Saturday, March 8, 2014

Licence To Blog

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Lately whenever I have been writing a post I've made sure that I've included a bit of a disclaimer about how I am no professional and that in some cases a professional should be consulted. It got me thinking that you don't really need to be a professional to write a blog (hell I'm not) and that I would share a few interesting things that you may or may not know about some of us (especially the less well known or less tech savy) bloggers. I think sometimes people tend to put bloggers on a pedestal (especially some of the really well known ones) and they forget that they are people too. The only licence you really need is a blogger/google account and a little knowledge of the blogging world to start up your own blog.

9 BLOGGER TRAITS:

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1. THE PRESSURE TO BLOG:
I always feel like I am under a constant pressure to keep uploading blog posts regularly without losing quality. If anyone actually likes your blog they are bound to lose interest if you suddenly stop posting or you don't post as often. However, writing bad posts where you rant about pretty much nothing is just as bad. It's definitely possible that bloggers do have a life outside of the blogosphere that is sometimes busy enough to stop them from posting their weekly memes and for this reason some of us may post short and sweet mini-updates so that you can see we have not been sucked into a wormhole and dumped into an era where technology does not exist.  And, because we want our readers to know that they are important to us.

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2. SURPRISING CONFIDENCE ISSUES:
I added "surprising" because in some instances readers are surprised that we think the way we do about ourselves. In some cases it means we don't want to take photos of ourselves or try out youtube (i did and it lasted a whole three videos before they were all deleted. Less minor versions include openly dissing things about yourself in style posts where you have uploaded outfit pictures or in a youtube video. No matter how confident someone may seem or how at ease someone is with their own body/mind we all have our own insecurities and bloggers are not immune.

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3. A VARIETY OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Sometimes a blog can be like a very long drawn out novel that covers a lot of themes. A blog can be like a magazine and cover a vast list of topics. So don't expect that when you come across a style blog or a book blog that all of the posts will be about the same thing... Especially not on this blog where I have talked about the books I've read, beauty products I've used, Stuff I have bought, music I have listened to and lots of other stuff. Sometimes this means that a reader won't like 100% of a blog's content.

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4. TRANSFORMATIONS DO NOT HAPPEN THIS^ QUICKLY:
Whether you are transforming a space to take your photos or videos, transforming your hair colour or trying to change your blog design a transformation like that does not happen at the wave of a wand. 

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5. WE ARE NOT ALL EXPERTS:
I have said it before. I am no expert. I am not a professional or a professor. While some beauty bloggers are hairdressers/make-up artists not all bloggers have studied or are studying their chosen topic. This doesn't mean they all lose credibility though. A lot of bloggers have had plenty of experience with their topic and have gained knowledge from less conventional methods.  In some cases this actually goes in our favor. Reviews for example are probably easier for an audience to understand/relate to when they are used by a regular person without professional training, because a lot of those people might not have professional training either...

Also, we don't always know everything. I am subscribed to book release emails from publishers and the goodreads newsletter, but several sequels have made it onto the shelves in stores before I even knew about it...

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6. ARE OFTEN BRANDED AS SELF ABSORBED:
We write down our opinions for the whole world to see, we take pictures of ourselves, we tell you about our life... But, really? Self-Absorbed is a bit over the top. A blog is a form of self-expression and anyone can choose to express themselves online. The blogging community is full of bloggers who like to know about what the other is doing and interact with complements and comments of concern. There is also usually a selective audience that wants to read about the chosen topic, so it wouldn't be like you were forcing your beauty swatch pictures onto your Facebook friends...

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7. OBSESSION DOES INTERFERE WITH ABILITY TO EXPLAIN:
Sometimes we get so caught up in our LOVE for something that we get a bit rambly and start using weird made-up terms that other people don't know about. Sometimes we do exclude normal people from the "nerdy kids club" without realising and we can use a thousand words to describe something that still doesn't make sense. 

And, on that note: fangirling, fandoms, style crushes etc. can get a little overwhelming on blogs sometimes. I know you are all tired of hearing about how awesome Lana Del Rey is. I'm not sorry; I'm obsessed.

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8. WE MAKE MISTAKES AND APOLOGIZE:
Sometimes it seems like we are always apologizing for stuff. Generalizing without realising, accidentally offending someone, typos, lack of posts and lack of knowledge are all causes for blogger apologies. And well, it's pretty easy to make mistakes when you are writing a post, especially if you don't have much time free to get your post up and you forgot to proofread...

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9. WE BLOG BECAUSE WE LIKE BLOGGING:
I write my blog posts because I have an opinion that wants to be heard, I get passionate about some things and I want to let the world know, And, because sometimes it's really fun. I am not the worlds most social person in real life and I do not have heaps of friends to talk about stuff with, so sometimes a blog is a place for me to vent and make friends with other people who like to blog. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and all of the cute GIFS (moving pictures).

I am sorry if I was generalising too much.

Your Favourite Blogger,
Natalie

5 comments:

Ashley said...

I love your references, especially Moulin Rouge and Gilmore Girls... two of my favorites!

Lauren @tear stained said...

I enjoyed this post and related to a lot of what you were saying. In my case I think it's mostly my own expectations that work against me, I don't have a big enough audience to upset people or cause ruffles! hehe.

Witchcrafted Life said...

Not in the slightest (re: too much generalizing) - quite the opposite actually. I think you did a terrific job of expanding on various views about bloggers and blogging which very rarely surface within the community itself. I love that you spoke so frankly and weren't afraid to call the shots as you see them.

♥ Jessica

Natalie_vintage_girl said...

thanks all for the lovely comments :) I am yet to have had any major issues with other people regarding my posts, but I definitely have seen it happen on other blogs a lot.

Lorna said...

I loved this post ! I m new here ! And really proud to be.
It's funny, interesting and true !

If you write this well on this true story listing post I m sure I'll love the rest but if I don't, as you said it's not bad... I'll come back later. No pressure ;D

Xxx
Lorna

Http://lornasharp.blogspot.com