The curse, and blessing, of being eclectic

The hours is late as I pen these words. Dawn has not yet broke as gossamer threads of moonlight bounce off the barren branches of our neighbour's stately tree right outside our front door. There are several posts of time sensitive nature I could be writing at the moment, but I am tired and know that they can all wait until later in the day/week, after I've nabbed a little sleep. Not this one though.

I've been blogging long enough (very nearly seven years on this blog alone, several more if we reach back further in time to sites that no longer exist) to know that sometimes when the spark of inspiration for a strikes one must set about composing immediately or risk being left with the lingering feeling that something great, important or poignant has passed you by. Like realizing you missed seeing someone you cared about for the first time in years by a matter of minutes.

I'm the sort of person who does a great deal of introspective thinking. I analyze my thoughts, my actions, my emotions, my conversations, my passions, my relationships, my dreams, my fears, and just about anything else that I experience. Not obsessively, of course, but certainly with a heavy hand and for the most part, I'm grateful that I operate this way. I think that it stems in part from being a shy, quiet introvert, but know that there are many roots of such and have always found it a comforting trait to possess.

Last year in particular, I thought very frequently about who I am at this present stage in my life, what I like, what defines me, and how I portray myself to the world. I have known since early childhood that my tastes were powerfully eclectic and am generally a-okay with that.

Having a wide array of loves, interests, and (if one can find the time) hobbies keeps life fresh and fun. It means you always have an answer at the ready for what you want to do, buy, see, experience, and even taste next. It ensures I'm never bored, can reply to the question of "what would you like for your birthday/anniversary/Christmas gift" at the speed of light, and has helped me to move with relative ease amongst numerous specific interest groups and subcultures throughout my life.

Yet being eclectic can also have its downsides in a sense. For one, because I have so many likes and interests (some of which I've never even so much as mentioned on this site), it is often easier to stick largely with one and let it define you in so many different ways.

This isn't a negative per se at all, and I don't mean to paint it has such, but rather I wish to speak to the fact that when one is so largely focused on a certain topic, it can, at times, feel like some of the others in your life fall to the wayside or, worse, get left (unintentionally) in the dust all together. It is easy to lose yourself when you are consumed by love, be that for a person, a thing, a timeframe, a place, a way of life or just about anything else.

Or, if not lose entirely, than start to appear rather one-sided. Back in the summer of 2014, on the eve of my birthday, I wrote a post called Thoughts on who I am as I turn 30. This entry has stood out for me ever sense and was a catalyst for further thoughts pertaining to who, in fact, I am, what I love, how the world sees me (online, at least), and some of the way in which I might want to change various things.

The simple truth of the matter is, once you've perceived a certain way - even when that way is wonderfully positive - it can be hard to change or to let other sides of your personality and spectrum of interests shine through, and at times it is even illogical and/or detrimental to do so.



{Being eclectic means that at almost all times, you are only able to show a portion, be it large or small, of who you are and what you love to world. There are perks and downsides to this, as touched on in today's post, but in the end, I'm grateful to have a plethora of passions and enjoy continuing to add new ones to the roster as time goes on. Vintage woman with a hand mirror photo source.}


If I could go back in time to the birth of this blog in April 2009, there are numerous things I would do differently - not the least of which is to include a wider array of my interests and hobbies as part of it. There's nothing to say I still can't, but just as one would be perplexed if they showed up at the Great Wall of China and saw Sphinx of Eiffel Tower themed souvenirs being sold, so too does one have a certain natural path to follow once they've been running a successful blog on a given topic for a long time.

Yet that is easy to say - hindsight and all that jazz. For, eclectic though I may be, I am not the same person I was nearly seven years ago. A staggering number of things, many for the better, have changed in my life since then. I'm older and bolder alike. I've grown in innumerable ways and some of the interests I had then are now just pleasant memories or things that are touched on once in a blue moon. Others are with me still, naturally, and it should go without saying that vintage and all that it encompasses is certainly one of them.

I can't fathom that I would ever stop loving vintage, antiques, history and genealogy. These are embedded passions that have been with me since my earliest days. Yet they are not all of who I am and what I love, and I often struggle with ways to let some of those other parts of my eclectic soul shine through, be it on my blog, in my wardrobe, through my decor choices, and in other areas of my world alike.

Perhaps, to a degree, many of us do. I don't claim to be alone here and am not leading this post in the direction of some great epiphany on the subject, for none has been forthcoming, no matter how much I've thought, reflected and even meditated on the topic.

The focus of this blog is, and always be, vintage, and I love that. However, at the same time, I also sincerely hope that as the years continue to roll on, I can find ways to weave more and more of my interests, my passions, my beliefs, and my soul itself into my posts here, too.

There are, as with so much in this world, pros and cons alike to being eclectic - to loving a great many things with a huge part of your heart/mind/spirit. Ultimately though, I have always felt, at the end of the day, the blessings outweigh the negatives and I think, no, I know, that having such a wide breadth of interests is a huge part of why I've been able to keep this blog going strong for the better part of seven years now.

So if that means certain sides of myself remain under wraps or aren’t overly represented here, ultimately, I have come to realize, so be it. They're still with me, still shaping my life, and who knows, perhaps some of them are even waiting just around the corner to be blogged about in the wee hours of another sleepy, moonlit night.

Out with the old, in with the new!

Hard as it may to believe, 2016 is already more than half a month old and as such I thought now - with the marvelous hubbub of the holiday season over for most folks - was a good time to delve further into some points that I made in my recent Think Big, Dream Big post that kicked off January here.

Towards the end of that entry, I mentioned that I was planning to retire certain ongoing blog posts that had grown, to my mind - and based on post read and/or comment numbers, those of my audience as well - somewhat stagnant.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the blogging world - both inside and out of the vintage sphere - has changed a great deal in recent years. In general, far beyond the realm of my site alone, posts and topics that once garnered scads of attention, may barely catch a passing glance, whereas others (such as outfit posts, DIY tutorials, and food related entries) have only grown in popularity.

Though I do, and will always, blog for the sake of the immense pleasure and fulfillment that doing so brings me, it would be foolhardy of me to pour precious hours - each of which is worth its weight in gold amidst my ridiculously busy schedule - into posts that aren't garnering a lot of love any more and which, to be perfectly honest, in some cases I've grown a bit bored with (writing) myself, too.

As keen observers may have noticed already, towards the end of 2015, rather organically (aka, it wasn't a deliberately calculated move), I stopped capping off the end of each month with the usual Vintage Link Love entry that had been wrapping up most months for the previous couple of years. It was an enjoyable series and I know there are some die-hard fans of it here (thank you, each!), but it just wasn’t lighting my writing fires a great deal any more.

At present, I don't plan to wrap up the end of every month with a particular ongoing post series, instead, for now, it will be open to any and all topics. Perhaps one day another "end of the month" post will arise, but again, for now, nothing of that nature is in place.

I've also decided that I'm going to evolve the 25 Vintage Deals Under $100 post series into a similar entry that will continue to focus on a given theme each time around, but which won't be restricted solely by price point (or number of entries) and which may appear here at somewhat more random (aka, not strictly monthly) intervals. I know that a lot of you enjoy shopping, and learning of new sellers/online stores from, such posts, so the general concept is certainly not vanishing.



{Granted I won't be donning an acid green unitard to do so in, but I will be sweeping out some of the old post series from my blog and ushering in some new/revised ones, as well as a greater degree of "wherever the wind blows" entries on a wide array of topics here this year. Vintage Matico advertisement image source.}


After many of loyal service, so to speak, the time has come to retire my monthly Flickr Favourites post as well. I still adore, and will avidly source inspiration and blog post images alike from, Flickr, but this is another series that has experienced a sharp drop in reader interest and which I feel has run its natural course, too.

