I have mentioned in my first post for this years NaBloPoMo that I am coming to celebrate my 10th blogaversary. And I am looking forward to that. Its’s hard to believe that I have been showing up here for ten years and still find things I want to share. And also there are still people – you my friend – showing up around here and leaving some lovely comments. But I have the feeling that ten years owning this space calls for some change. So it’s time for a blog cleaning and I need your help.
And just like that in the middle of a pandemic and and a world in chaos I finish my eighth year of blogging. For me that is a big achievement. When I started this blog it was to escape a terrible job, the feeling of being utterly lost and loosing myself along the way. The blog became and still is a constant. And I love that I have a lot to talk and share even after 8 years. My drafts file counts 39 unpublished posts. I will continue to blog but before we start of the next blogging year we have look at my 2020. My eight years of blogging.
Who would have thought in 2013 that seven years later I am still here. I am still typing away on this space in the internet and there are (still) a few people finding it’s way to my site. So I will not break the chain and once again reminisce about what has happened in the blogging world in 2019 and in seven years of blogging. (Feel free to hop on to previous years year six, year five, year four, year three, year two, year one).
Blogging
Compared to last year I have been showing up more consistently and I can proudly say there hasn’t been a months I didn’t blog. Yeah me! Overall there were 38 posts published. My personal favorite was the recap of me moving to the U.S. 20 years ago but I also had a lot of fun writing the reading list for 2019. It comes as no surprise that the most time consuming post to write was my 101 goals in 1000 days though. But let’s have a look about your favorites this year:
I spent a lot of time on Instagram this year. And even though my following has not increased I deleted all the spam accounts and lonely soldiers It was great way for me to connect to people and have some lovely conversations. I even got to meet people in real life. I have tried to re-connect with Twitter but somehow have not really been able to. Do you still use twitter? Also I have not been neglecting Pinterest a little and might need to spent more time there next year.
Over all I have found more joy and love in blogging in 2019 than in previous years. I had many more posts to write and drafted but since I had my arm injury I needed to slow things down. I am hoping for 2020 I will be able to continue or maybe post a little bit more. If you have something you would like to read about let me know in the comments. If you want to follow along for my journey in year eight add me on Feedly or Bloglovin. Also lots of talk happening over at Instagram of course.
Let’s chat about the blogging workflow today. Bine has put up 15 questions for Aprils blog love topic and they are really fun. Even if you are not blogging yourself it might be interesting to have peek behind the scenes. Let’s get started:
Blogger Type.
I would say I am a mood blogger. When I feel like it I blog. When I don’t it’s rather quiet here. Sometimes there are a lot of thoughts and random stuff here. Sometimes more recipes and not as often as I like DIY – meaning no time to be crafty. Overall though there is never really a editorial calendar. I have a few dates set where I really want to blog. I try to blog more before Christmas time but that’s about it.
Digital Tools.
MacBook, iPhone, camera. Can’t blog without them. I’ve never owned anything else but an Apple laptop. However I often write blogpost on my phone. I actually like the WordPress app. Lying in bed with insomnia or waiting for people I find myself typing snippets of future posts.
Analogue Tools.
I have a whole drawer of notebooks. Another one for pens. However I often use waste paper to plan out my weekly tasks and I divide them up into “business” and “private” or “have-tos” and “want-tos” and blogging lands on the fun side. Every day has a slip of paper and I throw it out when done. For more permanent brainstorming lists I use a notebook. One of the “not so good ones” and then I throw that out too. I call that cleaning up by the way. Slow process…
What tools do you use for blogging, research and bookmarking?
I am not so sure if I actually save and research in advance. I have only a few links I find worth bookmarking and they are all copied into a draft post in WordPress. Other then that I do it when writing.
Where do you collect blog ideas?
Currently I have 33 drafts in my WordPress backend. That is were I usually keep the more advanced post ideas, the ones that “need” to make it to life. For planning out the long term projects like I did with my “star advent calendar” or the NaBloPoMo posts I have a note in Evernote to keep track of ideas and check off what posts are done and where I still need photos. I also have a couple iCal calendars for blogging. Here I track link-ups, events, and posts I really want to publish. I used to include published posts because then I could see in an overview the distribution of posts. I like visualization of analytics. However I gave that up. Other then that I love my Pinterest. But it’s more a collection of DIY projects and what I personally want to do. This doesn’t necessarily reflect what needs to be blogged about. I just recently started using Trello and testing if setting up an editorial calendar there would work for me.
Your best timesaving trick or shortcut for blogging or in the Internet?
