I’ve been blogging on and off for 6 years. In that time I’ve graduated, worked in PR and then moved to Marketing, moved out of home, met significant others, had my heart broken, and lived through a global pandemic! And a lot of the things I’ve learnt have been due to each and every one of those. But I’ve also learnt SO much about myself and so many new skills because of my blog! And it’s one of the things I’ve always loved about this little space of mine on the internet!
Yes, I would love to say I’ve made loads of money from it (pft!), but it’s still a hobby… and I wouldn’t give up for the world! I’ve seen a few posts like this floating around the internet, and thought I’d let you know the biggest things I learnt about myself while writing on this little corner of the internet!
I Get Burnout
I mean it’s no secret that I suffered from this BAD! And ended up giving up my blog for about 2 years… but it’s something I’d never really experienced before that point. As much as school gets tiring, there was always a summer holiday! And I’ve since had burnout at work (I full on cried in front of my boss.. it was a thing!) and learnt the signs and how to deal with it. But I don’t think I’d have ever learnt how to manage it properly without this blog.
It’s OK To Take A Break
Following on from the past point, I’ve learnt it’s really OK to take a break! While I wouldn’t say a 2 year break is necessarily a good idea… a week off here or there will do you the world of good! And you should totally apply this to all elements of your life; from work, to hobbies to everything inbetween! Look after yourself!
How To Social Media
This is a funny one, and I wasn’t 100% sure whether to include it… especially as my role in the company I work for is like 50% organic and paid social media! But, I have learnt so much about social media from my blogging channels! Things I didn’t even learn via work! From how to make reels, to how #s work, to ways to increase engagement! So many of these tips I would never have known if it wasn’t for this blog! And while I may have come across them in some roundabout way through work, I feel like trying to grow a channel with <10k followers, versus a company with a combined following of like 150k… it’s a completely different skillset!
Read More: My Instagram Tip Sheet | How To Increase Engagement & Follows on Instagram
How To Edit Photos / Videos / Graphics / You Name It
I have always been a keen photographer, and so had a decent knowledge of shutter speeds and F numbers and the like before embarking on this journey! But something I’d never done before starting this blog is editing! From touching up photos, to editing YouTube videos, to creating thumbnails and Pinterest Pins… it’s just amazing to see how much I can now do!
Read More: How I Edit My Blog Post Photos | Free Photoshop?
I’m F**king Hardworking!
I mean I know I’ve always been hardworking, I was that person at school who’d do the extra work on top of the homework (yes, I know a NERD)… but a blog takes work. A lot of work! And just seeing the time and effort I’ve put into this community is amazing! Also… excuse my French!
Organisation is Key!
There is NO WAY I could keep this blog up alongside a full time job without organisation! Whether it’s a notebook, speadsheet, notes on your phone… whatever it is! I’ve learnt how to organise myself in a whole new way!
I LOVE Makeup!
It’s mental to think I started this blog to document my journey in makeup! I hadn’t worn anything more than lip gloss till I was 19… and I started my blog when I was nearly 20 to document my new found love of makeup and all the products I was using as a complete beginner! And now here I am knowing what a cut crease is and graphic liner… it’s just mental!
SEO SEO SEO
While there are a lot of technical things I’ve learnt while doing this job, I really feel like SEO is the biggest thing ever! From on page SEO, to making sure your web pages are loading as fast as they can, to checking links… it’s completely nuts to me to think how little I knew about this 6 years ago!
Read More: SEO – The Basics | What Is It? How Do I Ace It?
I think I could write an entire novel on all the things my blog has taught me, but I think I’ll leave it there!
Let me know in the comments what your blog has taught you!
Katie x