It's been quite a few months now since my last Vintage Fashionista Friday post (see here for an example of a VFF post from 2014). I haven't decided yet if this series will be be resuscitated for 2016 or not. I'm really on the fence about it. What are your feelings as to this particular ongoing post?

Less common reoccurring posts, such as Saturday Snapshots and Adventures in Vintage Advertising are staying put, appearing, as they long have, here every now and then, when the mood or inspiration for such strikes.

If we delve far back in the annals of Chronically Vintage history, there have been some other post series, too, but these have been the main ones for a few years now and those others are already long retired in my books (that isn't to say that one couldn't come back again some day, but I have no immediate plans for such).

These post series, though a fun and decent sized part of my site, were certainly not all of what I shared here and you won't be lacking for exciting entries as we continue along through 2016. In fact, it is my sincere hope and desire that by making these sorts of changes, I'll be able to bring you even more content that you not only enjoy, but eagerly look forward to.

On that front, you can plan for plenty of "what I wore" outfit posts, oodles of vintage fashion related entries, lots of vintage recipe posts, some musings from my daily life, travel related posts as the occasion trip occurs, lots more new editions to the popular "Meet a fellow vintage blogger" interview series, history related pieces, the occasional handy vintage related how-to, various YouTube videos that I create, holiday season happenings, and a smattering of this, that and the other thing that I get the desire to write about - in conjunction, of course, with the series discussed above that will be remaining/appearing here this year.

It's very important to me that this blog stays fresh, relevant and dynamic and I hope that these post series changes will go a long way on that front in 2016 and beyond. I truly welcome your impute here on these culled choices and new additions, and hope that these decisions will only help my blog to grow and flourish further, even in the face of an ever changing blogging world and a continually greater degree of social media posting dominance.

After all, who amongst us is is better suited to be "online old school" than us vintage bloggers?

Tell me what you want, what you really, really want (to see here)!

Okay, if that eye-rolling Spice Girls reference doesn't belie the fact that I came of age in the 1990s, I don't know what would! :)

Seriously though, today's quick entry poses a question to all of you that follows up on the heels of my post about being open to all kinds of change from earlier this week.

You guys provided some wonderfully kind words of encouragement and feedback there (thank you!) and as I genuinely feel open to making some changes to my blog, much like my life in genera, I would love to hear your thoughts on what kinds of posts you'd like to see more, or conversely, less, of on my blog.

{I'm tuned into my blog's audience and am all ears when it comes to the kinds of posts you'd most enjoy seeing here in the future! (Total side note to this image, but I love that the earrings this beautiful lady is wearing look like they were very likely Bakelite.) Vintage image source. }

I know that outfit posts are always huge hits here, as they are on most fashion blogs (by there very nature), and you can bet your bottom dollar, that health and weather permitting, I'll always keep those in frequent rotation.

In addition, recipe posts are usually much loved, as are others pertaining to vintage fashion related topics (such as this year's look at how to wear navy blue and seven vintage garments I don't own, respectively), and so are interviews with fellow vintage bloggers, so those aren't going anywhere either.

I'm certainly not looking to toss the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak, just because I'm in the mood for change. However, because I feel so receptive to newness and because I want the time, effort, energy, and even, objectively, health, that I put into my posts to result in ones that are not only well received, but which may stand to further grow my blog's reach, I would sincerely love to hear more about what kinds of posts you'd like to see here in the future.
 
My blogging schedule (and list of topics I hope to cover) is already largely planned for this coming summer, but when the nippy winds and pale golden days of fall return, having long tabulated the results of the comments received on today’s post, I will honestly take them all to heart and likely start writing even more of the kinds of posts that you guys have expressed the most interest in.

I'll always be true to my own heart when I blog, but I love the very act of blogging so much, that if I know you want to see a greater percentage of something (say, posts about some of my own vintage collections, fashion/beauty how-tos, reviews, giveaways, craft projects that I create, you name it!), I have no qualms with shifting my focus that way.

So, my lovely dears, don't be shy! Please share your thoughts on this subject with me, getting as specific and/or creative as you desire - and while you're at it, if it's not too much to ask, please let me know as well if you'd like to see some posts specifically dedicated to showcasing new listings (of which there are usually several dozen per month) in my Etsy shop.

Huge thanks in advance for all of your feedback! And to my wonderful US readers, I hope that you're each having a marvelous, fun filled Memorial Day long weekend!!!

The importance of scheduling "this and that" days

Way back in the fledgling days of the year, when one could still see scraggly, browning Christmas trees being sheepishly dragged to the trash by their owners, I spent some time talking about how I had decided to structure my days/weeks for this year (and beyond) in a post called A Woman of Emails. In truth I'd already been taking the approach that I outlined in that post to a degree for years, if not my whole life, but by truly dedicating days to one set task, my productivity - not to mention my state of mind/happiness - levels have not only picked up, they've exceeded my expectations in certain areas.

One topic that I didn't really touch on in that post however and which the longer that I take this approach, the more I find to be immensely important, is that of scheduling days in which you don't focus on one main task (say, writing future blog posts). Instead you devote the day as a whole to catching up on the little things that you might have been putting on the back burner so as to concentrate on larger jobs and/or that have snowballed suddenly and run the risk of throwing your whole schedule/work plan of course as a result.

Naturally, even if some of us have relatively similar work/passion/hobby/etc schedules, no two people will find their "this and that" days, as I like to call the days that I specifically set aside for this purpose, to be the same. The little things for me may be the big things/jobs for you and vice versa. As well, you may have elements of your life that don't even enter the picture in mine, just as there will be some in my daily life that rarely, if ever, factor into your own.

That said, here are some of the work related things that I often focus on when I'm having an intentional "this and that" day (I'll usually do some personal things, too, such as straighten up my closet or bookshelves if they need it, pen snail mail letters, wrap gifts, cook or bake and freeze meals for the coming month, etc). This is by no means a complete list and it certainly changes, to a degree at least, as time goes on, the seasons, if we're nearing a big holiday, my health, etc, but it is a good snapshot of some of things I've been focusing on during my "this and that" days so far this year.


-Catch up on blog feeds if I haven't been able to stay on top of them each day during a given week (I use Bloglovin' for the bulk of sites that I follow on a regular basis and can't recommend it highly enough if you're also a fan of following sites via RSS).

-Source and bookmark or pin(on Pinterest) images to use for future blog posts. I also keep a dedicated Word document with lists of online images that might work well for a huge variety of future posts stored on my desktop (right along side my list of future post ideas themselves). I often find, especially after nearly six year of frequent blogging that finding the right image(s) for a post can be time consuming or even challenging (if the image I want is highly specific, for example), so having these lists available to pull from is hugely useful to my productivity as a blogger.

-Do research/fact checking that may be required for posts that I plan to write in the near future.

-Reply to Facebook and Instagram comments. I find that I get more of these than I (currently) do Twitter and Pinterest ones (which I try to reply to as they arrive or at least within a day or two of such happening), but if they've built up there, too, they're apt to get tackled on these kinds of days.

-Brainstorm ideas for future posts and/or plan out my blog schedule for the coming months.

-Play dress up with my own wardrobe to design new outfits that I might one day share here on my blog. This is especially important with garments or accessories that I've received from companies for review, as I always want to highlight such pieces as best I can in the context of my outfit as a whole.

-Do post office runs.

-File recent business related paperwork and/or do business tax related tasks.

-Sort and edit photos for outfit posts (sometimes I devote a dedicated day to this, sometimes if happens on days like this or on others when I'm writing said posts; it really comes down to the volume of such photos I have at any given point in time).

