It seems like everyone has started a blog these days. I think that it’s becoming a way to connect with people that you may not see every day and a way to connect with niche groups that you may not know but share similar interests with. Blogs can range from travel content to fashion content – there are some out there for new mums, cat lovers and food lovers. In other words, the odds of you finding a blog with content that you like and can engage with are pretty high. My question is, why is blogging becoming so popular?

 

IT STARTED OUT AS A PASTIME

When I decided that I wanted to start sharing my thoughts on the internet, I didn’t really understand much to what being a blogger was other than a curated aesthetic and a bit of writing. Having an interest in fashion as young as five years old, I remember having an old scarf bin in the basement of my house that I used to play dress up. Many an outfit was created from that bin. Moving to my eighth grade graduation, I remember going shoe shopping with mum and trying to push for pretty heeled shoes instead of just wearing a pair of basic flats. My first fancy dress was from White House Black Market, and I can tell you now – that dress was my favourite thing to twirl around in, hands down.

 

Shop this Post

 

When it came to actually turning this interest in fashion into something a little more concrete, I was actually pretty nervous. Blogging wasn’t extremely popular when I was in High School, so I held off from creating a website until my first year at University. I didn’t know if people would even like the content that I wanted to share, let alone read it. I remember launching my blog, and being so nervous whether it would be well received. I was shocked when my first post received 165 views. Actually, shocked was an understatement.

 

MY FIRST BLOG

Taking the first step to create a website that I loved was a bit of a challenge for me. I didn’t know anything about how to create a website, let alone how to run one. Blogger was the first platform that I used. It was simple, and it satisfied the level of what I wanted my blog to be when it launched. My first post was maybe 150-200 words and the photos I used were taken on an iPhone.

This blog satisfied me for the moment, it was a bit of a mess and the image quality wasn’t nearly at the level it is now, but it was my little corner of the internet and I loved it. I remember dedicating my Tuesdays and Thursdays to sitting in a small coffee shop typing away at new blog posts. Short and sweet, nothing over 300 words. Three images, maybe four depending on how much imagery I thought the post needed.

Over time though, I became a little frustrated with the blogger platform – don’t get me wrong, it’s a great place to start. It’s just not quite as customizable as I’d hoped. I decided that I wanted to move to the WordPress platform – a platform I’d worked with before and really enjoyed using. With this switch, I thought that it would be a perfect time for a rebrand – which brings me to the blog that you all know today as Monochrome Minimalist.

 

BECOMING MONOCHROME MINIMALIST

My ideas for the rebrand of my blog originally started out with just my name. Plain and simple. However, after thinking about it for a few days, I wanted a name that would tailor more to my personal aesthetic and style persona instead of just my name. I got to thinking, I wear a relatively monochrome colour palette. My style is more minimalist than maximalist. I then had an epiphany, and Monochrome Minimalist was created.

After changing the name of my blog, it took a little while to really identify with the new name. Now that I’ve been writing under the new domain for nearly a year, I couldn’t imagine having named my blog anything else.

Now, Monochrome Minimalist has become one of my favourite parts of my day. I love being able to sit down and start typing away at a new post on topics that I’m passionate about, trends I’m loving for the season or a new beauty product that I can’t seem to get enough of. Taking the photos for each post is challenging and exciting, trying to find new angles or create enchanting flat-lays that really showcase whatever it is that I’m chatting about in that day’s post.

 

CHALLENGES I’VE HAD IN PURSUING A BLOGGING LIFESTYLE

I think the biggest challenge in pursuing a blogging lifestyle is that you’ve always got to keep new content coming. If you’re writing about fashion and beauty, like I do, often that means keeping up on new trends, hot current-season items and new beauty releases. At first I had the mindset of continuously updating my wardrobe and beauty cupboard, but thinking about it further, realized that this type of purchasing didn’t fit in to my current budget. I feel as though this challenge was (and still is) a blessing in disguise. It means I have to continuously find new ways to style older pieces in with the maybe one or two new-in pieces each season.

 

Shop this Post

 

Another challenge that I’ve faced is my own insecurities. As previously mentioned, before I launched my blog I didn’t know if anyone would be interested in reading the content that I created – let alone enjoy it. Now my insecurities are more along the lines of wondering whether my content is good enough to retain an audience or to capture the attention of someone looking to try new products and/or finally take the plunge on a cult beauty favourite.

 

MOVING INTO 2018

This year, I’ve got some major goals I’d like to accomplish with Monochrome Minimalist. Some of them are content oriented, others have to do with engagement goals or editing techniques. I think that constantly looking to improve or learn new techniques is never a bad thing – my mum has always said that she likes to be a life-long learner, I like to think that I’m the same in that regard.

Travel content is always something that I’ve wanted to create more of. This year, I’d love to be able to travel to a few new places and capture some incredible content. Being able to travel keeps me inspired, I love being exposed to new things and stepping out of my comfort zone.

 

 

I think in terms of heightening engagement with any platform, consistency is key. This year, I’m starting to plan out an editorial calendar to keep up with posting schedules in order to keep Monochrome Minimalist on track. I’m also trying to schedule specific days that I can get multiple looks shot or blog posts written. Keeping up with content creation is one of my biggest goals this year.

In terms of editing, I would love to better learn how to use editing software as well as my camera. I currently use Adobe Lightroom to edit all of my photos, and I’d like to learn how to create editing presets that allow me to tweak my aesthetic based on the current season. I also have a goal of learning to better use my camera – I think one can always have room for improvement with their trade, and I’d like to learn as much as I can about photography and editing techniques.

 

 

Blogging seems to be gaining popularity each day, and I for one, am excited to see how blogging will change over the next few years. Have you ever thought about starting your own blog? What motivated you to consider it? Let me know in the comments! Until next, xoxo.

 

Today’s Look

Sweater by Red’s Mercantile

Denim by H&M (old, SIMILAR here)

Boots by TopShop

Tote Bag by Merona for Target

 

Monochrome Minimalist uses affiliate links. Read the DISCLAIMER for more information.