Friend Friday - Shutting down my blog?

Hello and welcome to another installment of Friend Friday! This has been such a great way for all of us bloggers to communicate on current issues in the blogosphere. Katy Rose, moderator of ModlyChic, sends us pertinent questions to what's going on in the fashion world each week. We all link up and answer them on Friday! If you are a blogger and are interested in joining, you can check it out here. 


I feel a little bit like Katy Rose read my mind this week for inspiration for a Friend Friday topic. THE STRESS OF BLOGGING! Check out what I have to say below and if and when I'll be shutting down my blog.


1. How many hours do you spend a week blogging? Has that number changed since you've become a blogger yourself?
Before I became a blogger myself, I hardly searched the blogosphere. It was maybe 2 hours a week. I knew what blogs were and were first introduced to them through ModlyChic and The Busy Budgeting Mama. So now that I have become a blogger myself, that number has exploded! Starting one's own blog is like opening Pandora's Box. Now I'm spending anywhere between 5 - 10 hours a week blogging.


2. There is always more you can do, write, read, comment on, etc...how do you limit your time spent on these tasks?
Well, actually, I don't think I do enough. I feel like I need to spend more time doing these things - getting my name out in the community, discovering more blogs, getting inspired...but I just don't have time. So, I guess that I am limited just by nature of having a limited amount of time.


3. Have you experienced blogger burn out yet? How have you dealt with that?
Well, I'm pretty exhausted right now. I can't imagine that it can get any worse. Oh gosh. Does it get worse? I imagine burnout is much like your first year of teacher burnout. I survived that somehow and am still picking up the pieces from that year. I usually have a tendency to push myself way too hard, get stressed out, and then kiel over. I am feeling like that with blogging at this point. It seems to be more of a task than a creative outlet and hobby. I want my blog to be successful and I feel like that takes a lot of time and effort that I just don't have with a 12 hour day job.


4. This time of year is always a lot busier. Will your blogging change as a result?
I think that my blogging may change a little within the next week or so as finals roll around and the last week of school commences. However, during the 2 week Christmas Break, I have a lot of plans to meet up with photographer friends for photo shoots and will have a lot of time to actually put into the blog. I'm really looking forward to it. 


5. Could you foresee a moment in which you are not blogging anymore? How will you identify if and when it is time to walk away?
I don't know. I think that I will walk away if the stress level stays the same & if the pressure to perform is still high and I'm not seeing any results in terms of growth. Let's be honest here, bloggers want to reach a lot of people. I want to reach a lot of people - however, if that doesn't happen and I am still stressed out about making sure I post this outfit and answer this FBFF, etc...then it's not worth it. I'm sticking to it now because I believe (and hope) my blog will grow. I guess we'll see.

Fashionably Yours,

I'm Back in Time for Friend Friday!

The internet has returned after a 9 day stint. That really puts a damper on a blogger! Oh yeah, and I was really distracted by the view from my new backyard...

It's no Jersey Shore, but it will do. 

Jealous?

Well, interestingly enough, that is the topic of today's Friend Friday discussion. 

1. How do you define jealousy?

          A desire for something that you feel you are inadequate in.
2. When do you find you experience a bit of blogger jealousy? 

          On a daily basis. I am jealous of their success, of their followers, of their prose, and of their recognition on a larger scale.
3. What types of blogs or which bloggers are you a little jealous of?

          I am jealous of the blogs that have hundreds of followers. Mostly fashion bloggers, since that is my field. I am jealous of the bloggers who have a better camera than I do and who look better in front of it than behind it. I am definitely jealous of The Busy Budgeting Mama! She's got it all...followers, a creative and clean website design, and she's a pretty great dresser.
4. From the time we're little we are taught that jealousy is a bad thing, but it can also inspire us to be better. Have you changed the way you do things, the content of your blog, etc... as a result of what someone else is doing?

          Yes, I definitely have. However, I wouldn't say that the changes have been out of jealousy. They've been more out of inspiration and a practical look at what makes their blogs tick. My blog design used to have a black background, but after visiting a lot of others' blogs, I saw that a lighter background was more attractive. I look at what makes their blogs easy to navigate and I try to imitate that.
5. What is the best way to overcome jealousy in the blogosphere and in life?

          You have to ask yourself why you are blogging. If you are blogging because you think that your life is more newsworthy than others and that you are the center of the internet universe, you are probably going to have a hard time getting over jealousy in the blogosphere and definitely in life. Purify your intentions. Blog because you want to be expressive or because you want to rid the world of fashion offenders and show men and women that their human dignity should be expressed in their wardrobe. Constantly evaluate and strive to improve. If you are jealous of someone's blog, ask yourself why. If it is because they have more followers, think of constructive and real ways to publicize your blog. You never know, maybe someone will end up being jealous of you.