-Clean/wash, repair/mend, store, etc new items that I've recently acquired for the shop.

-Sometimes, when a full day isn't needed for such, shop for said items themselves.

-Update my Evernote, adding and checking off tasks as needed (I keep lists of countless things I need to do there; in fact, since hopping on the Evernote bandwagon last year, it's been my main computer based do-to list and I really like this handy service).



{One way to look at "this and that" days is like spring cleaning for your work and/or personal life schedule. You focus on doing all those important little jobs that can easily fall to the wayside in the course of a busy week, month or even year, and it usually feel like a big weight has been lifted from your shoulders once you've completed them. Image source.}


These days are not what I'd call days off - quite the opposite actually! They stand to be very productive and can really, really be beneficial in terms of helping to rid your mind of many of those nagging thoughts pertaining to small tasks/jobs you should do, but haven't for whatever reason had a chance to accomplish yet. Though I do find that the number of such days that I need in a given month varies, I usually aim for at least two, but sometimes find I require four, five or even six and that's totally okay.

The emphasis on the kind of work schedule that I'm following this year is, to a degree, less about what fills a given day (per se) and more about the fact that I've consciously set aside said day specifically for a given purpose (or purposes), instead of flitting around between tasks, feeling so overworked/tired/stressed that I don't actually get much done, or worse, pushing myself so hard that my health (physical, mental and emotional all alike) run the risk of serious trouble.

Interestingly, though I don't assign given days of the week to most tasks (for reasons covered in my post from January), I do often find that "this and "that days" tend to fall on either Wednesday or Sunday for me (so far at least - who knows where they may land as time goes on).

This time management tip isn't epically earth shattering, if you will, to most folks, I'm sure, but it is important and it's been a very integral part of my work-life balance this year. As such, I wanted to share it here today for those who may find themselves in need of such a schedule and/or frequently feel like you're getting buried under an avalanche of small tasks. If this describes you, then setting aside intentional "this and that" days may be exactly what, if not the doctor than at least (and more importantly), your own life ordered.

Are you a fan of this approach? Have you tried it as part of your own schedule already? I'd love to hear about your feelings on "this and that" days, as well as any other time management techniques that have proved success for you - in exchange, I'll continue to share those here with you that really make a positive difference in my world.

A woman of emails

Maybe the abundance of snow played a little roll, perhaps it was that busy days of the holiday season caught up with me on the health front (which they did – big time!), or it might have been the million and one other things - those various elements that make up life and are often points of worry for many of us - but last week was a bit of "one of those weeks" for me.

Nothing epically bad, thank the universe, but certainly enough to pull my mood down and result in rather little productivity, compared to how I'd (admittedly, very optimistically) imagined the first few days of the year kicking off. There was a strong juxtaposition between the energy and excitement that raced through mind regarding this year and how my body actually felt, and it for each minor step I took forward, I rolled - proverbially, of course - down a mountain.

I have not come even remotely close yet to winning the battle - not just in theory, but in actual practise - of owning my own time, and I know that fact also contributed in part to my mood and mindset as 2015 came barreling through the door.

For years now I've noticed that both the start of the week and the start of each new month bring with their arrival, a higher than usual level of emails for me (which make senses, as folks are back at their desks and/or feeling like they want to start things off on a very productive note). The beginning of this year seemed to magnify that exponentially and in the first few days of 2015 alone, I replied to over 300 emails (the actual number I received and will eventually reply to was/is far higher still), as well as a host of Facebook and Instagram private messages.

Running, humbly, a successful and popular vintage blog, I've been getting scores of emails for years now, most of which are questions from readers or the general public who find my blog (a good many of which are folks seeking information on vintage items they’ve acquired), offers or inquires from companies who want to work together, back and forths between blog sponsors, folks wanting to interview me, and of course those from friends, acquaintances, and family members.

This latter group however makes ups the smallest percentage of my email pie (yet are usually my very favourite). I am not alone in the high volume of emails I receive by any means and I know that there are people out there in countless fields, who receive a hundred times more email than I get in a given week. Still, when one is already blogging and running an Etsy shop full-time, there are only so many hours in the day and it can quickly feel like you've buried under and avalanche of emails.



{Emails, the 21st century version of the telephone call in many ways, arriving by the boatload to inboxes everywhere each day - mine very much included! Image source.}


In centuries past it was common to call men (and women, though the term was traditionally applied more to chaps) who were known for being smart folks that were prolific letter writers, diarists, scholars, and/or authors "men of letters". I've always adored this title which derives from the French term "belletrist" and was historically first used to differentiate between someone who was literate or illiterate, though quickly came to be associated simply more with those who were seen as being quite intellectual.

In the midst of writing some of those many email replies last week, it struck me that no shortage of us have become men and women of letters in our own right as bloggers and, yes, even microbloggers. Our worlds are filled with words of the digital type, but still they are words all the same that spring from our minds and fingertips and fill our waking hours. Thus we have become the men and women of emails and blogs. Twenty-first century intellectuals who love our work, but do readily admit that it can swallow us whole sometimes - if we let it.

I want to clarify that I am not bemoaning my bustling inbox. I am grateful for the opportunities and connections that my blog affords me, but I am also acutely aware of the finite amount of time we all have and how short the days can seem if you need, or opt, to devote several hours a day to replying to emails, be they professional, personal or both (naturally, personal ones are usually lovely and rarely feel like "work" in the slightest).

There I sat, typing and hopping like a bee swirling around from bloom to bloom in a spring garden, and knowing that for each message I sent, at least two more would arrive to take its place. Inbox zero is an impossibility for many of us these days and while steps can be taken to help manage your email workflow and assist to some degree when it comes to the feeling that you never get ahead on that front, for me personally the realization came that the best approach would probably be to devote one or two days (or chunks of days) solely to replying to emails each week.

I will continue to check my inbox multiple times a day as I typically do and address any message that are truly pressing, important or of a highly time sensitive nature right away. However, I can no longer sit down to do just that and unintentionally end up there for, say, seven hours, when I had indented to use that time to write blog posts, take photos for my shop, pen Etsy listings, or any of the myriad other things that fill my work days.

In fact, though it is an approach I've taken to a degree for quite some time now, I've firmly decided that I need to really, really devote whole days to specific tasks (like those just mentioned) and not flit from activity to activity. I find that doing so is a perfect recipe for not actually being anywhere near as productive as I'd ideally like on those fabulous days when my health allows me to even be productive at all.

I have decided - and of course this will always be an area with a great deal of flexibility - that I will break down my week, in an ideal world (aka, this assumes that my health is cooperating and that life isn't throwing more curveballs my way than there are minutes in an hour), as follows:


-1 to 2 days a week, write blog posts (at least one, but ideally two, posts on each of these days). This will also include editing photos for outfit posts, gathering images for posts, doing post related research, etc - basically anything related to posting here on my blog.

-1 to 2 days a week, take photos for my Etsy shop, then sort (select) and do any minor editing needed to those photos.

-1 to 2 days a week, list new items in my Etsy shop.

-1 day a week where I focus primarily on replying to emails, FB private messages and the like. If the amount of time needed for this is less than a full day, it can be combined with one of the activates mentioned above.

-Devote at least one day a week to not working at all. Even lifelong workaholics like me need time off. It's incredibly important to our health (including one's mental health), stress levels, productivity, and happiness that we distance ourselves from our jobs. Working from home, as I do, this can be all the more tricky, but it something I truly must accomplish this year and hopefully for all those that follow, too.



