I Want To Enjoy Blogging Again…
I’m sorry. I owe you who keep coming back here expecting a new post but not getting any an apology. I’ve been such a bad blogger with my sporadic postings.
I did a count and realized I’d published less than 20 blog posts last year. I’d committed in my head to blog at least once a week but I just couldn’t. Was I THAT busy? Well, not exactly.
The truth is…I’d lost the heart to blog here. There was a time when blogging was forefront in my life. I was always thinking about what I can share here. But not anymore.
After 13 years of blogging, 10 of which I’d spent on this blog, I’ve worn out my blogging mojo. I’m no longer as inspired to blog about beauty. My perspectives have changed. So have my priorities.
A number of factors have also contributed to my blogging lethargy. The chiefest being the demands and pressures that have crept up insidiously on me over the years.
Some of the demands are self-imposed. Like…to stay at the top of the game with high traffic. To beat the ever changing search engine algorithms. To churn out fresh blog posts at the drop of a hat. To get readers to engage more.
Others are external-generated. Like…expectations from brands when I agree to review their products. Considerations to make when I want to monetize the blog. Challenges of building other social media platforms to promote this blog. Not forgetting the time pressure and the desire to maintain a blog/life balance.
I have a full-time job that keeps me busy in the day and sometimes into the night. This means I need to juggle my free time wisely. Family takes precedence over everything else and as much as I like to write, blogging has to take a backseat.
It’s not that I didn’t try. I did. But I found myself struggling to write late into the night and falling asleep on half written posts. And when weekends came, I felt burdened and stressed when I could nary write a sentence.
I would be lying if I told you I’ve not thought about quitting this space altogether. Well, many times actually! But thank God for fleeting thoughts that dissipate as quickly as they come. I think a part of me also can’t bear to part with something I’d taken 10 years to build.
But really, the time away from this space has helped shaped my thoughts about what I want to do. I’ve decided that not only do I want to continue blogging, I want to enjoy blogging again. Without demands. Without pressures. Without strings attached.
For now, I’m not gonna commit to anything except to tell you I’ll still be around. I just hope to be inspired enough to be around on a more regular basis. But I’m not gonna pressure myself into a fixed schedule. If I can blog, I will. If I can’t, so be it. Nobody is going to lose hair over my lack of posting anyway so why stress myself out?
In terms of content, I‘ll like to write more features that’ll benefit women of my age group. Hey, I’ve even gone ahead to update my tagline to reflect that possibility! But we’ll have to see.
I’m also likely to decline most requests for product reviews. I dislike writing reviews and the discomfort is heightened when I am pressured to produce one just because I was offered some complimentary products. The only reviews I’m more excited to write are of Korean products so that’s what you’ll likely be reading.
Okay, I think I’ve written enough. Thanks for reading this. I wrote all that just to share my thoughts with you before I begin my regular postings again. Some of you have been following this blog for years and deserve some sort of accountability.
Thanks for sticking around. I really appreciate all of you who keep coming back even when I was out of action. Love y’all! 😘
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Yays..i’m enamoured with korean beauty so another yays! haha. It’s sad that you aren’t blogging that often but i take comfort in knowing that you are still posting your thoughts and beauty products on your instagram. hehe.
its ok.
do blog when you are ready.
your blog will show your growth as a person.
the same with all of us, at different ages, we have different
needs and plans.
Keep it up.
Thanks for this authentic sharing!
Hi Sesame!
I loved your honesty in this post. I relate to a lot of what you said – I’ve been blogging for 13 years too this year (isn’t that so crazy?!) and I can understand your frustration. I encourage you in the direction you are taking! Take the pressure off yourself. Post when you want, how you want, about what you want… it’s your blog after all! And your readers will always be here. ?
Renee
Hi Sesame,
I remember first stumbling upon your blog eight years ago. Back then, there weren’t many blogs featuring organic Asian skincare and I was absolutely enamored by your reviews. It’s amazing seeing the growth of this blog since I first started following you years before. And now years later, I admit while I don’t regularly follow your blog anymore, I hope for all the best in your journey rather that is blogging or otherwise.
Don’t feel pressured to blog and find your passion again!
Rennie
Thanks Rennie! Appreciate your reading my blog for many years. Thanks for dropping by and leaving such an encouraging comment too. ?
Hey Renee, thanks for dropping by! It’s been 13 long years for you too? Wow…it’s great to see that you’re doing a lot more than blogging. ?
Thanks Mei for reading. ?
Hi Lilly, you’re right. Our blog grows with us and reflects the different seasons we go through. ?
Thanks Mai for reading my blog and always being so encouraging. Thank you for following me on Instagram too. ?
Hi Sesame, I actually feel you. I fell into that pothole a couple of year back, feeling torn about wanting to stay ahead of the game, while at the same time not having the time nor energy to be at the forefront, hustling. I eventually worked it out, as you have, and have decided to stick with my blog, as you have, simply because I enjoy it ? I do put less pressure on myself, and I only restrict myself to accepting products I enjoy or might enjoy, on the understanding that I will blog about them when I can. With fewer product reviews, it frees up time and energy to write about other things that might interest me more. As another reader as pointed out, as we grow, our blogs will grow with us and reflect our varied interests. Sometimes, it maybe about beauty. Sometimes it won’t be. But that’s how the dice rolls, and you’d be surprised. Often, our readers grow too, and they may appreciate these new topics too ?
Look forward to seeing you around! ?
Thanks Paris. You’re definitely more motivated than I am. Haha.
I love your reviews if beauty products as they’re honest and not full of wishy washy fluff like the vast majority of the blogger reviews out there. Frankly, I prefer organic or more natural skincare and makeup, and looking at the ingredients listing of Korean products, I don’t think they make the mark. Anyway, I’m happy that we’ll be reading more of your posts, when you have the time. Family life and self relaxation should definitely take precedence, so no worries. ?
Thanks for your honesty. This has indeed been a burden to a lot of bloggers. I admire your honesty and I hope you find strength to keep up. I love your blog and I wouldn’t mind to help out if you wish. With ideas, I mean,
cheers and goodluck