life, huh?)) But, that said, I do actually click ‘friends in my notebook (always set on ‘friends blogs) and well, yours is about one of two or three which I bother at all to investigate. Its because there’s just something very captivating and charismatic about you, and I think there’s actually so much of you in the YOU… that (( I know, makes no sense at all)) your next step is to just…. breathe…. relax … and pace yourself. You are such a high energy person, mixed in with all your brilliantness, and well, not to even mention your penchant for the camera, but hey, come on now kid…. try not to blow us all outa the water all at once,, you know? I know, weird thing to say. BUT, that is why I keep clicking that button and landing msyelf here. Something about YOUR blog is a fountain of influence which I enjoy immensely. So there. Keep on rockin kid. 🙂

    • Reply
      lily
      3rd September 2014 at 7:17 pm

      You have no idea how much of a smile that just put on my face Jen! Thank you so so much! Hope you’re not getting fed up of my face now that this is a style blog too! ;D
      lots of love 🙂

  • Reply
    Kathy
    3rd September 2014 at 8:00 am

    I’ve really enjoyed watching you come into your own on the blog. My husband still believes you should become a model or actress. It’s been fun to see into your life a bit and share your thoughts on things. I particularly enjoyed your GCSE preps, since that is an experience we don’t have here. I’ll be happy to what the next year brings!

    • Reply
      lily
      3rd September 2014 at 7:20 pm

      I’m so happy you still like it! And thank you to your husband, too! I’ve just started college today so I’ll be sharing how I get on with A-levels too!

  • Reply
    Max
    4th September 2014 at 5:53 pm

    Happy anniversary! I guess I am one of the old readers that has kept on reading! I am so happy to share the growth and change, and I like it that we have some hobbies in common!

    So college begins? I hope it is a good year for you.

    • Reply
      lily
      10th September 2014 at 8:09 am

      Thanks Max! Your comments always make me smile so much! College has indeed began, and I really hope it’s gonna be a good two years!

  • Reply
    Sandy Wilburn
    5th September 2014 at 9:28 pm

    Since you mentioned comments and how you have so few I thought you should know I am an avid reader of your blog, an unusual one I have to say! I’m 52 years old, I live in the US and I’m a secretary with three grown kids and two Grandchildren. I stumbled upon your blog way back when your Mom was writing it. I’m a knitter and I spend a lot of time reading knitting blogs 🙂 I have to tell you I am in awe of your knitting & sewing abilities! You really are amazing and I do look forward to your posts!

    • Reply
      lily
      10th September 2014 at 8:11 am

      I’m so glad you commented Sandy! It’s so nice knowing about all the different people that read, that maybe find something they like enough to check back. Thank you so much!

  • Reply
    Kelly
    6th September 2014 at 10:10 pm

    Still popping in just not much time to comment these days. I do miss the knitting content and your Mama popping in but a blog must be about you in the now so it makes complete sense that things are going in a different direction.

    • Reply
      lily
      10th September 2014 at 8:14 am

      thanks for saying hi Kelly! I miss having the time to knit as much too, but I prefer combining the knits with other stuff now rather than posting standalone projects, for the non-knitters to read too! 🙂

  • Reply
    Spencer Wong
    25th May 2018 at 6:07 am

    I really like this post. However this is my first time reading your blog, I am not like other people who commented under this article before me, I barely know you 🙂 When I was on the homepage, you were just a pretty girl to me, but after few articles that I read about you, you gave me some much inspiration! Because I just quite my day time job and chose to be a blogger only 2 months ago, and I’ve already feel the difficulty and challenges here. So I totally understand you and your story just made me clear about the decision that I made. You are really doing a good job! I will keep flowing you, wish you could keep rolling it! 🙂

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