{Being a full-time blogger and Etsy shop owner, just like any job, takes work, stamina, perseverance, and (ideally!) a love of what you're doing. It involves super long hours, no shortage of elbow grease, the ability to change your course of action when needed, and a massive amount of drive. I cherish the career that I have and count it amongst my blessings every day, but that doesn't mean that it isn't a massive amount of work that can wear me down something fierce at times. My hope is that the schedule above will help me be more productive and less tired/stressed/worried/etc when comes to completing all the jobs I want to get done in a given week. 1940s female war worker image source.}


Of course, amongst these things I will do others like reply to blog comments, visit other people's blogs/stay at least quasi on top of the new posts in my feed reader, do outfit shoots with Tony, brainstorm ideas for future posts, be present on social media, source items for my shop, ship out Etsy orders, and plenty of other activities that fall under the header of work for me, but as those things do not generally call for whole days unto themselves, they're easier to fit in around other larger jobs.

Again, and I can't possibly stress this enough, this workflow schedule assumes that the circumstances of my life accommodate such and that everything is running like clockwork. Frequently, it will not, and I fully understand and accept this. However, just having this ideal sort of workweek in place helps me to feel less anxiety, worry and stress about how I spend each day and thus leads to greater productivity levels.

You may have noticed that I haven't assigned specific days of the week (say for example, Wednesdays for replying to emails) to each of these jobs. That is 100% intentional, because I know that they'll vary from week-to-week, what my medical situation is like on a given day (some days for example, I may feel well enough to write posts in bed, but not to stand up and take listing photos), the weather (say for outfit photos), and scores of other circumstance. It matters far less what day of the week such things happen on and more that they do indeed transpire.

Another reason why I didn't partner jobs with dates is that most weeks, I spend several hours on Tuesday and Wednesday doing work that absolutely must be done, no questions about it, for some of the other websites (such as Any New Books) that Tony and I run. Due to the nature of when the new content for such sites is posted, it has to be done on Tuesday and Wednesday, so I only get fragments of those days to work on things pertaining to world of Chronically Vintage.

I share these inner workings of my mind (and schedule) with you all here today in the hopes that taking such an approach, if you're not already doing so, may be of substantial assistance to you and your own productivity as well.

Life and work are a perpetual balance and no one can get it right all the time, but we can certainly take a moment to step back and intentionally see if what we're currently doing is right for us in the here and now and try to adjust things if they're not.

That's my plan and goal. With dedicated task days in place, I feel a renewed since of love for both my blog and shop (not that I didn't adore them both before, I did so dearly, of course!), less anxiety/stress, and like I'm better able to tackle the world - or at least my inbox, blog and Etsy shop one exciting day at time.

11 questions and answers about my life as a blogger

Back when this year was still in its infancy, I wrote two detailed post on the topic of blogging (30 tips that will help you succeed as a new blogger & 10 harsh truths that will make you a better blogger, respectively), which based on the number of page views they received have proven to not only be some of the most popular of this year, but of all time here on Chronically Vintage.

As 2014 winds down, I thought it would be fun to shine the spotlight on the act of blogging again. However, in this case we’ll be chatting about the history of my blog itself and some of the elements that go into running it via a series of eleven questions that I discovered on my friend Bonita's absolutely lovely blog, Lavender & Twill, also back in January of this year.






1. When did you first start blogging and why? Chronically Vintage sprang to life on April 17, 2009. As I've recounted from time-to-time in various posts and interviews over the years, the main reason behind why I started my blog was because I needed a creative outlet in my life that wasn't focused on my health, which had been going through an especially hellish period at the time.

The name of my blog, Chronically Vintage, stems from the fact that I didn't want to simply be seen/defined as being chronically ill (or thinking of myself as such, for that matter), but rather for the focus in my world to be on something significantly more positive, my lifelong passion for vintage. I'd always loved writing and had already run some other (non-vintage related) websites and blogs before then, so one evening in April when I was feeling rather rough on the health front, I decided to start this site and doing so has turned out to be one of the best and most life changing decisions I've ever made.



{From the very earliest days, I've had a clear vision for my blog and desire to see it flourish. I'm happy to put in the long hours and hard work required to make that happen and couldn't imagine my life without vintage blogging in it at this point. Image source.}



2. Have you had any past online presence? Oh, let me count the ways... :D I have, yes, and each was very important to me unto itself at the time, but I haven't been involved with most of them for a few years now. The most substantial would be that from 2004 to 2014, I ran a peer-to-peer website that I founded for folks who shared one of my chronic illnesses (interstitial cystitis/PBS). I made the difficult choice to shut it down after it was hacked again (by completely random cyber hackers from Eastern Europe), because rebuilding it was not something I could work into my life and work schedule at that point in time. I wrote hundreds of articles and recipes for that site, which was an incredibly important part of my early years battling multiple chronic illnesses and it will always hold a deeply special place in my heart.


3. When did you become serious about your blog? I've never been the type to do things halfway, so I'd honestly say that I was serious about my blog from the very first post onward. Because I was coming from a website and professional freelance/ghost writing background, I hit the ground running, often penning lengthy, informative, highly researched posts and burning the candle at both ends to get my blog off the ground and well established in the vintage community early on.


4. What was your first blog post? It was called First Day of Life and was a simple, heartfelt introductory post (the image from which I would reuse in 2013 to celebrate my blog's 4th birthday).


5. What have been your biggest challenges blogging? From day one, my biggest challenge has been keeping my blog afloat in the face of life with more than a dozen different severe, complex chronic illnesses. Though there have been times (chiefly in 2010 and '11), when I thought I might be forced to throw in the towel, but thankfully, I held on and though that possibility is a constant in my life, I'm immensely happy to say that I've been able to weather each and every storm on that front, stick with it, and create a blog that has become not only a passionate pastime, but also in recent years, a full-time income generating career.




{Though I may have substantially less energy and "good days" (health wise) than most folks, I don't let that stop me from putting my all into my blog, day after day, week after week, month after month, and year after year. I just grab a nap, take the occasional vacation, try to pace myself and start fresh again the next day, spurred on my an endless passion for what I do and the fantastic support of my online friends and readers. Image source.}



6. What is the most rewarding thing about blogging? This list could go on for miles, but I would that three top entries on it for me are: the friendships I've made with other vintage lovers around the world (an especially important point since I'm the only such person that I know in my own town), the perpetual inspiration and knowledge that I glean from my fellow bloggers (and social media friends), and the amazing feeling that comes from turning a blog on what is arguably a rather niche subject in the scope of society as a whole, and parlaying it into not just my honest to goodness job, as mentioned above, but the also catalyst for for my Etsy vintage shop (which opened its doors in May of this year).


7. What is the most discouraging thing about blogging? I'm not the type to get discouraged easily ("tenacious" might as well be my middle name) and I love to learn and thrive from what different kinds of obstacles and challenges present me with, eking out the silver lining from any situation. That said, I think that one of the most discouraging things about blogging is that when push comes to shove, you'll often quickly learn that you have quite a few fair-weather fans and friends out there. For someone like me, for whom loyalty, honesty and sincerity are exceedingly important, this point will always have the sting of a scorpion's tail.


8. What is your lasting inspiration or motivation (of blogging)? For me it has been showing my chronic illnesses that they don't have complete control of my life (try as they may!), that despite having countless more than legitimate reasons not to blog - to spare myself from the work, stress, and physical demands of running both a popular website and thriving Etsy shop - I can do just that and succeed with it. Each time I post a new entry (or list a new item in my shop), I'm reconfirming to myself that I'm still able to be a productive member of society, despite the endless challenges, crippling chronic pain, and near debilitating fatigue that comes with my medical situation.


9. What is your blogging dirty secret? I honestly don't think I have one. Definitely one of my best (positive) blogging secrets - which isn't actually all that hush-hush, given that I've written posts about it before - is that I am an ardent devotee of using a blogging schedule.


