It’s a funny old business Blogging, isn’t it? It’s a sort of introverted way of being extrovert. A quiet way of being loud. A safe way of being ourselves. I think most people start blogging because they need an outlet, a way of throwing their own unique brand of personality, creativity and voice out there on their own terms. Personally, I’ve always found it a bit difficult expressing myself honestly in person (without hitting the gin first…); I’ve always been better at writing than speaking. Those who know me well, know that when I open up I’m capable of being loud and opinionated, funny and sometimes even smart… but that’s something that takes time. With blogging though, all the interaction happens through cables, wifi and computer screens with profile pictures and screen names, and that gives us a bit of a buffer zone; we can be as up front and as honest as want about who we are (or want to be) without fearing that dreaded face to face, real life , real time reaction.
Or at least that’s how it is to begin with, when you first start blogging. After a while – if you’re successful (whatever that means) – you’re going to be forced to step out from behind your computer screen. You might get invited to an event, or into a collaboration with a brand which (Eeek!) requires real life, real time interaction with actual human beings. You might suddenly want to write a very raw, very personal blog post, or, after months and months of keeping your face out of your blog photography, you’ll suddenly feel the pressure to reveal more of yourself in a profile picture or outfit shots with yknow, your actual face. And yes, at some point your friends and family are going to clock what you’re doing and say those dreaded words, “So hey, I found your blog…” *Gulp*
The truth is that at some point, you’ve got to actually own your blog.
For a lot of bloggers this is where things get exciting, but for some, it’s a scary kind of exciting. Suddenly, blogging isn’t an exercise in introverted extroversion (…?!) anymore, it becomes real, and the inevitable question that goes along with that is whether you can actually do it – whether you can take that next step and put yourself out there like that.
So what do you do if you feel like you’re too shy to blog? If the thought of talking into the camera on Instagram Stories or YouTube makes you feel sick? When you can’t quite bring yourself to send that ballsy, opinionated tweet, or publish that honest ‘I cried while writing this’ blog post. What do you do when you’re considering ditching an event because you’re just too nervous to promote yourself, or you’re thinking of deleting every single one of those outfit shots because, ugh, awkward?
Well, the first thing to ask yourself is whether you actually want to do any of those things. Do you want share everything with the internet? Do you want to post pictures of yourself online or share your most unpopular opinions with the world? If the answer’s no, then don’t do it. Simple as. Don’t ever feel pressured into fitting into someone else’s idea of what blogging should be.
But, if the answer’s yes and your own insecurities are holding you back, then it’s time to get over yourself, get real and just say, “Screw it, let’s do it.” The blogs that do well are the ones written by bloggers who are human, with flaws and imperfections who – instead of being crippled by them – embrace them and put them out there in the most honest way possible. They’re not too shy to say f*** it, this is me.
I think this probably applies to everything else in life. You know that old mantra, Sing like no one’s listening, Party like there’s no tomorrow, and Dance like there’s no one watching. Well, maybe we should all just Blog like there’s no one reading. 😉
Do you ever feel too shy to blog? Is there anything you’ve ever wanted to post but have been too scared to?
