If we know what we want, and have the dream why is taking the leap so hard?
For years I knew that I loved writing, and I loved fashion. I found the sweet spot in between, blogging, but I was afraid that I wouldn't be good enough to start my own blog.
I took Fashion Design class in high school (grade 11 I think), and we were looking into other blogs as a part of one assignment was to start our own.
I discovered In the Frow by Victoria Magrath in her early stages of blogging where she was still working full time and blogging as well. I felt so inspired by her sense of determination and her style that I felt like I should at least try. Over the years I tried to keep writing even though I knew I was just doing it for me.
I saw that Victoria had grown her blog and brand and was now doing In the Frow full time. It was amazing to see the hard work that she had put in pay off, and it made me feel that if it worked out for her why shouldn't I try?
I knew that it didn't work out for everyone and of course didn't expect to end up with large sponsorships but it was motivation to work hard on The Secret Robin and grow our community, and to put in the effort I was afraid to.
After completely forgetting about blogging after college round 1 (Interior Design), when I decided to go back to school and journalism and photography were two of my studies I felt the need to try again. It's been hit and miss with the consistency but I keep trying which is proof that there is something there. My passion for writing and photography have been a drive, but finding my niche has been the hard part and sometimes I feel as though it's hard to decide what to write about instead of just writing what comes to your mind. I feel as though it all has to fit together or be "perfect" and I can't just write from the heart.
Taking the leap to make a schedule was step one, but after doing it for a while it felt overwhelming. It felt more about quantity than quality which is not what you want so how do we find that sweet spot where it still feels like you're doing something you love and not doing something out of the need to do it, how do you keep loving it if it becomes more of a job than a hobby?
Remember that this is you you are investing in, take the time don't feel the pressure to do it and feel like you can take time off for you, for your mental health and for things that require your time like friends and family. I had a hard time balancing my personal life, my work life and my blog to the point where I gave up on multiple occasions. I found that once I get to a stable place where things make sense I feel the want to do it again.
So what is my motivation? I grew up loving fashion, my mom was in the military at the time but still did sewing and tailoring as her hobby and my dad was a writer and a photographer. I feel as though they influenced me to get to where I am now, and often times I think of them when I write, (they're two of my only subscribers.)
I want to do something that I can be proud of, something that I made and say "that's mine, I grew that."
I worry often that I'm not good enough to put myself out there, but sometimes when I do a photo or a post I see it and I think to myself ,"wow that's really not half bad." That feeling of knowing I did something I'm proud of and created something beautiful is my motivation. I want to feel that more frequently, while I share my love of things and opinions with my community.
What is your motivation?