10. What is your current goal as a blogger? To continue to grow my blog's reach. The vintage blogging world has dwindled somewhat in the past two-three years, in part because of the explosion in popularity of various social media sites, such as Pinterest and Instagram, and there are only so many folks in our wonderful community that I can reach. I would like to see Chronically Vintage gain wider traction in the mainstream fashion and lifestyle blogging worlds. I'd also absolutely love to pen a book on vintage fashion (or another vintage related topic) one day, and perhaps either create my own or collaborate with an existing vintage reproduction company to produce line of clothing.




{It's a joy and an honour to be a well known part of the online vintage community. As we head towards 2015 and beyond, I would absolutely love to continue to connect with an even broader array of readers and new friends out there in the larger scope of the web and help spread the vintage lifestyle goodness near and far. Image source.}



11. Have you learned or become passionate about anything through blogging that caught you by surprise? I'd say that through blogging, my passion for earlier and later decades - not just my beloved 1940s and 50s - has deepened significantly. I've learned that you never know what amazing opportunity is coming around the corner (for example, collaborations with fantastic companies, being interviewed by print and online magazines, and getting to meet fellow vintage bloggers in person), that patience does indeed pay off, that you can never be too prepared (but that by the same token, spontaneity has its perks, too), that when you do what you truly love, it rarely feels like work, and that there is always, without a doubt, more to learn - amongst countless other things that have come about and bettered by life thanks to the act and love of blogging.

♥ ♥ ♥

If you're a blogger yourself, why not have a go at these questions? They're a great way to record where you're at in your blogging journey at this point and to reflect on how far you've already come. In little more than four months, Chronically Vintage will turn six years old and I'm very grateful that throughout that time, at various points, I've intentionally written about how things were going with my own site. Looking back on these posts - just as I'm sure I will with this one down the road - I see how far I've come, where I hope to go next, and am reminded of some of the many reasons why blogging is so phenomenally near and dear to me.

Thank you very much, Bonita, for posting about this enjoyable blogging Q&A several months ago now. I knew the moment that I saw it, I wanted to give these questions a spin myself, I just didn't know that this year would prove to be so wildly busy that I wouldn't get a chance to do so until three weeks from the very end of it. No time like the present though, especially since the holiday season itself isn't exactly famous for being the least hectic time of the year. :)

10 harsh truths that will make you a better blogger

Last month we took a look at 30 tips that will help you succeed as a new blogger, and today I'd like to delve into a related topic. It’s one that might be seen as the less glamorous side of blogging, but which most bloggers, especially those whose sites develop even a moderate degree of success are likely to encounter, or need to be aware of, as their life on the blogging front advances.

These points have been swirling around in my head for quite some time, and there have been moments when I've almost written a post devotedly solely to each, but haven’t as of yet, ultimately because the gist of each can be covered in an a small number of paragraphs.

I'm not delving into these topics today to scare anyone away from blogging or to create undo stress, quite the opposite actually. By being aware that you might run into these kinds of scenarios, you'll likely find yourself in a better position to tackle them if they do arise. Not all of the following are wholly negative, but they're not necessarily what I'd consider to be the most gloriously enjoyable elements of blogging either. They’re real life, plain and simple.




1. Just because you created a blog, it doesn't mean you've pulled an audience out of thin air: We discussed this topic in last month's post, but it's worth chatting about a little further here, because it's really something that I receive a lot of comments about from both new and longstanding blogs alike. Unless you're bringing an audience with you from elsewhere, have some degree of notoriety online or off, are doing something absolutely groundbreaking, or just happen to luck out bigger than if you found that elusive pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, chances are you're not going to amass an audience, let alone a big one, over night.

Growing your audience and creating a devoted group of return readers, takes work and time. Lots of time, and you have to be willing to put in the legwork required to, at the very least, get the ball rolling there. Three of the best ways to do that are to be an active blogging community member and commenter (on other peoples' sites), post quality content on a regular basis, and guest blogging on another (established) site. For various reasons, I've never done much in the way of that last one personally, but I've seen it work wonders for many folks who were just starting out or who were looking to expand their readership.


2. Chances are, you are your own harshest critic: And you already know it, even if you haven't admitted as much to yourself. Stop trying to constantly compare yourself to other bloggers and their sites, especially ones who have been around for years already. Take inspiration from them, sure, but don't feel like you're a failure because you're not emulating them and their success entirely. Chances are, at least part of the reason why they're successful is because they blazed their own path, and so should you.

Instead of criticizing and beating yourself up. Write a post, write two posts, heck, you're on a roll, write five posts today. Work hard, be dedicated, and create the kind of quality, engaging, informative, helpful, interesting, awesome and/or beautiful content that you'd be happy to read on someone else's site and chances are people will quickly start coming to your blog to do just that themselves.


3. You will get negative comments. And spam, and perhaps even hate mail. Yep, all of these stand to crop up sometimes amongst the bevy of (hopefully!) thoroughly positive, kind, friendly comments that you receive. Don't take it personally. Quite often there's an anonymous online troll behind them who's aim is simply to get you riled up. Don't give them the satisfaction. If a negative comment comes in by way of a legitimate blog reader, it's up to you if you want to approve and/or reply to it, but whatever the case may be, again, don't let it get into your head.

Not everyone is going to agree with everything that you write, your views on certain topics, the way in which you live your life, like you or your site, and so on. That's okay. It's their problem, not yours.

Occasionally harsh comments can even help us discover something about ourselves or our blog, or otherwise change our mindset in a positive way. This doesn't happen all the time, but it can, and it's a good example of hunting down a silver lining in the midst of a negative experience.


4. There will be times when the last thing on the face of the planet that you feel like doing is blogging. It doesn't matter how much you're wild about blogging, pretty much no one brings their A-game all the time or feels like they could write a killer post every second of every day. Life is so much more than what we do online (or at least, it should be), and sometimes there are reasons stemming from the offline (or the online, too) world that have lead us to a moment (or a week, etc) where we just aren't in the blogging zone. If your blogging mojo is a funk, you may find the seven tips in this post from 2012 to be helpful.

Don't force it. In all likelihood, the desire and drive to write again will be back before you know it. Get out, enjoy your day, go inspiration hunting, throw a dinner party, take your best friend thrift store shopping, whatever you're heart desires. Unless you're working on some kind of time sensitive deadline, chances are, you don't truly have to write that day, so why force what doesn't want to come?



5. You will frequently, if not, on a daily basis have people emailing you asking you to promote their brand/company/product/site/band/indie film/photography exposition/startup/etc for free. I'm all for helping people out, I really am, but just because someone asks you to promote something for you, doesn't mean that you have to, especially if they're not happily offering to compensate you in some respect (money, free products, promoting your site in turn, etc) up front from the get go.

As your blog grows in popularity, you will likely encounter more and more of these kinds of requests, many of which are complete and utter boilerplate that the company (or what have you) is sending out to hundreds, if not not thousands of bloggers, in the hopes that they'll get at least a few who will give them completely free publicity.

One surefire way to recognize this kind of message is when it arrives and doesn't address you by your first name, or it addresses you by the name of your blog, though certainly boilerplate can include your real name, too. If it starts out with generic statements like, "Hey, I really like your site and think you've written some great posts there!", chances are, the sender is attempting to flatter you with insincere compliments in the hopes that you'll feel more favourably about them and their request.

Bloggers are professional people in their own right, not free billboards, and though, especially when you're just starting out, it can be tempting to say yes to every such request that comes your way, please remember to keep your time and integrity in mind and to only do pro bono work on behalf of total strangers when you really and truly want to, not simply because you were asked.

