I've been thinking about this post for a long time. I haven't written anything ' meaningful' on my blog for a while, because blogging has changed for me. When I started sharing things years ago I hardly had any followers and never cared too much about what people thought. But in this past year, I've …
I’ve been thinking about this post for a long time. I haven’t written anything ‘ meaningful’ on my blog for a while, because blogging has changed for me.
When I started sharing things years ago I hardly had any followers and never cared too much about what people thought. But in this past year, I’ve found it hard to call this blog ‘my space’. I have changed the way I blog and doubt I’ll ever go back to those days where I let you in on my daily up’s and down’s. However, in the odd post I HAVE written where I am feeling down, they are usually the one’s that rate the highest. Funny that. We Aussie’s are a funny bunch and for some reason we love it when people are feeling down.
Blogging doesn’t feel the same any more. There are heaps of reasons. I’ve thought about this… There are a lot of categories for bloggers (lifestyle, food, travel, writers) and it’s hard to measure one against the other. People have great layouts, great photos, great content and it’s hard to keep up.
I’m swamped with a list of blogs I love. Blogging has become a fierce competition. There are lots of swimmers and a tonne of sinkers. The sinkers are mean-spirited people and this is why blogging has changed for me. Those that believe their blog should be doing better (and it isn’t) will always knock those that are doing well.
Another obvious reason blogging has changed is because there’s suddenly money to be made. About 12 months ago the blogging and getting paid relationship barely existed. Money makes people strange – it always has… again, this is why there are swimmers and sinkers (the sinkers hate those that are making money). NB. I barely make anything out of my blog, so you can all stop thinking that. I’ve done 1-2 sponsored posts and I have a couple of advertisers in the sidebar. Not raking it in.
It’s really obvious that The Remarkable Group has been the leader in changing the blogging game. Ok, now you’re wondering what I am going to say here… Not for one second am I bagging The Remarkable’s. That’s not my style. I do like a lot of the bloggers in that group. I read some of their blogs, I see them at events… All I am saying is that they’ve brought money to the table. They’ve changed the blogging game as they’ve discovered there is serious money to be made. And I say good for them. But like I said, money makes people strange and jealous.
So competition amongst bloggers is getting wild. Commenting has decreased and twitter is hard to be involved in (it can turn on you in a second). Currently I am finding Instagram the happiest and nicest place to be.
Lately, all I’ve wanted to blog about are airy-fairy things. I skirt around issues, I ignore meaningful stuff and I don’t feel like having an opinion. There’s piles of issues I see on twitter which I’d normally be dying to write about (the prank call, questions to Mia Freedman about paying writers, the endless breastfeeding debates.. blah blah… there’s always something), but I never feel like sharing any more.
Then I wonder if what I am doing here is really ‘blogging‘? Am I turning this space in to a ‘website with changing content?‘ What IS the definition of a blogger these days? Are you a blogger if you write paragraphs and share your up’s and downs? Or should you be called a ‘business blogger’ if you make money from this place with a domain name?
I know there is vitriol floating around about bloggers at the moment. We don’t seem to be getting a good wrap. Jealous people have flocked to a forum to throw some stones at any blogger who earns over $1 for their blog. Lots of us have seen the discussions and I am predicting legal action over there soon. Such a shame.
I am not a writer and I’ve curbed my sharing. I love to shop, I love interiors, I love gadgets and I love reality tv. I’m a Mum to 3 boys who drive me crazy. These are the topics I want to write about. I know you still come to visit. And I love that you do! But for me, the game has changed. I feel safer and more at ease when I only share with you the fun times in my life.
So now, that I’ve shared these feelings, I will probably open myself up to criticism. I may block you, delete your comment, out you, or delete this post at any time. Because I can and will. I have got tougher. This is just how I feel. If you feel different, then that’s ok, but I don’t feel like having a huge discussion about it.
Be kind to each other. Let people do what they want to do without judging. Let people make money, talk about their kids, wear what they want… let people feel safe. Support each other. There’s enough money, domain names, readers in this world for us all to have happy and successful blogs.
If, at the end of the day, you go to bed happy with everything you’ve done, then whatever anyone else thinks doesn’t count.
Thanks for reading my blog every day. X
Be the first to read my stories
Get Inspired by the World of Interior Design
Thank you for subscribing to the newsletter.
Oops. Something went wrong. Please try again later.
Comments
Nerida
I am someone who doesn’t blog, but who enjoys reading a couple of blogs. Please keep going, your thoughts and what is going on with your family make me smile. Simple as that!!
Kellie @ 1000homes of happiness
Beautifully written and so very honest. I love that you have captured here what so many of us have been thinking for sometime now Katrina. Raw and open, a return to how many of us ‘used’ to blog.
Jane
Oh Katrina, you sweetheart. All power to you, my friend, for putting into words what so many of us are feeling.
Blogging has lost that sparkle for me as well. So many of my favourite bloggers have abandoned their blogs for Instagram. It’s a rare day when a comment I write receives a response. I don’t expect a response every time but once in a blue moon would be welcome. Then I feel part of something, appreciated even.
I fled Twitter after an inadvertent mistake caused me unnecessary heartache with a friend. I flit around FB but it’s so huge and overwhelming now that it freaks me out a little.
