Did you see the Christmas in July schedule, prizes, and a pre-event giveaway?
So today has been a thoughtful day.
I spent the morning with a woman at The Sewing Studio, figuring out what classes I'll be teaching. I'm going to be teaching my triangle log cabins, which we will make into a hexagon table topper. And then I'm also teaching a class on a Christmas pillow. The manager also wants me to teach my scrappy clamshell pillow, and a few more, but those have to go on the next schedule. It was pretty nice to be complimented! She couldn't get over how young I am haha!
I already had sewing on the mind as I was getting really excited about the classes. And now I'm sitting with my friend Amanda as she quilts her tshirt quilt. And reading Rachel's post on blogging for the Let's Get Acquainted Blog Hop. It was a thought-provoking read.
Do you often think about what you're doing with your blog? I know I do. For those of you who may be new readers, I started my blog in October of last year, and it was primarily because you needed a blog to enter the Celebrate Color event at Stitched in Color [she then changed the rules to just a Flickr account for the second month]. Then I kept blogging because it was a great way to keep track of, and document, the items I made for a craft fair in November. And then I kept blogging because I fell more in love with sewing and needed an outlet for it; I didn't have anyone in real life to talk to about quilting designs and the newest fabric lines.
But do I have goals for this blog? In all honesty, I don't know. Rachel mentions that you have to make sure to not compare yourself to any other bloggers out there. It's both easy and hard to do this [I know, I know, how can it be both?] because I'm not a stay-at-home mom. I'm a recently graduated student who has been searching for a job and lives month-to-month, financially. I love to sew and quilt, but I can't see myself making a living off my blog like some people do. So I know I'm not in the same place in life, which makes it easy to not compare myself, but...at the same time...
How do you work to not feel jealous when you see all the amazing opportunities that other bloggers get? The perks from companies, the opportunity to sew for designers? That little green monster rears its ugly head every now and then. It takes gentle reminding from myself that it doesn't mean my creations, or other people's, aren't good.
I'm not normally a jealous person, so sometimes this emotion surprises me. I think that everyone craves a bit of approval from peers, and since the Internet is such an anonymous place at times it can be easy to forget that there are real people behind those comments. That whether you have 5 people reading or 5000 that those people appreciate what you can bring to the table. And honestly, this whole venture is about personal satisfaction for me. The satisfaction that comes from having an idea, working out the details, and seeing it come to fruition.
Now here's my own thought to chew on for the next couple days...Am I blogging in my own voice? I have been wondering about this for some time, but am not sure if I like my writing style. I don't know if it stems from 5.5 years of writing academic papers, but I tend to write in a much stiffer manner than I am in person. I'm also very dry-humored and sarcastic in person, which doesn't really translate well on the Internet. I honestly don't know if there's anything I want to change, or even can change. Do you feel like you're representing your true self when online?
I'm working on some sewing projects tonight in preparation for the Handmade Parade at There and Back tomorrow [do you have any hand-stitching to show off?!], so I'll be pouring myself a glass of wine, picking up those scissors, and sewing, not mindlessly this time, but thoughtfully.
Those are some tough sounding questions to answer, but great to reflect on your blog and you blogging style.
ReplyDeleteI like your answers. It is funny how you write on a blog to how you are in real life =D
I'm having a giveaway on my blog. Feel free to stop by and enter (if you haven't already) =D
http://ibescheraldine.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/official-150th-post-giveaway.html
I couldn't agree more with your thoughts on blogging - as a younger person I tend to find myself in a weird place in the blogging world.. most of the time i'm worried because i AM blogging in my own voice.. I lack the finesse of a seasoned writer and typically write how I speak.. and with WAY to many periods, commas or sheer capital letters to emphasize my point! oh well, i'm blogging for me right?
ReplyDeletelove your blog, always have, keep doing you :)
This is such a great post. I know what you mean about feeling a bit different from other bloggers, being a young new graduate on limited income rather than a stay at home mum. That one especially seems to come to me when I see people who have gone out and bought several hundred dollars worth of supplies at once and are showing them off on their blog. . . I just so couldn't do that! I know what you mean about writing being stiffer than in person too, I think that is partly a result of all the academic essays!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you are getting enough positive feedback in person (being asked to present several classes) that I don't think you need worry about comparisons with other quilters, but I do understand why that doesn't mean you don't make those comparisons! I also think that when you have a blog, as you and I and probably most of your readers do, that represents only a particular facet of your life it is impossible for there not to be some holding back in your writing style. I don't see that as a problem though, we are different people when with our family as opposed to when with our friends, so why should it be any different online?
ReplyDeleteOh man, I hear you about being a very sarcastic person and not being able to have that come out in a blog. People would just think I'm nasty and mean if I wrote the way that I really speak! There are a lot of people who don't get my humor anyway....
ReplyDeleteYears ago when I started blogging, in 2007? 2008? I had a blog with no focus. It was kind of a homeschooling blog, kind of a homey/garden/reno/craft/food blog. Then I discovered the quilt blogs and wanted that. I quit blogging for a couple years and when I started again I decided to focus mainly on quilting with bits of crochet. I've definitely discovered that it's easier to connect with people when you have a focus!
I sometimes feel that envious feeling, wondering how someone else is gaining followers or getting promotions. Then I stop and realize that they are probably putting in a lot of behind the scenes work to promote themselves. Actually, that realization gave the initiative to talk to someone and get something big and fun rolling. It will be coming to your inbox soon!!! If I am going somewhere in the blog world, I am taking my friends with me :-)