Readers, I’ll be honest.
I’m a shit blogger.
Not because I don’t have things to say, or the ability to communicate them.. no, far worse.
Perfection paralysis.
Here’s a few of the things I’ll be doing around here to get out of my own way and into the the mildly-popular-micro-influencers-in-my-very-niche-corner-of-the-internet hall of fame, and why they might be good practices for all sufferers of PP – whether you have a blog or not.
- KILL COMPARISON WITH UNMATCHED FERVOR
I’m serious, ladies. While I do not ever, under any circumstances, partake in the jealousy game (it’s time consuming and directly opposes my biggest non-negotiable, community over competition), I do still fail to remember that my baby project’s creative output doesn’t have to look editorial ready all the time. The problem is, you see, I’ve got a creative degree under my belt – and a part of me knows that if I spend a good fifty hours on each post, they’d be Conde Nast ready. But it simply isn’t realistic when I’m trying to get an idea off the ground, let alone a blog.Starting imperfectly is pretty much Virgo kryptonite, so this will probably be the hardest pill to swallow. Still, here goes nothing.
- RINSE AND REPEAT STEP ONE UNTIL IT STICKS
This will probably take weeks, if not months. Please bare with me. You’re so kind.
- FIND FRIENDS WHO ARE IN THE PROVERBIAL WORK TRENCHES WITH YOU
That might mean reaching out to another small blogger, or simply contacting that one Facebook acquaintance that you see who’s also trying to get their blog off the ground. It could be a little awkward at first, but I can almost guarantee they’ll be just as happy as you are to have someone to talk through the nitty gritty realities of blog ownership with instead of having it fall on deaf ears of less interested pals. Last I checked, bless them, most of my friends prefer dirty martinis over chatting about which host to use. Find a balance that includes both – it’s a win/win all around.
- CREATE WHAT YOU CAN WHERE YOU ARE
I’m really lucky to have a wonderful little studio to work out of. It has tripods, backgrounds, tech gear, and enough motivational quotes to make any pessimist puke. It also, however, doubles as my wardrobe/ wine cellar / decoration storage. Most of the time there’s at least one half finished project thrown in the corner, and it’s definitely not large enough to leave my camera setup 24/7. I’ve told myself the convenient lie that this is why I haven’t been able to amp up my creative output, but the truth is that it has much less to do with that and much more to do with the fact that I’m too lazy to channel my inner Tim Gunn and Make It Work™. Will my blog rival A Beautiful Mess instantly? No. Is that okay? Probably. Does that piss me off incredibly? HELL YES. Alas, we must continue.
- GET COMFY IN FRONT OF THE CAMERA WITHOUT A FRESH BLOWOUT AND PERFECT EYELINER
Truly, this is more of a wishlist item than a promise. If there’s one thing I tend to pride myself on, it’s being well coiffed. So, to show up in my PJs with a clay mask and a glass of wine in my hand is going to feel super fucking weird for probably forever, but if my own viewing habits have taught me anything – that’s the shit people love to watch the most. DO NOT LIKE. But.. I will try. In time.That feels good to me as far as rules go, but please do leave your best tried and true tips below – even if it’s just “get out of your own damn head and get shit done, Elle”. Brutal honesty’s growing on me as I crawl closer to 30..!Talk soon,