If you're thinking about working on behalf of someone else in this capacity, don't be shy to ask outright for some form of compensation that you'd be satisfied with. You wouldn't expect a doctor, lawyer, teacher, engineer, wedding planner, computer programmer, or any other professional to work for free, just because they were sent an email request to do so. Why should successful bloggers be viewed or treated any differently?


6. Sometimes you really, really need to step back and take a breather. I don't mean a break from blogging (aka, a blogcation) per se, no, in this instance, I'm talking about those times when someone does and/or says something that instant gets your blood boiling, hurts your feelings, insults or otherwise upsets you. Even if you're the most easy going person in the world, you loath "getting into it" with people, and you try to keep a calm temper and level head as much as possible, there will be times when it takes every last drop of willpower you have in you not to launch a strongly worded, to put it mildly, reply off in the face of the heightened emotions that you're experiencing.

There may be instances when doing so is more than warranted and worth going ahead with, but other times, it's best to stop, pause, regroup your thoughts, possibly discuss the situation with an impartial third party, and wait a little while before you reply, if you opt to at all.

Every once in a blue moon when I find myself in this kind of spot, I'll write my reply (say, in a private Word doc) and never send it. Just getting my side of how I truly feel about the situation down on virtual paper can often be all it takes to ensure that level heads prevail and that whatever the issue is, it doesn't risk growing out of proportion needlessly. ("Sleeping on" your reply, aka, waiting a day or two to respond, can also often help tremendously in this regard.)


7. People will rip your work off: Blogging may not be the same thing as designing a product, painting a masterpiece, writing a song, or pioneering a new idea, but that doesn't mean that strangers, fellow bloggers, and sometimes even friends, won't blatantly copy your idea for a post. Sometimes, this can be a great thing, especially if they start out by giving credit (and linking) to you and your blog, and explaining that their post was inspired by your work.

Other times however, it will sting and unless someone has actually lifted your writing (instead of just your post idea), which falls into copyright infringement territory, chances are, there will be nothing (positive) that you can do about it. As much as it can feel like a slap in the face when you see this happen, just take a deep breath and remind yourself that sometimes imitation is, as the old saying goes, the greatest form of flattery.


8. It's really, really, really hard to earn a livable wage from blogging: Now granted, you may have zero desire or plans to do so, but if you are, you need to be painfully realistic with yourself and to approach the way in which you blog from a very professional mindset. Are there people makes a living, even a great living, just from blogging? You bet, but for every Darren Rowse out there, there are thousands, if not millions, who are earning little to nothing from their blogging efforts.

If you choose to use your blog to help grow, or be your whole, income, don't go into things blindly or with the belief that everything will just magically fall into place, that money will rain down on your lovely little blog from the heavens, and that you'll soon be off traveling the world and blogging from posh hotel rooms. I'm sorry to burst your bubble, but that's the kind of financial success exceedingly few bloggers ever get anywhere near achieving, and which (again) many have zero desire to aim for.

Whether you blog as a way of generating income or not, building an excellent site that engages readers, consistantly sees a bigger audience, and which people are apt to talk about, takes - as we've discussed above - a really substantial amount of time, effort, and love for what you're doing. Start down the path with those three things in check and chances are you'll be able to find ways - such as paid blog sponsors, affiliate programs, text link ads, and Amazon Associates - to monetize your blog and reward yourself financially for the diligent effort that you're putting into your site day in and day out.


9. You will make mistakes and regret certain things: From hideous templates to having music blaring on your sidebar to posting about things that, ultimately, you may wish you hadn't, along the way you'll make some mistakes. It's not the end of the world, and no one is expecting you to be perfect. Take stock of what you wish you could have done differently, and then either make those changes or try not repeat your mistakes a second time.

When I look back over nearly five years of Chronically Vintage's life, something that teeters on being a regrettable mistake for me was a year long project that I launched in 2011 called Vintage 365, which consisted of me putting up a brand new post everyday. This side of things, though not the easiest walk in the park, isn't what I regret. The mistake that I made was to undertake this twelve month project at a time when my health was, at best, allowing me to be on the computer for perhaps a combined total or an hour most days. Because that hour went to writing the next day's post, I wasn't able to stay as active in the blogging community nor to comment on other peoples' sites very often, and as a result, few of all those posts throughout the year received the kind of reaction from my readers that I'd grown accustomed to in the two years of vintage blogging I'd enjoyed before it.

If I could back in time to January 1, 2011, would I launch this project again? No, not if my health was in the same spot, not by a long shot. I tried something new, I wrote a lot of posts (many of which I loved creating at the time), I challenged myself and I saw that project through the end. It might not have gone as ideally as possible, but it wasn't a complete train wreck either, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons about blogging (including how fleeting large audiences can be) that have served me wonderfully ever since (so in that respect, maybe it was worthwhile after all).


10. Sometimes you need to step outside of your comfort zone: I don't mean that you need to pose naked on camera, take up skydiving, or start breeding poisonous snakes - though you're more than welcome to, if you so feel inclined. No, what I mean is that sometimes if it can be easy, all too easy, to fall into a rut of posting the same old, same old kind of comfy, cozy posts. They may be great, but even the best dessert becomes a bit boring if you eat it everyday.

If you know what kinds of posts work well for you, that's awesome - you're honestly a big step ahead of some of your fellow blogging peers - but don't let a successful formula risk being your undoing. Every now and then, post about something new, unique or just plain silly, even if doing so feels a bit strange or tricky, and get people talking! (Some of my more off-the-wall posts over the years have been devoted to topics as diverse as 5 items I would never wear, Jane Austen's Fight Club, and Bigfoot).




{Just like buildings muscles, successful blogging requires knowledge, time, effort, and dedication. It isn't always a bed of roses and sometimes one faces less-than-ideal situations and harsh truths, but chances are you'll be able to tackle these challenges head on and ultimately flourish because of, not in spite of, them. Image source.}

♥  ♥  ♥

I love blogging. Not a little, not moderately, but rather entirely. I flat out love it from the very depth of my soul. Blogging, especially if you're a highly active blogger, can be akin to, if not your actual, full time job and just as with any career choice or interest that you devote yourself to extensively, there are going to be bumps in the road, people who upset or annoy you, sticky situations, and stressful moments here and there. This is normal. Very normal. Blogging, like life, is not all sunshine and lollipops and companies wanting to give you free products to review 24/7. Nor should it be.

A little adversity, problem solving, and working on how best to handle those kinds of people who really get under your skin builds character and makes you not only a better person, but a better blogger. I'm not suggesting you go out of your way to incite problems for yourself, goodness, no! Instead, that when issues does arise, try to keep in mind that in every negative, there is a takeaway lessen to a learn which can help you handle the same kind of scenario in an even more positive, knowledgeable and confident manner the next time around (because, and here's another honest truth, for you, chances are there will be a next time).

Ideally, you want blogging to be a fun, rewarding, happy, and at times, enjoyably challenging, experience and process. You've heard me say it many times before, but I'll say it again: If you frequently find that you don't like/are highly stressed out by/no longer enjoy blogging, it's time to do a bit of soul searching and perhaps a 180 on your site. Not every blog is destined to succeed, flourish, or last forever, plain and simple.

There may be circumstances in your life which need to take prescience over blogging or which consume so much of your time that you're not able to devote yourself to your site as much as you'd like to. That's okay. Really, it is. You tried, you likely had a good time for a while, you probably learned a number of interesting and valuable things, and you've got some terrific memories to look back on (plus, there's nothing to stop you from blogging again in the future; remember, the moment does equate to eternity).

Even if your blog contributes to some, or all, of your livelihood, it shouldn't feel painful, overly monotonous, tedious or like something you've come to dread. There's no way you're going to give yourself, or your readers, your best writing if it does. Revamp your site, shake things up, get creative, enlist the help of friends, be honest with yourself and your readers, and start making the changes you need so that the joy and sense of wonder that blogging can impart find their way back into your life.

