I am the FARTHEST thing from a pro blogger. I am just little old me, Liz Marie, who is going through different seasons of life & blogs through it all. Including our home & life journey. I don’t use photoshop, I don’t blog every single day, I don’t use special lighting or wait for sunny days to take photos, not every project of mine turns out, I don’t plan blog posts, I compare myself to absolutely everyone, I can’t keep up with my emails [I’m trying!], I don’t always spell check or proof read my blogs [sorry to my ocd readers.. I really am], & so on & so on. I’m by no means a pro blogger & that’s kind of why I’m here today with this post. I’m not a pro blogger, but I have been blogging for a while so I know there are a few secrets to making blogging easier. I shared a long time ago [here] How to start your own blog & I hope it helps those of you who want to blog. BUT I also want you guys who start a blog to be happy with it & to be happy doing it because that’s what matters. I started this blog because I love sharing my ideas & home decor with other like minded people & sometimes things get in the way of that like comparison & other joy robbing things. Lately I’ve been so busy with the store, so caught up in day to day things, & so hung up on what’s coming up that I wasn’t treating my blog like my happy place. So today I wanted to get back to the basics & share how to start a blog you love & how to LOVE the blog you started. Here are the top eight secrets to blogging…

1- Blog what you love.

Remember why you started blogging. Did you want to blog about your passion for cooking, your love for DIY, your knowledge about makeup, your talent of crafting? What was it that got your started? Blog that. Sometimes we get caught up in the “What do people want to see?”, but that’s not going to keep you happy. Your blog is your corner of the internet, your happy place, blog what you love & your readers will love to come to your happy place & see what you are doing.

2-Blog when you feel inspired.

This is a tough one. Some days you just aren’t inspired & that’s a fact of life. Some days I don’t feel like doing a project, working on the house, doing laundry, so I nap & I don’t blog. When you aren’t inspired or passionate about what you are writing about it shows. Honestly was I going to write about this today? Nope. But I was inspired because after a long talk with myself [yes that helps me gather my thoughts] I really told myself that I need to get back to the basics with blogging. get back to my happy place, so I was inspired to write this for you guys today. Blog when you feel inspired, motivated, & passionate about your subject. It’s ok to take a break for however long you need to when the inspiration just isn’t there.

3- Find your blog homies.

Find some blog friends. I have to say this right now, my blog friends have become like a little family to me. They get me. They get what I do. We can talk about blogging & life. They are there with advice about both & that has been a lifesaver. They make blogging so much fun & motivate me to keep wanting to better myself & my blog. I suggest you reach out to some bloggers, form a little blogging group, & find your homies.

4-Be true to yourself.

This goes back the wanting to please everyone. Raise your hands if you are a people pleaser! You didn’t see it, but my hand totally went up in the air! I have days where I’m like oh I see tie-dye is in, I should totally create something tie-dye. No. Does Liz Marie like Tie-dye? maybe outside my home, but it’s just not my thing so why would I blog about it? Staying true to yourself is hard in this crazy visual world we live in where everything is being throw in our faces 24/7 but by always blogging what you think others will like you will not be happy blogging. If you like that pink pillow, but think your readers will laugh… use that pink pillow! Want to paint that piece of furniture, but you are scared the furniture police will come get you? Don’t be scared! Paint it! Your blog is your creative outlet. Use it & be happy.

5-Connect with your readers.

Just like finding your blog homies, you will find reader homies too. I am SO THANKFUL for my readers.. I don’t even want to call them that because they are more than that. They are the reason I keep blogging, they are the reason I share my passion for DIY & decor. I can’t tell you how many days I’m feeling really down about myself & a reader sends a encouraging words in a comment or email & my mood completely changes. I appreciate every comment, every like, every email, every encouraging word, every piece of advice, every person who visits my blog daily. I’m so grateful & don’t deserve any of it. BUT the readers make my blog a happy place & for that I am forever grateful. Thanks for connecting with me & sticking with me through every season of my life. Thank you!!

6-Ignore the ugly.

With that being said.. sometimes you will get a comment like “I hate this.” or “This room looks terrible.” ummmm thanks? haha we just have to remember in these moments that their mommas didn’t teach them to keep those ugly thoughts to themselves. They didn’t learn there is always a nice way to say something.. well most things. & sometimes it’s just best to not say it at all. I remember my very first hate comment ever & it made me cry! Haha I was just little me sitting in my living room reading through my blog comments & someone wrote these awful words to me & I called all my friends & eventually got over it & no comment has hurt me since then. I just have to remind myself that they are not happy & I pray they find happiness. Happy people don’t lash out with ugly words… remember that when you are blogging. This is your happy place, don’t let the ugliness get to you… it’s not you, it’s them.

7-Blog your life… If you want.

I had to share one BIG thing that has made my blog truly happy. I shared my sadness. Sounds weird, but stay with me.. One day three years ago actually this week exactly three years ago I decided to share my miscarriage story. It was so hard to share the hard moment, BUT over time I found it so therapeutic to share our fertility journey. Everyone was so kind, helpful, encouraging, & it truly made my blog happier because I was sharing what I was going through & not hiding it. Since then I have shared all six of our miscarriages, the good and the bad about fertility, & so much more. to be able to be open here on my blog has brought me so much joy & you guys have helped me so much through this journey. Thank you for allowing me to share that part of my life here in my happy place. That’s my suggestion to you.. find what you are comfortable sharing about you & your life & blog that. It can be therapeutic, help you find your homies, & really connect you with others on a deeper level. This of course only my experience & how it made my blog happier & me, but you will find what works for you.

8-Stop comparing yourself.

I’m ending with this one because it’s one that I’m working on daily. You go on Instagram & you see person after person sharing their beautiful homes, delicious recipes, amazing blog posts, & pretty photos, You sit their scrolling & after 3 minutes you are like “Yup, I suck.”. Every day. Sometimes I compare myself so much I’m like “Why do I even blog?!?” “Why would someone read my blog if this person’s house is prettier?” Isn’t that awful? I compare myself so much that I turn my blog into a sad place. It’s human nature to compare, but it doesn’t mean it’s ok for us to do that. We have to remind ourselves that somone’s middle isn’t going to look like our beginning. Comparison is the biggest thief of joy & that isn’t going to make your blog your happy place. Be gentle with yourself, be kind to yourself, & for the love be inspired by others, but don’t compare yourself & by no means don’t copy anyone because you think you must be like them. You will be happier, I promise.

These secrets, that everyone probably already knows will really help you love your blog & for others to love it with you. It’s easy to forget these common tips, but a little reminder never hurt. I hope today’s blog post helped some of you who blog & for those who want to start a blog… It’s easy to lose perspective on things, but I wanted to bring blogging back to basics. I started blogging to share what I’m passionate about & that’s why I’m going to continue doing. This is my happy place & I hope it’s yours too. I love coming here & sharing my recent DIY projects, my furniture makeovers, our home updates, our highs, our lows, & so much more. Thank you for being a part of that, for sharing my blog with your friends & family, & for stopping by daily. Some big changes are coming to Liz Marie Blog soon that should improve the whole experience of visiting so stay tuned for that. Be sure to find me on Instagram & Facebook to keep up with me. xx

 

Read more of my blogging posts…

How to start and grow your blog [here]

5 ways to get people to read your blog [here]

How to grow your instagram [here]