The Negative Side of the Blogging Culture

When I started blogging last year (and had no idea what I was doing or what it would lead up to) I was most excited about the community I had stumbled into. There were so many amazing and strong women out there, writing their stories, sharing their experiences and inspiring me to try to cook more! I finally felt like I had found my “people” and found myself pouring my heart into my space and into blogging. I was being challenged creatively, mentally and emotionally. I started caring about my body again, started caring about my appearance and well-being because of how other fashion and beauty bloggers were inspiring me. I started facing my demons face first instead of running away from them. And, I started making a little extra money on the side to help with student loans and my makeup addiction. I loved blogging. I loved every part of it and all the amazing things it was doing for my life.

Recently, though, there’s been a shift in the blogging community. I’m not talking about the “eCourse” shift. I’m talking about the “I don’t like this aspect of blogging/social media, so I’m going to talk negatively and bash everyone who does it this way” shift. It’s just been so negative lately in the blogging space. And I’m not talking about the casual blogging tip posts where bloggers share what they have learned or what strategies have worked for them. I’m talking about posts where people straight out say: “Flat-lays on Instagram are crap and I think the people behind them are liars and aren’t being authentic” or “5 reasons why I don’t read your blog or 5 reasons I unfollow you on Instagram.”

I think it really struck me just how negative the blogging culture has become when I was reading a post about a blogger who decided to stop pursuing follows and likes and who just wanted to write and be happy with that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that! Go her! However, when I scrolled down to leave a response, someone else’s comment caught my eye. The person who left this comment basically said her new motto for the year was that she was going to immediately unfollow any blogs that were too cute, nice and creative and made her feel bad about her blog.

I sat and stewed about that comment for hours. What kind of mentality is this? Why must we immediately stomp on someone’s hard work because they may be a few steps ahead of us? Why do we get offended because someone might work harder than us? Where is the support for each other? Why can’t it be “5 reasons why I read your blog” or “5 reasons why I follow you on Instagram?” Why must women tear each other down because they don’t share all the talents as someone else? I’m not a crafty person, but I don’t immediately think “wow, that person is so talented at whipping out crafts that she makes me feel worthless, so I’m not going to read her blog anymore.” Instead, I try to appreciate her talent and enjoy looking at her hard work and feel inspired to try something similar when I have the time (which I probably won’t, but hey, I can dream!) There is no reason for blogging to be a competition; every person is unique and has their own story and we should be celebrating that instead of tearing into each other and using our blogs to dig at each other!

Here’s the thing: everyone’s blogging journey is different. You don’t HAVE to make money off of your blog. You don’t HAVE to have Pinterest-worthy photos. You don’t HAVE to have white backdrops for your Instagram shots. But hey, all the props to you in the world if you DO want to make money or if you DO want to have a specific niche blog. You do you, boo. Do what makes you happy!

And yes, if you want to monetize and turn your blog into a business, there are definitely strategies and techniques you can use to be more successful at turning your blog into a biz. I LOVE reading blog tips and tricks, pouring over new strategies for Pinterest and sharing what’s been working for me. I’m not dogging on anyone who shares their strategies for success; I think it’s amazing when bloggers share those things to help others and I try to share my (limited) knowledge as well! And the cool thing is that you could do something totally different than me and be just as successful! Those kinds of posts are awesome and so needed in the blogging community; but only when done in a positive and encouraging way.

And of course, not every type of blog/niche is going to be your cup of tea. I’m not a mom, so I don’t tend to click on blogs about pregnancy or interactive games for 2-year-olds. But that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate those types of bloggers and the great work they do over there! My point is this: do what works for you and what makes you happy!