The Truth About a Blogger’s Life

Blogging Life Unfold

You see all the beautiful pictures, read the captions and posts, and perhaps think that bloggers live a very glam life. Am I right? You’re probably nodding your head or smiling a little out of truth while reading this. But, can I just break that stigma and tell you that it is far from a glamorous life? Don’t worry, I will break down why it is not all glitz and glam! I think no one really knows the lifestyle of a blogger until they are living that life themself. I certainly had NO IDEA prior to blogging until I jumped right in.

Let’s Start with Building a Website

Speaking for myself personally, I don’t have any coding background in technology or resolving technical issues. On top of that, I am not a graphic designer or web developer. The truth is, I just jumped right into putting my website together without any experience prior to blogging!

There was so much work involved in putting a website together. When you want a “DIY” theme website instead of hiring a web designer, it is recommended to take your time searching for the right theme. There are free WordPress themes as well as premium ones. The premium themes come with more options and are updated frequently, so you do not have to worry about maintenance. Don’t rush the process when searching for a theme because each one comes with a different design. For example, some themes may have more widgets than others which enables you to design more or less content on your website.

Learning the Back-End

I stretched myself outside of my comfort zone to learn how to use WordPress. In addition to understanding how plugins and widgets work together, and of course, the big one – Search Engine Optimization. It is so important to do your research when it comes to putting together a website. I had to dig and find resources that helped me along the process. I would say that 50% of my time was spent searching for helpful resources and tutorials. The other 50% was spent implementing the technical side. The most painful thing is running into technical issues and not knowing how to fix the problem after researching or waiting for a period to hear back.

For all my entrepreneurs, bloggers, and creative friends – if you are interested in learning details on how to start your website and which plugins are necessary, please comment below! I am considering creating a freebie on how to get your website started and would love to know where I can send the guide to.

Beautiful Photos Require Work

Oh yes, the beautiful pictures on the blog website, social media, and on the Insider Tribe all require a lot of work behind-the-scenes. How, so? Well, first, I must get ready for the photo session which means doing my hair, make-up, and picking out multiple outfits at once. Then, I have to pack my outfits including accessories and shoes into a bag and place them inside the car. When I am taking pictures out in public, I also have to pack my portable dresser, in addition to my camera and its bag. Oh, and props if I am using any.

Another part of taking pictures is scouting out locations, driving to destinations, and finding places to safely change into the next outfit. As we can see, this is already a lot to pack, carry, and haul around when going from location to location to shoot photos. The time spent here is already a lot considering getting ready and preparing everything for the photoshoot. I think this is the part where some people tend to misunderstand. It’s not that simple, to just “snap” a picture and call it a day. There is a lot of planning and preparation involved.

Not to mention, it may be humid and hot outside, and by the time I change into the next outfit, I am sweating. On the contrary, it could be really cold outside and I am freezing, but trying my best to not look it! Oh, and with the wind blowing, there were so many times when my hair was blown into my face. It takes multiple, and sometimes feels like a hundred shots to get the right one.

Editing the Photos

Each picture may or may not have the same lighting as natural lighting constantly changes when taking photos outdoors. What if some areas of the picture have bright lighting and others are in the shadows? Editing the lighting and shadows is the biggest challenge for me to get all the lighting as close to each other as possible. Even if I have a beautiful photo taken, I need to make sure that the lighting is evenly distributed and not causing any glare or shadows. Truth be told, it takes me about an hour to edit pictures, sometimes even longer.

Graphic Design

Prior to blogging, I didn’t design any graphics at all, except for invitations. Now, I design my own graphics when it comes the blog content, social media posts, and anything that may be aesthetically pleasing to my readers. Everyone loves aesthetically pleasing content and the best way to stand out is to design your own through Canva. There are also many templates you can choose from. Creative Market is also a great resource when you need a website theme, graphics, or even a media kit.

Copywriting

Although I have been blessed with the gift of writing, I have to also think about what I am going to say, how I am going to approach it, and what impact it might leave on my readers. Copywriting happens all the time in social media posts when you are trying to attract positive attention. Who knew that bloggers needed and use this skillset?

Time Spent Behind the Scenes

Writing a blog post usually takes anywhere between 3-4 hours. This only includes the initial blog post and not when I go back to edit it the second or third time around. I re-read through my blog posts about the same amount of time to make sure it is completely free of errors, flows smoothly, and makes sense to my audience.

Also, keeping up with social media requires hours of engagement to maintain relationships and continually build new ones. I love meeting new people on social media and networking with like-minded individuals! It is something I truly enjoy and love building. At times though, we all need to step away from social media to give our minds a break and just have some alone time – I think it’s healthy to have a balance.

Learning New Skills

I am constantly always on the hunt for resources that will enhance my skills and learning process. We can never obtain too much information. I love learning, and in this industry, there is so much to still learn. For instance, I didn’t know how to create an e-mail communication platform before blogging, and I should have done this prior to starting my blogging journey, but it is never too late to start! I learned to use Flodesk for my email list so I can communicate with my readers and have an open dialogue! If I didn’t have this option and one day, social media disappears, I would lose all of my contacts. I certainly don’t want to lose touch with you!

Find Work that Sets Your Soul on Fire

I love blogging and wouldn’t have it any other way. It has become a part of my lifestyle and who I am as a person. I am a lover of fashion, beauty, and enjoy personal branding and community building. Before blogging, I was always told that I was “fashionable” and that I was really good at finding items at a frugal price. But, I didn’t have a community to share it with. Even though I can be both an extrovert and an introvert at times, I love networking! This basically describes the lifestyle of blogging. People are what makes this community and nothing makes me happier than building genuine friendships!

Thank YOU for taking the time to read my post and supporting ChicandLively with your engagement! This community would not be complete or possible without you. I am just so beyond grateful for this little space on the internet. So yes, blogging is A LOT more work than I thought it would initially be, it is not as simple as “snapping” a photo, but I am so happy to be part of a network that lifts up and empowers womanhood.