It is my first bloggerversary today. It is hard to imagine life without blogging – and to think I have just been doing this for a year. It all started in June last year when I attended a social networking workshop. There were these 2 young ladies boasting about their blog at the workshop. And I actually felt quite threatened that they could do something I could not. So it all started as a personal challenge. If they could do it, I could do it better.
So I came home and did some research and Voila! Lifecherries was born. The name came about by pure trial and error – I tried so many names and combination of names but they were all taken. The official title of my blog is “Life is just a bowl of cherries” buy I typically shorten it to Lifecherries or Life Cherries.
When I started blogging, I thought I would do a few posts to prove that I could do it. A few months in I was still going strong and then decided to get my own domain. I try to post at least twice a week but this is not as easy as it sounds.
The greatest challenge about blogging:
Trying to find things to write about. Writing does not come naturally to me. I have to think about things – alot – and by the time I press the publish button – I have read and re-written the post a gazillion times.
Pictures is another challenge. I spend ages looking for just the right picture – and then you find the right picture but you don’t have the right to use it. I have even contacted a few fellow bloggers and requested permission to use their pictures – only to find they have ignored me. Paying for pictures is all fine and well, but when you are posting a few times a week it can become a costly affair. Especially if you don’t make any money from blogging.
The greatest joy about blogging:
Blogging is like having your own shrink with you 24/7. It is so therapeutic. It gets things off your chest and just makes the world a better place. It is difficult to explain this to people. You don’t necessarily have to blog about the person or thing that is pissing you off the most to feel a sense of relief – just spewing out words gets things off your chest. It makes you feel like someone is listening to you and you do matter. It is also the one thing that is all mine. It does not belong to my hubby or kids or anyone else – just me. And it is really good having something that is all mine.
The hardest thing about blogging:
Getting an audience. Pageviews shouldn’t matter – but they do. And I spend hours and hours researching and trying new things and seeing if I do this or that brings more people. The truth is that none of it makes any difference – you just have to keep on posting – and the more you post, the more people will be drawn to your blog. There are literally millions of blogs out there and I am honored to have 1 person read my blog – so I am eternally grateful to all those who read my blog.
Comments is another thing. I don’t get a huge amount of people commenting. And I do understand why – I read a lot of blogs everyday, but if I commented on them all, I would never get any sleep. So I suppose it works both ways. I comment on a select few blogs regularly and find they generally comment on my blog in return.
Finding an identity:
I struggled with my identity and I still don’t think I have got this sorted yet. I did not want to be labeled as a “Moms Blog”. But the reality is I am a mom and this is a big part of who I am. I am also middle aged, going through menopause, struggling with my own sexuality and sensuality. And I like to write about all of it. I wanted to write about anything and everything and I did not want to be dictated to about what I could and could not write about. This is where the risque part come in and I have had to be honest in admitting that my blog is slightly risque. I have had so many conversations with my friends who don’t read my blog because they think I am a little too “racy”. I have also had conversations with some of my friends who appreciate the fact that I am open and honest and write about anything and everything. I like being a little risque in my blog and I am not likely to change this anytime soon.
Have I benefited from my blog:
YES – Not financially but I have become friends with a few fellow bloggers. One in particular who lives in Florida, USA. She has become a huge influence in my life and I feel I can talk to her about anything. I don’t have a lot of close personal friends so having her is about as close to a personal friend as I have.
I would like to thank all those who have visited my blog and especially those that come back regularly. I really appreciated your patronage and I hope you keep coming back.
Hope you have noticed that I have a new look and feel to my blog. I am sure there will be some tweaking over the next few weeks so please be patient. Constructive criticism is very welcome so feel free to leave a comment or recommendation. I will also be introducing some new ideas and hope they go down well with you all.
