I’d love to transform this blog into a full-time gig, or at least, use the blog as a springboard for a different full-time gig, something along the lines of interior designer/decorator/consultant. There. I said it. I put it out for the bloggy world to know. That’s the first step, I hear.
This, I have admitted to myself, might or might not happen. Becoming a successful blogger is kind of like becoming a famous athlete or actress… Tons of hopefuls, but hard work and yes, talent, will set one apart from the rest. Clearly, I am currently in “the rest.” Let’s change that.
Homework.
Confession time: I recently read every post from Making it Lovely from the beginning of her blog to now. Seeing Nicole’s home come together from scratch was very encouraging. Same thing with Young House Love.
Tangent: I must keep reminding myself that I’m young, that funds are tight, that I do have a full time job that I have committed 40 hours a week to, etc etc. It’s so hard when the bloggers I admire are in their 30s. And already using their blog (among other avenues) for their living. On that note… perhaps I can be the voice of the struggling fresh-out-of college-niche? Although I’m not that fresh out of college anymore. I’m an in-betweener.
Back to homework: I am list-making, putting it in a binder, and I am filing away a few articles like this one and this one to study and try to take to heart.
Investment.
I’ve bought a camera to use for blogging but have only used it a few times.
Maybe if I knew how to use it a little better?
Do I want to save up for alt design summit next January? Seems like every blogger I follow went to it. Maybe if I’m a little more “established” by then?
Upgrading my wordpress and doing a custom design is something I’m interested in, but website woes I’ve been dealing with this week at work make me second-guess going to the next level. We shall see.
Boldness.
They say “if you want something, just ask.” I would feel like such a pest bugging “real” bloggers with links to my blog, so I haven’t done it. But I need to learn to take pride in my work! So what if my home tour hasn’t been featured on an interior design blog yet (ahem.) I am proud of my photos and my friends tell me they’re great. If my content wasn’t great, why would anyone go out of their way to tell me they like it? They would just ignore it like the elephant in the room. The fact of the matter is, I have had people complement my home and my blog, and instead of going “aww shucks,” I need to grab ahold of it with both hands and try to parlay it into the next phase of my life. This means offering to write guest posts, asking for people to write for me, doing more DIY tutorials (possibly) and just focusing and working hard instead of making excuses.
My Friend Staci 
I’ve been so wishy-washy about blogging. I know it. I’ll admit it.
I went to college to be a writer–I went to college with the unspoken/ unrecognized desire to be a blogger, really. And I want to make a living at it. Sometimes it’s easy to work at and sometimes it’s just not. It IS a lot more difficult and intentional than it seems.
You really are good at what you do, though, Staci. Your photos and your design sense and your wit–when you share it, are always spot on. I have no doubt that you’ll get there. I’m not just saying that, I promise.
Thanks for the encouragement, Libby! I admire your work too :)
Right. Channel that passion that you had in high school for your craft, even though you had to attend school all day and then do homework at night. Remember the May marathons at the sewing machine. You have done it before. You have no reason that you can’t do it again.
Thanks, mom! I am trying to channel the same kind of devotion I had back then.
I also think you’re looking at the difference between a School Track Career (ie: Lawyer, Doctor, Engineer, etc) and one of the many millions of other jobs that school can only help so much with–the rest is all up to you to fulfill. (Though, this isn’t to say that lawyers/doctors/teachers/etc/etc just coast through life, but it IS true that they have a set track that they can follow and achieve at least minimum success.) Interior design is one of those; sure, you can go to school for it, but just like any other “Art” business, you have to somehow get people to trust you to do something for them enough so that they can see what you can do, and they won’t want to trust you too much until they see some evidence…and you’re supposed to just pull that evidence out of thin air. Blogging is *yet another* one of these alternative careers, one that once again involves a lot of self-promotion, making connections, and creating content without any compensation.
So, it’ll be hard work to get these two things that are on their own tough to come together, but we BOTH know that it’s possible. I think the only thing standing in your way at this point is how difficult it is to really throw yourself into the metaphorical deep end when you’re not quite sure you’ve really mastered swimming. You can do it!
PS–A tip from some book authors I’ve read the blogs of would also say that attending conventions can be enormously helpful, because a lot of people might ignore (even be offended sometimes!) an online request to read/look at/whatever a blog/manuscript/etc. BUT, they’ll judge you in person more favorably, and be more willing to do something like that because they feel they “know” you and that you’re not just a random anonymous face on the interweb. So, if you’re still on the fence about things like that, keep that factor in mind. =D
Thanks, Athena! Yes, I think conventions can/will be extremely helpful–the internet can be so impersonal sometimes, even considering that I blog about my own life! There’s the difference between knowing ABOUT someone and really KNOWING someone. Gotta pinch my pennies, though… conventions are pricey!