I published the first version of this blog post three years ago, after two years of blogging. Although most of the lessons in that post are still things I keep in mind when reviewing and editing old blog posts, I though that I would expand the list with more specific (and slightly different) lessons I’ve learned since then.
Happy 2019, friends! I hope the first day of the new year feels as refreshing to you as it does to me (although maybe the second day will actually feel more refreshing 😉🥂🎉), and that you have chosen a few or many great memories and lessons from 2018 to carry forward with you. I always enjoy laying out resolutions or goals at the beginning of the year, although I try to be general with what I want to accomplish so to leave room for alterations and adaptations. I got more serious with my blog in 2018, and I hope to build on that in the new year. Below I’ve identified a few things I want to improve upon, change, and/or add to my blog in 2019, as well as offered up some unsolicited blogging advice, so if you’re interested in those things, just keep reading.
Two years ago today I began this blogging adventure, although it feels more like ten. Much has changed, both on my blog and in my life, and I find it peculiar that on this day, this blogiversary, I am feeling unmotivated, sluggish, and unenthused. Much like my blog two years ago, I had so many ideas and such high hopes for the future, which are all quite dim now. I still feel quite shaky when it comes to my blog; it is still too piecemeal for me to be highly proud of it, and I know I’m not utilizing all of its capabilities and my resources – will I ever be more of a novice? And after realizing the grad program I had entered wasn’t at all what I wanted, it’s been difficult to sludge through the days, trying to stay positive and trying to repair my mind and my wounded pride.
Why am I talking about this? Well, if I’m measuring how long I’ve been blogging, it’s worth noting what happened between photo sessions and draft revisions, transferring content and building my own domain. You know, life.
These past couple of weekends have been wonderfully relaxing, but as I sit and think and dive back into my normal schedule, I become a little disheartened. Social media floods my mind, body, and soul when I’m at work, when I come home and relax, and that sucks. That’s not relaxing, that’s mindless, empty stimulation.
This post doesn’t really have a destination, a point. It just feels good to let the words flow out of my fingertips and form on this screen in no particular order and perhaps with a pitiful, annoying rant-like tone that contributes nothing. Maybe this should be a “what have I learned” or “highlights from the past two years” kind of post. I’m not usually one to underwhelmingly acknowledge an anniversary, but like I said earlier, I’m feeling unenthused. I am incredibly tired, so that could be a large factor. Or, I just need to read more and be more strict about writing everyday (and not just every other day) so I can feel fulfilled. That’s really all there is to blogging, and to life. Feeling and being fulfilled.
So for those who have followed my for the past two years, and for those who just followed me within the last couple of days, thank you! I apologize for the downer that is this blogiversary post, but I don’t apologize for the honesty or the relief I feel after getting this all out. I hope you’ll keep your eyes out for my new posts this week, in which I go On The Road and provide an update of my Summer Reading Challenge. Thank you for reading.
Recently, Adele stopped a show in Italy to berate a fan in the audience who was recording the performance on a video camera, in defense of her real-time performance and those who were unable to attend the concert and not see Adele in “real time” themselves.
More recently (this past weekend), I took approximately four Snapchat videos during a concert I attended in addition to a handful of okay-quality pictures. I could say “I did it because other people were doing it” but really, I did it because I wanted to capture some of my favorite moments and share them with those who weren’t there, or those unfortunate enough to accidentally click my Snapchat story.
Now, approximately four Snapchat videos that are under ten seconds each are not as “bothersome” (I think) as someone recording an entire show, but they do have at least one thing in common: they are driven by the need to capture and share.
It is here! My new domain, my new design, and what I hope will become a more consistent place to channel my thoughts.
I stuck with WordPress rather than an entirely solo website, partly because I don’t understand websites enough to be confident in going “out on my own,” and partly because I really love using WordPress. I still don’t totally understand what is going on, but I consider that part of the fun.
The email associated with my blog (contact@theressomethingaboutkm.com) is up and running, so feel free to contact me with any thoughts of yours, or leave a comment here. Learn about what led me to blogging and what led me to my domain name in my About Me section. I still feel a little shaky on this new bloggish ground, but my footing is becoming stronger.
Read my March Reading Challenge recaps, and see what is in store for April. I have no podcast suggestions this month, mainly because the past few weeks have found me quite busy with this redesign, being sick, and reading. I’ll start my suggestion list back up in May.
Finally (for now), I’m planning on doing a “what I learned” sort of post for the process of going from where my blog was to where it is now. If you have lessons of your own that you would like to share, leave a comment and I’ll link back to you. Stay tuned for more updates and my posts, and as always, thank you for reading.
-KM
Hi everyone,
So I’ve committed to changing my blog from a “.wordpress.com” domain to its own domain, and the process has already presented itself as simple (thankfully), and has, I feel, exposed me as a novice in the website-domain-owning world (I admit hesitantly). I thought I would have to export all of my content and then import it to the new domain, but the beautiful, magical wizards of WordPress have already redirected everything, or at least are in the process of redirecting everything – is this because I registered the domain while upgrading my blog? – so by now you can see my new URL (eek!).
For the next week/week and a half I will be working on a redesign and developing a feature (or features) that I’ve been longing to incorporate into my blog for at least a couple of months now. To do this discreetly, I was hoping to just build my new website while my current “.wordpress.com” site stayed visible, so now I’m sort of scrambling to organize myself and my blog in a way that is minimally disruptive to readers and my followers – for now this post will do, but if I end up deciding to disable the URL (can I even do this?) I will announce it on Twitter and Instagram.
Regardless of this little setback in my expectations, I’m excited to finally have my own domain and a handle that I like and don’t despise/have been waiting to rid myself of for over six months (yes, it is almost the same now but it’s different). Cheers to this new adventure, and I welcome all comments/suggestions/criticisms! See you on Twitter, Instagram, and at my new launch!
– KM
