Blogging

There was a really interesting conversation on decor8 about being a full-time blogger and the monetization of blogs. To sum it up a reader objected to Holly Becker talking about goods she offers for sale or anything to do with making a living. There has been a big shift in the advertising world and bloggers are now writing sponsored content instead of having sidebar ads. Or in this instance Holly was telling her readers about something she created that was in line with the values of her blog. 

Sometimes that can be jarring if you have been reading a blog for awhile and now they are trying to sell you something. Except, bloggers put a lot of content out into the world for free without the expectation of anything in return. I currently don't have any sponsored posts, but if an opportunity came up that was in line with my mission then I would gladly write a post. 

I offer sewing lessons and interior design consults, and I also make things to sell, but I rarely post those things to the blog. Do I hope that you dear reader would be interested enough in what I do to poke around my website? Um, yes, but I also want to have a balance between offering up good content and offering up myself on a silver platter. 

So, why do I blog?

• I blog because I love to write
• It's a creative outlet
• It is a way for me to share my life
• It is also a way for me to share what I am up to with my business
• I use it to promote my business
• It is a platform for me to talk about thoughtful, sustainable and transformative design
• I get to share with you other makers, artists, artisans, crafters and designers
• It's a compulsion, but sometimes I get worn out. I have a commitment to blog two days a week, which helps keep me on track. 

What goes into blogging?

• A lot! I do not think that people realize how much time and effort goes into each blog post. Here is what needs to be done: 
  • ​Think up blog ideas
  • Do a photo shoot
  • Edit photos 
  • Create graphics
  • Write the blog post
  • Edit the blog post
  • Share it to social media​

For instance, this blog post was sparked by an article I read. In order to be informed of what is going on in the world of design I do read quite a few blogs and magazines. I had the photograph from a photo shoot that I did last weekend with a friend who was kind enough to teach me how to use my camera. It took me about half an hour to write, ten minutes to source and edit the photo and another fifteen or so minutes to edit, format and post. Plus another ten minutes to post to social media. Over an hour for one blog post.

A post I wrote recently about color took me almost two hours because I had to find the colors from the inspiration photo, create the color graphic in indesign and then hunt down photographs in those colors. 

When I first started blogging I was posting three days a week. Except then I did not have enough time to make things, teach and run my business. Now I post only twice a week, so I spend 3-4 hours a week writing content. 

I spend the time writing and creating content because I love to blog and I want to inspire and educate. I will be honest and admit that I also blog because I hope someone stumbles upon my little corner of the universe and hires me to work with them!

If there is anything you are interested in that you would like me to cover in the future drop me a line.

Photo credit Kandy M. Christensen

Originally published 8/4/14