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Julie Ann Art

Changes in Blogging

It’s no secret that certain corners of the blogging world are more quiet than usual these days. This place right here, undoubtedly, being one of them. My sweet friend, Erika, discussed this here (in a much more eloquent way than I ever could. She’s a great writer, go check her out!). It’s clear that with social media sites exploding with popularity, taking the time to read and comment on blogs becomes less enticing.

It was never my intention to slow my roll when it comes to how often I write a post. But these days I wonder how I ever blogged five times a week, while running my shop and working full-time. I mean seriously, how the fuck did I do that? I think I was likely borderline crazy, working myself to the bone. But, after all, it was that determination and hard work that allowed me to leave that pesky full-time job.

Now a year and a half into working full-time, the demand in my shop requires it to be my number one priority. And I am ok with that because that is where my dreams lie. I have never had the intention of becoming a “big-time” blogger. Gone are the days of thinking up trendy, Pinterest-worthy topics, daily (I mean, here I am, writing a post about my own personal thoughts without any photos). It has become so much less about views and followers and more about connecting with the people who have followed me along the way. I want to give my customers a glimpse into my life so they know who they are supporting.

And honestly, I think that is what suits me best anyways. I often struggled writing this blog before and I think that’s because I was losing focus on what I enjoy. I recently realized that it is not really the consistent writing that I miss, but the connecting. The relationships. Reading other blogs. I miss reading other blogs a lot! In fact, I would love to hear some of your favorite blogs to read in the comments of this post. I’m most interested in business-related blogs, regarding Etsy, business tips, etc…but I would love to check out anything that you find inspiring.

I think it’s time to refresh my blog feed and put more of an effort into reading, sharing, connecting. I find other people, their stories, so interesting. In reading, I know I will feel a lot more inspired within, which hey, could make me more inspired to share here as well!

Also, while I have not been blogging so much, I have still been a bit of a press whore. You can listen to my first podcast over at Fresh Rag (talking about in’s and out’s of Etsy selling) and read my latest interview for Great Over Good (less business, more personal fun questions) if you feel like you need more Jules in your life.

Thanks for listening. :] xo jA

Join the discussion 20 Comments

  • A Wild Tonic says:

    I feel ya lady. There has definitely been a shift, for sure. I continue blogging because like you, I enjoy sharing little bits of my life, and I really love seeing glimpses into the worlds of other like-minded people. You just gotta do you. 🙂

  • Gentri says:

    Oh my gosh… I seriously just made a goal to get back to reading other blogs!! I’ve loved it and forgot how fun it is. I read Erika’s post too and am so excited to see that I’m not the only one. I too have been planning to write a post about it!

  • Emily Spada says:

    This post makes me so happy. I’ve gone through many different blogging phases in my life on this world wide web, but I like to think that now, recently, I’ve finally settled into something that I like and makes sense to me. I don’t want to be a link whore, but here’s the post where I’ve expressed these feelings:
    http://emily-makes.com/getting-back-into-blogging/

  • lolly says:

    I enjoy blogging for the community and the connections over the actual content. Pretty and helpful content is rad, but when I write it is a form of release and self-expression, where I hope to reach someone who might need to hear what I have to say.

    I’ve been struggling for over a year now, maybe longer, to get back into blogging because of how much it has changed. I guess it’s time to stop fighting it, accept the changes, and just do what I feel is right for me 🙂

  • gina says:

    I feel ya! My blog has been collecting cobwebs and I really don’t mind. I still love to pop in here and there and share a few things but I cannot believe I used to think of topics 5 days a week!

  • Bev Feldman says:

    Sometimes I wonder if I should reduce the amount I blog. I really enjoy (for the most part) but it is SUPER time-intensive and sometimes (often) takes away from making jewelry. But I have found such an amazing community through blogging that I don’t know if I could give it up! Anyway, we’ll see what happens. In the meantime I will check out your podcasts!

  • yes this –> It has become so much less about views and followers and more about connecting with the people who have followed me along the way. I want to give my customers a glimpse into my life so they know who they are supporting.

    and thanks for the shout-out! (kissy-face-emoticon goes here.)