Instagram has proved a complete revelation to me. Thanks Annie (Red Roses & Crystal) for encouraging me to join! It’s such fun to see your photos there, Katrina – keep them coming! J x
Marleisa Connors
I just nominated you for the sunshine award. http://marleisa.com/ Have a great day.
KL
Um…I’m a small fish, so am thankfully ‘out of this loop’ but am so sad that you feel you have to edit your blog posts for fear of reprecussion. I love your blog, Katrina and hope that you’ll find a way to get back to being confident and happy within it. I wonder though if it’s like anything new…feels shiny & bright but with use the flaws become apparent. New car, new job, new hair-do…could this be true of blogging too?
x KL
Engineer Mum
Love your blog Katrina! Thanks for this post, I am guessing it is a brave move. I always enjoy how you love to laugh and be you. Hope there are enough nice bloggers to help alleviate the troll-stress
Emily
Great post Katrina. It’s your blog and you should be able to write about whatever you want. I’m sick of great blogs disappearing because of the sad people out there that obviously have no life of their own and feel that they need to try and degrade everyone elses. We should all be able to express what is important to us. I say do exactly what you want to do and get rid of anyone that doesnt like it 🙂
RosieRose
I have linked here to a similar post I wrote when I started getting overwhelmed by it all.
I usually just hang out on the decorating forum where I first met you and some lovely people. It’s one of the nicest places to chat and stays drama free most of the time. I started blogging to teach myself a new skill since I am full time carer of mr 7. I used to worry about posting regularly and then went hang on girl… It’s your place, your rules, your terms. I have 30 odd followers … So proud of everyone of them.
Thank-you for the hours u spend working on your Internet presence which does and has made a difference to my world.
I don’t tweet, my Facebook is private but am also really loving instagram too.
Dianne
Hi Katrina
I have enjoyed your blog immensely but think I noticed a change after your New York experience. I no longer come here every day and came back today and saw your post about how you are feeling about blogging not getting a good wrap which explains to me why I feel differently about your blog – you do as well clearly. I previously came to your blog every day because of your joy of life but acknowledgement of ups and downs. I know that no person lives in a state of absolute contentment. I love your style. I love your honesty. I have learned much about Crohn’s disease. I think that New York experience has changed a few bloggers I read and if that is ok with them it is absolutely ok with me. Seems to me you all may have experienced to some degree an epiphany about what you are doing, why you are doing it, should you continue to do it, how you should continue and should you be making some income from it? All valid questions. I think you have a voice that should be heard. Swimmers vs sinkers? Sinking can be another blog post if done with honesty and grace. So bottom line is I do not know you but enjoy what you write and post. That is a good thing. I have the audacity to believe I know if I am reading something real vs something constructed for an audience. You do not have to do either. Your choice.
Dianne
charmaine
I havent read all your comments yep, but all i want to say is that i visit blogs because they interest me. I visit regularly the ones i love and dont bother about the rest.
All of the innuendoes, slurs and nastiness roll over my head because i don’t understand it ( and haven’t seen it in my tiny tiny circle)
A blog in my opinion is somewhere you get to share how you feel, what you are up to, a way to keep in touch with people you love firstly, and on the other hand somewhere if people want to visit and you are comfortable sharing then that’s what you do.
Life shouldn’t be a competition and i SO cant be bothered keeping up anyway, i feel it so sad when people have to try to cut down people they think are *tall poppies* or they are just flat out jealous and need others to be upset for them to feel better. Sad.
My blog is tiny and i rarely have anyone read it. I don’t share it with family at all, but my friends read it. I find i get support from friends (when son and i suffered from anxiety and depression and all the crappy side bits that come with it) I don’t want my family to read all that as i feel they will judge me and tell me what i *should* do, kinda different to a friends opinion, if you know what i mean??
Anyway i like reading your blog and hope you keep it up. You could always moderate it or make it private if it makes you more comfortable?
Good luckxx
Stylish Kylie
I agree with so much you’ve said, and it’s been interesting to read all of the comments above. 2013 will be interesting. Will blogging continue to change? Yep. Good or bad – who knows?
I really like instagram and haven’t seen any nastiness there, but I have noticed a ‘little’ bit of commercialism. Facebook is now interrupted with spam and sponsored ads. Hopefully instagram will stay unspoiled. Enjoy the Christmas break.
Melissa Mitchell
I know that when I visit blogs (more than once or twice) it is to read about the blogger’s thoughts. I don’t need them to be ‘writers’. I don’t need every detail of their lives. But I want a sense of who they are. What they like, what they don’t like. Their take on whatever is going on in their world.
It’s not about sponsored content. But the occasional sponsored post or sidebar advertisement won’t make me leave a blog I love.
I know that as a blogger, I was at my happiest 3 years ago when I had less than a hundred followers. When I wasn’t remotely aware of numbers (I’m blissfully unaware again, thankfully. I took a year away from stats/money etc – it has been almost 12 months to the day) or who was talking about me.
I heard about GOMI very recently. I stayed a little while (about an hour – I learned a lot about an American blog I used to follow – years ago). I read a little about a couple of Australian blogs and was turned off. Immediately.
Deleted the page and removed it from my history. I’m sure if I needed to I could find it again, but I’d forgotten about it until just now. Don’t let it all bother you. Write what you feel like writing.