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1.10.13

A new blogging season

I don't know about you but I've felt a big shift in the blogging world lately. I can't put my finger on it but it feels... different. Less commenting, less interacting, and yet there are SO MANY blogs out there. I've felt a bit blah about blogging lately. Maybe I'm not the only one? I've toyed with the idea of just shutting it down altogether but I miss the days where blogging didn't make me feel guilty... guilty for not blogging, guilty for not blogging engaging enough posts, guilty for posting too many photos of my beautiful babies, guilty for not being relevant enough. I just miss blogging for me, I guess. After some thinking, I decided that shutting down the blog isn't really what I wanted. What I want is the old days, where I enjoyed documenting my life and sharing things willy nilly. I went through phases where I didn't want to do anything crafty unless I could plan out step by step tutorials or if there wasn't good enough light for photos, because heaven forbid I couldn't take photos for my blog.

Okay. This is getting a little ranty.

What I'm trying to say is I'm taking my blog back and taking the pressure off. I'm removing sponsorship for my blog because I felt a lot of pressure to pump out pleasing posts that would benefit my sponsors (which is important to me!) and I'm just letting my blog be. Sometimes I'll post and sometimes I won't but when I do it will because I WANT to. I'm not knocking sponsors, I LOVED doing it, but for now I'd rather not and I feel really pleased with my decision. I'll revisit this again in the future when I'm feeling less angsty about it all.

Along with these changes I've given the blog a little facelift: A pretty new header for Spring! A simpler sidebar. No more spots for sponsors--I've gone old school and instead I'm just featuring blogs I love. Pure and simple.

Have you felt a shift in the blogging world? Or is that just me? Maybe I'm just getting old...

21 comments:

  1. I think I know exactly what you mean. I know that to each their own, but I never quite understood those blogs that are all about giveaways and cross promotions and sponsors. And I feel like more and more blogs turn into that and are flooding blogosphere with useless post with no "soul" in them.
    My blog-feed is like my morning paper. I used to love opening it in the morning and catching up on new post. It's like peaking into the life of others and learning from them and sharing their experiences - getting sad and happy with them. And now my blog-feed feels like "all business" to me. I guess it's time for major feed cleaning…
    Anyway… I hope you carry on with your blog and keep sharing your life and your soul and the pictures of your precious family with us. :)
    Cheers,
    Elena

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  2. Adoro tu decisión,espero que continúes con tu blog.Me gusta mucho leerte!

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  3. I like what Elena said: I love blogs which feel like I'm reading the morning paper. Yours is one of those. :) I'm glad you decided to stick around.

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  4. I think partly it's a shift in life too - we have more babies, so less time. I know I can't engage as much as I want to, so less people engage with me - it's kind of a circle, I find. I think it's a great decision to remove sponsorship, take the pressure off. My blog has never been 'big' enough to host sponsors, but it's never been something I've pursued for that exact reason - I didn't want the pressure of needing to post good, interesting things in a regular fashion to do them justice! My favourite blogs are blogs about people's lives: show me your cool projects and yummy meals, but I want to read about your heart and soul - your family. People are interesting. Good on you, friend, for making some great changes! (And I totally want to commission you to do a drawing for Rosie's new room!)

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  5. Such a timely post. I've been thinking about removing my sponsorship and advertising too and just blogging for me and not anyone else. I removed some items and once my obligations finish to my two remaining sponsors I will remove it all together. xo

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  6. You're not imagining things (and you are most definitely not getting old!!)...there seems to be a sudden surge and shift. I'm glad you've decided to keep blogging (um - those photos of your wee darlings? Yes please!) xx And I love the new header. Love it.

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  7. there had definitely been a shift. More commercialized with the sponsors etc... and for the rest of us who don't do it for these reasons...its a turn off...
    Go you! Take your blog back for you!