Not everyone who blogs will run into all of these scenarios, but again, if your blog is starting to become well know, highly trafficked, and/or publicized, chances are that you'll face at least a few of them (plus others that we didn't even touch on here). Try not to worry about them. At the end of the day, you want to ensure that you're blogging for yourself first and foremost, that you're happy, and that you're having a blast.

Be true to yourself, stand your ground when truly needed, make peace with the fact that not everyone will "get", like, or necessarily even be nice to you, and don't be afraid to just roll with the punches. As the old axiom says, you can't please all of the people all of the time, so don't even try.

To thine own self - and thine own blog - be true and you will most likely find that you have what it takes to handle and overcome those inevitable rough patches you’ll find yourself staring into the eyes of every now and then.

Just doing a little fall cleaning

Of the electronic version that is.

While by no means obsessive to an unhealthy point, I'm something of a compulsive cleaner. I detest mess and disorder and as a result don't mind housework and actually look forward to certain chores and seasonal cleanings. This week however, no elbow grease was involved, as what I've been tidying up is the pages upon pages that I keep in (neatly categorized) Word documents on my computer to links (sources) of online images and topics that I may want to post about in the future.

From day one back in 2009 when I began this blog, I started putting together such inspiration lists, as well as lists of ideas for future posts (other than deleting those ideas I've already written about, that list rarely gets touched and is a vital element, I find, to successful blogging). As a result, some of the entries are now well over three years old. Not all that aged if we were talking about a real world item perhaps, but in the realm of the interwebs, a lot can happen in that time.

About once a year or so, I like to take a few days and weed out certain links that I suspect or already know are no longer applicable or which are now long gone (e.g., etsy listings that have sold).

Sometimes Flickr users shut down their accounts and thus images there that I'd once hoped to use disappear as well. Other times people change their Flickr settings and cease to allow their images to be used by others, and again that potential image source dries up. The less of these kinds of links one has to hand, the speedier (and more enjoyable) it is to quickly find the type of image you're after for a given post.

While Pinterest has certainly opened up the image playing field - and is a marvelous place to store images that you may use in future posts - I still like the quick ease of use that comes from having these kinds of lists, where a simple "search and find" in Word will pull up the links I'm after, based on the descriptions and/or keywords I partnered them with.




{There’s nothing like a little housekeeping – be it on your computer or in the kitchen to make things feel fresh and tidy again. Image via fidgetrainbowtree}



Much as I literally get antsy if I know something is messy in my house, so too do I like to try and keep my archive of links and vintage inspiration neat and tidy, no matter how lengthy it has become after years of blogging.

Thus, throughout this lovely mid-October week, when not celebrating family birthdays (three in a two day period!) and our wedding anniversary, I've been devoting some of my time to (proverbially) sweeping, dusting, and sorting through my achieves documents and, while it's sad in a way to see any link cease to be useful or available, I'm happy about knowing that I'll now be able to head into the wildly hectic fall and winter holiday season with considerably fewer unusable entries kicking around.

If you keep similar lists (and/or use an online bookmarking service, which I do too, but only a minute fraction as much as I use my Word documents), I highly suggest you do an annual cleanup up, too. You can work at it here and there, when time permits, or intentionally devote a weekend or few days to sorting the "keep" from the "toss”, as they used to say on the TV show Clean Sweep.

One of the perks to this kind of tidying up spree is that it reminds you of some of things you found previously and thought were noteworthy/cute/cool/useful, but which in the ensuing months (or years), you forgot about.

Don't be surprised, as I often find is the case, if you go on a post writing spree in the aftermath of this type of housekeeping, especially if you're still left with oodles of great, totally useable sources of inspiration and images.

Cleaning, I find, is good for the mind, body and spirit, no matter what you're tidying up. There's a sense of satisfaction that comes when you wrap up and admire what you've just done and the order you've brought to the world around you.

So why not join me this month (feel free to don your favourite vintage apron just for fun while doing so) and engage in a little bit of autumn inspiration file straightening up -  it sure makes spring cleaning your house seem like a massive breeze by comparison!

7 ways to keep your blogging mojo going strong in 2012

 

As Chronically Vintage heads into its third year of life, one might wonder if I was running low on things to talk about, images to share, or blogging stamina (especially after last year’s Vintage 365 project). Thankfully, I’m happy to report, nothing could be further from the truth!

In fact, as  2011 wound down, I found myself with a powerfully renewed surge of blogging energy, while at the same time I suddenly couldn't cram enough vintage related activities (from clothes shopping to scouring the web for fresh-to-me yesteryear photos) into the day (ok, that's scarcely anything new - but it's always fantastic when you experience an intense burst of passion for a longstanding area of interest).

That said however, we all know what it's like to run into blogging slumps or periods when inspiration seems like it's harder to find than a palm tree in the arctic. I've been there before myself and know that chances are I'll face such periods again, but luckily I've learned some techniques over the years to help forge a path through the thicket of writer's block, lack of inspiration, or distraction caused by other areas of your life that nearly all bloggers encounter from time-to-time.

Last November I shared five tips for daily blogging with you, as I knew some of my readers were interested in running their own year-long daily blogging projects, too. All of those suggestions ring true for bloggers everywhere, no matter how frequently you post, so in addition to today's tips, be sure to give that post a read, if you haven't already.

 

7 ways to keep your blogging mojo going strong in 2012

 

1.) Look beyond your own life for topics to write about (and vice versa). If you generally write about events that transpire in your own life (for example, if most of your entries are about the fantastic vintage outfits you enjoy wearing), consider devoting a chunk of your posts to other topics that relate to your blog but which do not put yourself into the story as much (such as articles on the history of various topics that related to your site). By the same token, if you're prone to just writing factual, informative pieces, consider shaking things up by injecting more of your own daily life into your blog posts. Chances are your readers will appreciate a change of pace, no matter which of the two camps you usually fall into.

2.) Start, or renew interest in, a new hobby, project, class or other ongoing activity. Look for areas related to the subject(s) you blog about that you could increase your knowledge in or create projects related to. For example, several vintage bloggers who are also sewers, knitters or crafters have written tutorial posts (and/or ongoing series of posts) on projects that bring together their love of the past, as well as their passion for being creative. Ask yourself if there's a skill or interest you could be sharing with your readers that you aren't already. It could be cooking (post your favourite recipes), photography (take snaps that pertain to the genre of your blog), crafting, gardening, travelling - even shopping - just so long as it's something you feel confident teaching others about.

3.) Draw inspiration from other bloggers' posts. While you likely wouldn't want to copy someone's else's post to the letter, if you read a blog post or other online article that really speaks to you, create your own post on that same topic (perhaps referencing back to the original piece that sparked you to write your post), giving it your own personalized spin.

4.) Create a multi-part series of posts on a particular topic. Just as TV shows sometimes wrap up an episode by promising to continue it in the next episode, so too can you create a series of ongoing posts about a topic (for example, shoes of the 1940s, or ten of your all-time favourite vintage cake recipes) that you know you can write scores about and which is likely to have your audience eager to read the next instalment. The length of the series is up to you, but anywhere from three to ten posts (either spread out of over time or posted in succession) is generally a good number of entries to include in an ongoing series.

5.) Write about what you love. As you sit down to write each new blog post, don't hesitate to remind yourself that you are indeed writing for your blog, not a newspaper, a magazine, or a multi-author website. This is your ongoing project, your passion, and your gift of yourself to the blogging world. If everyone and their dog is writing about some of-the-moment subject, don't feel you need to do so as well just to "fit in". Cover topics that excite you and which you are genuinely interested in. If you do, your passion with generally shine through in your writing and really help your readers feel like they're connecting with you and what you're telling them.