Setting up shortcuts for typing on the phone was one of the best tricks I ever came across. This really helps when leaving comments on blogs. I don’t have to type my name, my email, my blog url all the time. Because that takes out all the fun in commenting, right? This also can help setting up hashtag clusters for Social Media. Other then that I am still looking for better workflows in getting images from my Lightroom to Social Media. I hate all this copy, pasting, air dropping back and forth. Ideas?
Do you use a To-Do-List App?
As mentioned above I do use Evernote quite often for a lot of this. Collecting quotes, making checklists, collecting data. Not only for blogging. However it’s not perfect but close. I recently started working with Trello. Unfortunately I am missing a calendar overview to see what is coming up. Both apps can’t provide that (in the free version).
Is there another tool besides computer and phone you can’t live without?
Camera. With a few exceptions (in guest posts) all images in my blog have been made by me. So if I don’t have the right image the blog post can’t be published. Other then that I do like to have a hot beverage while writing so coffee machine or water boiler. And the tv. Not to watch anything but to start the fire place app. I would prefer a real fireplace but I don’t have one. In the summer time I might switch to a candle on the balcony. And if we drift of from blogging I don’t won’t to trade in my kindle. Ever since I started using that I have been reading so much more.
What can you do better than others?
I am not sure… Maybe plan and not follow through?! Absorbing knowledge for the fun of it?! Or maybe not being discouraged for not receiving lots of feedback here and still continuing? Oh maybe it is answering very comment I every received? I really don’t know, you tell me…
What do you listen to while blogging?
Nothing. Which is hard in a city like Berlin. But I enjoy tranquility and music only bothers me. The only sound I enjoy is a crackling of fire.
Are you more introverted or extroverted?
Depends. I think it’s an odd thing and how comfortable I feel around people. In places I have been before with people I am familiar with no one would guess I am introverted or shy. But I enjoy being on my own and lots of people do suck energy from me and I need time to recharge. On the other hand it can be quite motivating and engerizing being with likeminded peeps. I guess it’s all about balance as so much in life.
How is your sleeping routine?
Bad?! Could be better? But I sometimes occupy my insomnia by writing and editing blogposts. Probably not the best thing to get back to sleep.
Who should answer those questions?
Please, feel free to answer. I’d love to read about your routine. And then leave a comment so I find your post.
Best advice you ever received?
This questions been the hardest to answer. I can’t pick out one advice that’s stuck with me or which one I religiously follow. I am loving quotes and have collected them from a very young age. So there are a few ones that keep popping up. I believe any advise can be the best when it hits home and helps in the given moment. You might have heard it a hundred times before but suddenly it makes total sense.
Anything else?
Thank you for stopping by and reading my site. I really appreciate it.
Do you fall into the comparison trap? I know I do. There are moments I am pretty good at not letting stuff get to me but then I do have my weak ones. The ones where I feel nothing is good enough. The ones where it feels everyone else is doing a much better job – at keeping up the blog writing, in filling up the Instagram feed, in managing life…
Recently I feel more trapped. Just for my last blogpost I spent a lot of time researching, baking, writing, taking pictures and uploading. The response is meagre… Can you relate? Those times I wonder what I do “wrong”. Why is no one interested or why does “the algorithm” banish me. I admit it feels awful. But honestly isn’t the real problem that I need the likes and comments? Isn’t it enough that I had a wonderful experience creating something, tasting some homemade fresh steaming rolls with melting butter? That I was able to spend some time doing photography that I love. That I spend a few moments remembering my honeymoon in Finland?
In those moments I need to remind myself why I actually signed up for blogging and Social Media in the first place. Do you still remember? My list looks like this:
connect with friends and like minded people –> like crafters
find inspiration. For me that is mainly artists, I love watching how they paint, what ideas they follow, what inspires them. Because that sparks my creative juices.
a chance to write in English
Exactly, that is it. The list is short. I didn’t sign up to stalk people. I didn’t sign up to see if my next door neighbor had a fancy living room or a messy kitchen. I don’t care what celebrity xyz is wearing. So why should it bother me now when it is plastered all over my feed because the algorithm tells me I might like it?!
I recently unfollowed a few accounts that made me cringe. I knew a few people and I still wait for them to say something but honestly my mental health is more important than keeping up appearances. I’ve done something similar in 2015 when I deleted my entire blog roll and feed reader. Not a smart move if you want to grow a following. But what does it help me if I have a ton of people around me I don’t feel connected to?
It does get a bit more complicated when you need to follow certain people to keep up with your job. I have not yet figured out how to manage that part. I need to know about certain trends and happenings. Unfortunately I am sometimes just bored or either overwhelmed. Currently I follow a lot Freelancers they all seem to have it figured out much better than I. (At least that is what it seems like.) What to do then?
I’d be interested in your thoughts. If you also like to chat about it feel free to read the other posts Bine collected in February’s thoughts on comparison – her 2019 blog series #blogliebe!