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  8. Nope not imagining things. And I am quickly learning that by making an effort visiting and commenting on other blogs does not equal a return on investment. People are interesting like Jess said. I love the sharing of lives and ideas. Blog for you - make it what you want. there is a season for everything :) Love your new header - absolutely gorgeous x

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  9. You are not imagining things - I 'think' it is possibly because of people reading from smart phones and/or tablets which make commenting more difficult (well that is what I read the reasons for not commenting are)
    Yeah for removing sponsorship - I applaud your decision xxx
    Love the header - looking forward to photos of your babies

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  10. Love your header. And, love that you are doing it for you. Cx

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  11. I am new to the blogging world, as far as just having started one myself. . . but I have been following blogs for years and I can tell that most people are enjoying quick snippets through instagram and twitter instead and maybe they don't want to see a blog post when they just saw the same info through other social media

    simplifying life seems so tempting when babies start to take over life!

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  12. I totally hear you... I am finding that I am not reading many blogs at all lately. I can't put my finger on why. Maybe less time... maybe they are all a bit too commercialized, I think its a bit of everything too. Mine is tiny and not overly frequent but its about my family... my life. And that's the whole reason I began.. To record our life as a family and have a diary of sorts to look back on in the years to come. I love your blog.. it is a beautiful space to visit and be inspired and I am so very happy you decided to stay. xxx

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  13. I have definitely sensed a shift in the blogging world. I recently went through and deleted a whole load of the 'bigger' blogs from my feed as I had realised how commercial and uninspiring they had become. I enjoy reading through my favourite blogs far more now! I'm really glad you decided to carry on blogging, I hope you start to be able to enjoy it again :) p.s. I love your new header!

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  14. the new look is beautiful x I think actually the biggest challenge of us all is staying true to us and not blogging under demand x go beautiful girl x

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  15. The best idea and post I've read in a long while. How refreshing. You are blogging for the best reasons now! x

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  16. Hi Talia, what a great post - you have such a good way with words and it always feels like I'm having a one on conversation with you when I read your blog.

    I'm one of those kind of embracing some of the commercial possibilities with blogging at the moment - in that I've being doing a few reviews and giveaways. I'm still pretty small so haven't really done the sponsor thing yet. I've been enjoying exploring these opportunities but am conscious that I don't want my blog to get too commercial and still want to blog for the reasons I started (much the same as the ones you mentioned above.) But I kind of want to have my cake and eat it too! Is it possible? I'm not sure if that's going to work because I'm sure some of my readers will think my blogs too commercial now, while the ones there for the giveaways etc will get annoyed by my baby spam! Oh well you can't please everyone. I'm going to try and ride this wave for now (and my current wave of blog mojo - because I now it will subside eventually) but try not stress myself out and keep blogging for me. Thanks for the timely reminder x

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  17. You are totally gorgeous and inspirational and good on your for embracing the season you are in. Your new header is just delightful and such a lovely fresh vision to arrive at your place and see. I will always want to know how you and that precious family of yours are doing sponsorship or not xx

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  18. Hehe, gone old school and promoting blogs you love! I LOVE IT! Yay for you Talia! And I agree, there had been a noticable decline in interacting over in my neck of the woods too! I wondered if its just because I'M busier and not interacting as much. But I dont think so. Hmmmm.

    Anyway, its not the end of the world. Infact, its a lovely little corner of it :) xxx

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  19. I feel the same way lately. I never did any sponsoring on my blog (Er, with 2.5 readers there wasn't much interest :) But I do feel more and more blogs are turning into advertisement machines. While I'm happy for them, as they're hopefully making some money of it, I find it less engaging. So, good for you! :)

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  20. I follow lots of blogs, mostly design design blogs, as I scroll tgrough my feed I feel like I just look at the pictures. I bookmark pages and go back and pin the images, but rarely read the words. But when I get to your posts I read every one of them, I have been for a few years now. I love seeing you and your family grow. When I read about your birth with Audrey it reassured me that I could do it. Anyway, what I am getting at is, keep writing, I love your posts and your pictures but do it your way, don't feel pressured!

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I love and appreciate your comments and I try to respond to as many as I can so don't forget to check back! xoxo