6.) Take a short break from blogging every now and then. Even the best of us get knackered out, become super busy, don't feel up to snuff, or otherwise just need a breather occasionally. Instead of running yourself ragged or falling into a lengthy period of writer's block (which might even lead you to give up on you blog entirely). Step back (if only figuratively speaking) from the computer for a week or two, and give yourself permission to relax and not think about your site for a while as your blogging batteries recharge.

7.) Make note of things that interest and inspire you. Whether online or off, keep a running list of things pertaining to the topics you blog about that have fascinated, mystified, captured, intrigued, or otherwise grabbed your attention. I started a list like this back when I launched Chronically Vintage in 2009 and have added to, and worked off of, it dozens upon dozens of times. Having a list like this can really go a long way towards helping to ensure you never run into feeling like you're exhausted everything you can (in the moment) think of to write about.

{While blogging can sometimes feel as precarious as swinging through the air on a trapeze (like this athletic 1940s gal), most of the time it truly doesn't need to. Remember to enjoy the process, pace yourself, and cover a diverse range of subjects pertaining to the overall theme of your site. Vintage image via carbonated on Flickr.}

 

As you go about writing blog posts this year, always try remember to have fun and to enrich your life through the content you opt to share with others. Chances are your blog is not your livelihood, it doesn't have to (and shouldn't!) be a source of significant stress for you. Keep in mind that your site is something you made the conscious effort to start and devote a part of your life to on a frequent basis because you wanted to share your interest in a particular subject with the world.

As we motor along through January with our gaze set on the what lies ahead this year, I hope that you'll find the tips in today's post helpful in ensuring you have the strength, time, passion, and inspiration to blog confidently and happily all through 2012 - and well beyond.

Here's to a fabulous year of blogging, dear friends!!!

5 tips for creating a year-long daily blogging project

✯ Day 319 of Vintage 365 ✯

 

Today's is a post that I've been thinking about writing for a while now. When the idea for it first popped into my mind I figured I'd write it once Chronically Vintage's ongoing Vintage 365 series had wrapped up.

However, last night I was reflecting on this point it struck me that, as some of my readers out there may be considering launching daily projects of their own for 2012, it would make more sense (and be more beneficial to you) if I shared some of my tips on doing this kind of project with you a few weeks in advance of January 1st.

Though I was certainly no strange to blogging or writing online content prior to this year, I'd never before made the conscious decision to try and create a new post (by which I mean several paragraphs of content and an image or embedded video) every day for a whole year in a row prior to 2011.

As some may recall from my post announcing the Vintage 365 project back on the first day of January, the idea for this unique spin on Chronically Vintage's usual routine, was not one I'd been plotting and planning for a long time.

The notion come to me a couple of day before New Years, and while I wrestled with whether I should undertake such a long commitment (especially factoring the unpredictability of my health), I decided to take the plunge and go for it.

This year (or at least all 319 days of it we've experienced so far) has been a most interesting experience and experiment indeed. There's been some bumps in the road for sure, but through thick and thin, the project has prevailed and in the process I've come to discover some useful tips that may help you should you ever decide to take on a daily blogging project, too.

Before you do however, I strongly urge you to consider what you're thinking about doing. Writing quality posts, each on a different subject matter, for a full year might not sound that hard at first, but a few weeks or months in and you may find yourself wondering just what the heck you signed up for!

I encourage you to look at your own personal work/school/family/personal life schedule, your health, your relationship with blogging, and your interest level in the general topic you'll be writing about before you devote yourself to intentionally writing every day (I say intentionally because while some bloggers post every day or nearly every day, they may not have set out with the specific goal of ensuring they post every day for a whole year straight without fail).

While no one has a crystal ball that will let them peer into the future and know what lays ahead in the coming months (in other words, what might derail a daily blogging project), if you believe that you can devote yourself to the time and commitment required to carry out a daily blogging project of your own, then I hope you'll enjoy (and be able to use) the following suggestions.

 

5 tips for successfully running a year-long daily blogging project

1.) Schedule your posts to go live at the same time every day (or at least most days). Presumably when you decide to take on a project like this, you'll write an announcement post about it on your site to let your readers know what's in store for them over the next 12 months.

As people enjoy knowing when exactly they can look forward to your next post, it's a good idea to add your daily post to your blog at the same time each day (for the Vintage 365 project, I schedule most of my posts to go live at 10:00am each morning).

Most major blogging platforms (such as Blogger and WordPress) allow you to schedule your posts for any date and time you desire in the future, so by all means avail of this handy feature and give your project an element of uniformity by having your posts appear at the same time each day.

2.) Pace yourself. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a year-long blogging project. While doing anything (even something you really enjoy) every day for a whole year without fail may seem a bit daunting, remind yourself why you got into such an undertaking in the first place and try not to focus on the numbers (aka, that you'll need to create 365 different posts before the year is up).

Instead take each day as it comes and enjoy the articles you're writing right now instead of stressing over what you might chat about on your blog come July.

3.) You don't have to reinvent the wheel. Though you may adore writing lengthy and/or highly eye-catching posts, trying to create award-worthy content day after day, month after month, can start to wear on you.

Chances are your readers enjoy seeing an array of different types and lengths of posts from you, so be sure to shake things up by creating some smaller posts to balance out your longer ones. Such posts certainly don't have to be dull by any means though. Four or five great paragraphs on an interesting topic can be way more pleasant for your readers (who may be pressed for time themselves) than trying to get through your War and Peace-esque coverage of a subject that perhaps isn't quite as interesting to most people as it is to you.

4.) Keep a log of ideas you might like to write about on hand at all times. Honestly this tip is super useful for bloggers everywhere, regardless of how frequently they post. Create a Word document (or any kind of file, be it online or off line, you'd like) in which you jot down potential ideas for a post each time you get one.

While you may not end up ever using all of your ideas, it can be very comforting and handy to know that at any given moment, if an idea for a new post is eluding you, you can open this document and be greeted with an array of topics you'd enjoy writing about.

5.) Always try to have backup posts on hand. Though you may have every good and honest intention in the world or writing a new post each day, the simple fact of the matter is that life is unpredictable and there may very well be times when you can't make to the computer to create a new entry for your blog.

Ideally it's great to have ten or twenty posts already to go live at any moment, but this may not be realistic for everyone (throughout this year I've always tried to have at least two backup posts ready at all times, and let me tell you having them on hand has been massively beneficial to me on those days when, for whatever reason, creating a new post just wasn't possible).

Instead start with a just a few posts (for example four or five) and replenish (as circumstances permit) your backup posts as you use them, thus ensuring that you (ideally) always have some posts in reserve to see you through anything from the flu to issues with your internet service.

{Much like the individual dates on this immensely charming vintage calendar page from 1945, when posting for a whole year straight, remember that life only ever comes at us one day at a time and that each one is a new opportunity to create and have fun with what you write. Image via saltycotton on Flickr.}

 

I won't lie to you, opting to take on a daily blogging project is not the easiest of jobs, but it's certainly not the trickiest either.

Though there will likely be days when the last thing on earth you want to do is write something for your 191st post, there will be many, many more when you're bursting with excitement over the fact that you'll be connecting with your blog readers again and sharing in whatever topic you love enough to write about it for a whole year straight. (In short, you'll find, as I have, that the tough days are vastly outnumbered by the wonderful ones. )

If you ever (be it in 2012 or whenever) decide to tackle, experiment with, and embrace a year-long blogging project yourself, from someone who's been in your shoes before, I truly wish you the best of luck and endless blog post inspiration.