I started blogging less than a month ago. Blogging has been a lot of fun so far and I’ve already learned so much. I get to be creative and expressive and I’m in charge of my very own personal website; how neat is that! Frankly, I wish I had started my WordPress blog sooner.
However, I’ve noticed that there are some obstacles to get through as a new blogger as well.
In all honesty, it can be surprisingly complex and time-consuming putting together and maintaining a personalized blog. 
It’s amazing how much thought and detail goes into each part of a blog, from writing quality posts and pages, to the overall appearance, design, and layout of the blog. It’s easy to see how a person could become discouraged and burnt out on blogging. Anyone who proclaims that consistent writing and blogging are easy, well, they probably have never tried it before.
There is a helpful blogging book titled Blogging for Creatives, which provides some troubling news about blogging longevity. The author, Robin Houghton writes that, “It’s a sad fact that the majority of blogs are abandoned within three months, usually because people lose heart and a proper plan.”
I don’t want this to be our fates as bloggers. Thus, below are a few of my own contributions towards encouraging and supporting each other with continuing our blogs.
1) We Don’t Really Need to be Perfect Bloggers.
“If you look for perfection, you’ll never be content.”
-Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina
It’s okay to be imperfect. It really is. What matters more are our efforts. A professional looking blog is easier said than done! Mistakes will be made, lots of them. Content will look weird sometimes. Designs will not work as anticipated. Spaces in posts will exasperatingly disappear between paragraphs for some odd reason.
That’s okay though; time and experience will work these issues out. In order to get good at something, one must work through trial and errors with persistence. Even if things don’t work out as planned, at least be proud of sincere efforts.
2) Be Self-Compassionate and Don’t Give Up on Your Interests.
“A moment of self-compassion can change your entire day. A string of such moments can change the course of your life.” -Christopher K. Germer
If spending hours and days working on your blog’s unique personality are not challenging enough, when you finally do write and post your content, it is very possible that nobody will like or comment on it. In fact, they might not even see it. Others might not get why you’re even blogging at all. It can feel disheartening at times. “What if my blog is terrible,” one might ask themselves.
It’s easy to let self-doubt start creeping in after putting your work out there. Have some self-compassion as you work towards being a better blogger.
3) Find Your Group.
One thing to keep in mind is that everyone is unique, with diverse interests. Blogging is a specific taste and the subjects we blog about are even more specific. What is interesting and enlightening to one person, will be boring to another. Spend some time searching for your niche; people and groups who share similar interests will be helpful alliances.
Conclusions About Blogging
Essentially, by working on our blogs, putting in the effort, and expressing ourselves creatively, we are following our bliss–and that is a pretty big deal. Therefore, I hope we keep on blogging! Good luck to all you fellow bloggers out there. 🙂
Sincerely,
Kristin
Highway to Hoeftland 