If you're thinking about starting a blog...

Today's prompt is an interesting one: 10 Things You'd Tell Yourself When You Started Blogging. 

I started blogging at my other blog in 2004. But when I graduated from college, I transitioned to blogger and started to take my hobby a little more seriously. Over the course of the last few years, I've learned more about blogging etiquette, taken a year-long hiatus from this space, and made some awesome friends. Although I wouldn't change anything about my blogging past, it would be nice to give myself some advice and forewarning. Here are the ten things I'd tell my old blogging self:

1. Blogging is unbelievably time-consuming. Between writing posts, editing them, finding or taking pictures, commenting on other blogs, responding to comments, and posting on social media, blogging has almost become a part-time job. I don't mind it because I love doing it, but this would definitely be something to keep in mind when deciding to start a blog.

2. Don't get caught up in clicks or comments. It's really hard, but don't. Just because no one comments doesn't mean no one is reading it. Just because no one reads it doesn't mean it's worthless. I used to feel so disappointed when I poured my heart into a post and no one responded, but I've since realized that that's okay. This blog is for me.

3. If you don't feel like blogging, don't do it. Most "big-time" bloggers post five days a week, like clockwork. At first, that doesn't seem very hard to do because you're brimming with ideas to share. But as the years go by, it gets tougher to come up with something original or worth reading every day. Unfortunately, some bloggers will publish sub-par posts just to have their name out there every day. Quality over quantity, my friends.

4. People will read this. Be careful what you say. Be completely aware how much you're sharing and be okay with people knowing those parts of your life.

5. You will get feedback on posts you never thought would be popular. This is the strangest thing I've encountered through my blog. I have written posts that I was very proud of, posts that required a lot of thought and creativity, posts that I spent hours on. Sometimes, those posts get zero comments. Then, I'll share a post of grainy pictures and I'll get ten comments. You never really know what will resonate with the blogosphere.

6. You will find yourself thinking about your blog all the time. Whenever you go out, you have a camera in hand to get pictures for the blog. You carry around a notebook to scribble down ideas for the blog as they occur to you. You re-work sentences all day in your mind to figure out the best way to say something. It's kind of creepy.

7. There is no better way to stay in touch with loved ones. Self-explanatory.

8. You will make so many awesome friends. This was the biggest surprise for me after starting my blog. I didn't really think anyone outside of my family and friends would care what I had to say, but slowly, I started making new friends through this wonderful medium. Over the last four years, I've grown closer to other real-life friends who blog and met so many incredible friends from all over the country. Some of these girls have become my closest friends, people I can trust with just about anything.

9. Blog for yourself, not everyone else. This is similar to #2 and #3, but post for you. Post what you want, when you want. Don't try to cater to readers' tastes. Be yourself and you'll attract like-minded readers. You might even introduce people to something new and exciting.

10. Don't change who you are for your blog. I learned this lesson the hard way. A couple years ago, I didn't get a job that I wanted, solely because of my blog. They said I was fully qualified for the position, but would not be hired because of my inappropriate social media use. Of course, I didn't think my blog was inappropriate - my grandparents read it! But, according to their social media restrictions, my blog was deemed inappropriate. Devastated, I made my blog private for a month before taking a year-long break. Now, I completely regret that decision.

Now, I realize that my blog is an extension of me. It's a pivotal part of my persona, something that I love to do. It's a cathartic hobby, a passion, and a great way to meet new people. Because I stopped blogging, I missed out on chronicling an exciting year of my life. Finally, I realized if someone doesn't want to hire me for being myself, then I probably shouldn't be working there, anyway. I'm proud of this space and the growth I've experienced through these posts and nothing will ever take me from that again.