  • This is the type of blogging that I hoped to find when looking for other Etsy sellers with blogs. I definitely buy from those that I can connect with! As much as it’s fun to read blogs with perfect pictures and as if the people have nothing else to do than be a blogger, I’d rather read about the real stuff, the stuff that small business and entrepreneurs are made of! This is that stuff. 😉

  • You’re one of our favorite people. Thanks for such a great interview.

  • So this is just a sidenote!!! But using the DISQUS commenting form is AMAZING for connecting with readers! You don’t have to send private emails, and can just reply right on your blog and they’ll get a notification in their email – vice versa! I love it 🙂

  • Alice says:

    I’ve always liked your blog, but I do really love these posts you’ve been writing lately, the personal ones. It’s completely understandable that your business is a priority, so even if you don’t blog every day, that is completely fine. And when you do you always share a lot, so I don’t mind waiting, ha 🙂

    You’re definitely on my fave bloggers list. And BTW, I’ve sent you a letter today! #gosnailmail

  • shayna says:

    I hear ya! For me it’s not about comments, it’s about connecting and sharing information. I mostly still stationery blogs and my friend’s blogs. My favorites are Oh So Beautiful Paper, Paper Chronicals, The Everygirl, Design Sponge. I too have no intention of being a blogger, so most of my energy goes into my shop and stationery line, and whatever I have left over goes to blogging (which seems to be waning more these days) Thanks for sharing!

  • Great blog! I decided to switch my business blogging this year to Thursday’s & just once a week. Hopefully, my content is more focused for my friends and customers. It definitely gets easier for me to connect with others when I open myself up to them. I find I’ve got more time to create jewelry, fulfill orders & offer awesome customer service!

  • Definitely a topic that most of us have faced ourselves at some point! Our blogs have all evolved and taken on new and different forms over the years, right? My blog started as a complement to my Etsy shop, then it took on a life of its own and I met so many amazing people via blogging (including you!) so I never wanted to abandon it, but it’s definitely different now. DEFINITELY way fewer “cool stuff I found on Pinterest” posts. Those were always fun, though, don’t get me wrong. 🙂

    The only constant is change.

  • Lauren says:

    Just found your blog! love it. Ordered some cards too, the style is so me. My friends love my random inappropriateness…or they pretend too.

  • That’s why I always gave myself the weekends off at least and not update. It can be a lot of work! Even the shortest, most straight-forward post can take a while to put together. I don’t now how people blog daily, sometimes several times a day, there’s no way I could pull that off and have any kind of life. You’re in a busy time right now, you’re planning a wedding! =D We all know that and love you so a little blog break is understandable if you need it. I finally got around to hearing your podcast interview with Dave the other day and you sounded great!

  • Bagladee says:

    I’m pleased to hear that I’m not on my own with this issue, I have talked about this on my own blog. Wondering whether blogland was a thing of the past, however I do enjoy writing on my blog and reading others. It gives you a more indepth insight to the writers life.

  • Venassa says:

    I don’t blog much anymore, and neither do a lot of my favorite bloggers. It makes me quite sad, because blogging has been a bit part of my life for years. I find it really hard to find new blogs that I REALLY love now that a lot of my favorites don’t really do it anymore. I still blog here and there so I have the memories written down to look back on later, but even that is harder and harder to do.

  • Joyce M says:

    I found your blog a while back and enjoy stopping by to read your posts. I hope to have a work-at-home greeting card business someday and knowing that you are doing so well at it gives me hope too.

    I enjoy reading about business and find that most of the blogs I read provide some insight into running an independent business so if you are interested, try stopping by http://www.whileshenaps.com – she creates patterns for childrens’ toys but she writes a lot of articles about running a home-based business, blogging, etc. plus she posts her quarter earnings which I find very interesting.

    Another blog I like is: http://www.marketyourcreativity.com she offers a lot of marketing insights and discusses etsy. You are probably already familiar with the following ones but I thought I would mention them in the off chance you weren’t…. http://www.handmadeology.com and http://www.everythingetsy.com. And for all things greeting card business related – Kate Harper must be the premium authority – she is at kateharperblog.blogspot.com.

    Thanks for sharing your insights.

  • britney lynn says:

    i can’t imagine posting 5 times a week, yikes! that would be sooo overwhelming. i like to stick with quality over quantity. emilymthompson.com, eliseblaha.typepad.com, taragentile.com, and lemonandraspberry.com are a nice mix of biz and real life. enjoy!

    adventuresandnonsense.blogspot.com

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