The deep dark blogging pit 🙇🏼‍♀️

Oh hey, another gloomy post from little ol' em over here, just a big scrooge stomping out everyones festive spirit, stomp stomp stomp.

But seriously, I'm sorry for my lack of blogmas, it was something I really wanted to do after blogtober, but I just can't really get into that blogging mind zone thing. Everyone gets it from time to time, but I just fell into that weird dark blogger pit again of feeling uninspired and I think it just came down to feeling maybe a little disheartened.. After my internet rant post I think it was clear to see that my heart was just not in it on that week, all the stuff going on online just made me so mad and think what is the point.

Hours of taking blog and instagram photos, writing up posts, trying to fit somewhere in the community for algorithms to just fuck you over. And now I just feel like my blog is continuously becoming rants apon rants because I'm either uninspired or just generally frustrated and annoyed and just no sign that my blog is appreciated.

But that's not why I started this blog.

I think it's important to remember why I started.. and that's because I love it. I love creating content, writing things I love and conversing with people who like the same things that I do.

So today I'm going to create and stop putting pressures on myself to be perfect, because sometimes content sucks - but it's about not creating for the sake of it - which is what I feel blogmas made me personally do. I wasn't ready or prepared and that just made me feel crap about my content. I admire anybody who can make amazing content every single day, but I just think I'm not cut out for it. I want to make content I think is my best.

I guess this ended on a positive note and I'm not bashing people who do create everyday, I just feel like I can't. Props to you guys who can!
SO back to the drawing board for me.

Have you ever felt this way?

Thanks for reading my silly rants if you're still here,

I'm over on twitter & Instagram
- if you fancy a natter

SaveSave

Stop killing the Internet

At the moment I'm not really sure how to feel about the internet, it's becoming this weird place of algorithms and advertising and it feels like its dying and becoming something else.

It's been everywhere, opinions and thoughts of people talking about it on so many social media channels.

The new Instagram algorithm, it's awful, you can't see who you follow and it's just become this sort of game to get the most likes so you can actually have your content seen. Even scrolling through hashtags I'm finding people with loads of followers and likes, even underneath the top 9 posts for that hashtag.

On blogging, the smaller guys seem to be going un-noticed as big bloggers just become more and more unrelate-able and just walking advertisers, girl I get that bloggers need to make money but to sell your soul to brands who just want to use you for your authenticity that brands can't ever have..  Just what the hell is happening.

It's all kicking off on youtube too, with so many creators complaining that people aren't seeing their videos and being replaced by clickbait and ads.

It all seems like it's just all going down this route for social media platforms, now people are following/unfollowing on instagram too so they can have a more successful following, but its just god damn annoying and disheartening when you're trying to build your brand and its now come to this, because instagram isn't playing fair.

So come on internet, sort your shit out.

Stop thinking about your wallets and appreciate your users. You wouldn't be where you are without us little guys.

I'm over on twitter & Instagram
- if you fancy a natter

When do we stop branding ourselves?

Self branding is probably one of the key aspects of blogging, enabling readers to connect with you on various sites and make you easily discover-able!

At the moment I'm doing an internship and well I've been doing alot of reading today about tips and tricks of the social media train, mainly about branding yourself on social media, which sparked this little post.  And one main thing they all seem to have in common, especially Instagram, is make everything the same..

I applaud anybody who has the time and effort to put into their social media so much so that they run a consistent theme, but then we really have to step back and think who are we actually doing this for? Are we doing this for entertainment and joy or are we doing it for others validation?

That we have nice stuff? That we can make staged photographs fit together so our feed looks pretty..

I get that some people are just like that and prefer their feeds that way but the articles I've read today just made it seem that you can't have a good Instagram account without a 'theme'.

Whatever you post online is a representation of yourself and well, I'm tired of people without personality. I'm bored of the 'wow you have nice stuff' but I love seeing people's real lives.
I'm a nosy human being and it's sad to think that you have to fit into this crap criteria to be successful.
I much prefer bloggers who post lots of different variety, like the walk they went on in the morning or spending time with their friends.

I don't think I could ever let blogging effect my life that much, I'm a real person and I want people to know that. I also don't want to let social media control my life.

I never want to pretend to be something I'm not just for followers. I feel like i'm being a little dramatic but its been on my mind alot today, also I feel it would make people not feel good enough because they can't "theme" their instagram.

 So where do you draw the line, when do you stop branding yourself..

Emily.