Monday 27 April 2015

I'm Proud To Be A Blogger


Blogging for some people is the method used to escape reality. It's a hobby that allows you delve into a deeper, sometimes more hidden area of yourself that you don't particularly show off in public. A blog for some people is an output in which they can share this other side of their personality and feel free to talk about their loves and hates, there joyful moments and in my case, books.
But how many of us don't talk about our blog outside of blogging?

I imagine there's a lot of people who blog that don't actually tell anyone about it. It's like a little secret, something only they know, something just for them, something that is theirs and they have all the control over, a space to be used when connecting to people of your choice rather than just anyone, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in fact, I understand why you'd want to keep something so precious and important to you away from the preying of eyes of people you don't know or don't particularly like, I really really do, but your blog is something you should be proud of.
Take me for example..

When I started out blogging at Book Badger, I never for one minute considered not telling people. Blogging was to me, the same as after school football is to the kid that likes sports, or the film buff that's always looking for the next film to check out at the cinema, blogging was a hobby (and still is) the same as any other hobby in the world, and I was good at what I did. I was proud of how good I was, and I wanted to share with this is with the people in my life. Was I scared that people I didn't like or didn't know would find my blog? Yes, a little. After all, the internet is a big and scary place with a lot of people we don't know and may never know, but it never stopped me being passionate and sharing my passion.

My Mum has bared the most and had to deal with my passion from the very start. She was there the summer I created Book Badger, she's been the person that's sat and pretended to understand my emotional turmoil with books and how they've made me feel, she's been there when I've talked code to her and thrown the biggest of almighty strops when something hasn't turned out quite as I wanted it to, or when I've been rejected and accepted for advance review copies and so much more. I couldn't imagine what the last half and a half of blogging would have been like if my Mum hadn't known what I've been doing during almost every spare moment of my time.

She's not the only person that's had to deal with my sometimes unnatural passionate hobby. I've shared my blog and the experiences with my friends and those people closest to me. My best friend Beth, my Nanna, my Uncle, my Father and my siblings - they've all been exposed to my blogging hobby and the emotions that come with it. Sometimes I've put blogging before my friendships and Beth has always swooped in and helped me take a step back and remind me that it is just a hobby. My Uncle tries his utmost to understand way I would spend hours researching the newest releases instead of just enjoying books for what they are, and he's always encouraging and striving me to be better. My Nanna, bless her heart always asks how things are and whether I'm still enjoying it, which is such an important part of having a hobby, you've got to love it to be passionate about it.

Blogging always plays a huge role when I'm applying for jobs too. While it is just a hobby in one aspect, I've gained so much life experience in the little things I do that really benefit my resume when I'm applying for retail and administration opportunities. As a blogger, I focus on marketing and promotions, using social media to get my content out to it's perfect audience. As a blogger, I've had the fantastic chance to work with authors, publishers, book imprints, book-related companies and even my libraries which is without a doubt some of the best experience (although it's online) that I've got under my belt. As a blogger, I work to deadlines with reviews, contact professionals via email correspondence, organise my book related information into spreadsheets, use Excel and Word documents frequently and have experience in code. For somebody that hasn't had a paid job since she left school, my blog is my experience, as are the things I do that I don't even think twice about. I talk about my blog at almost every job opportunity. It shows passion and dedication, highlights something I'm enthusiastic about and paints me in a positive light. If I didn't talk about my blog and feel proud of my hobby, I doubt I would have come as close as I have to some work opportunities.
There's being proud and then there's sharing your pride with the world

You can feel proud to be a blogger and enjoy what you do and feel passionate about it, but to be able to take it to the next level and feel comfortable with your blog to people you don't know, to people you may never know, to people you may never meet and may have in your life forever, that's something very different. I still wonder whether the people I knew in school may have found Beautiful Bookish Butterflies. Every now and then I imagine what a possible employer might think when they look at my blog and see what it is I'm passionate about and what I dedicate a lot of time, effort and love to, but in the long run, those things don't matter much, at least, not to me. I'm proud to be a blogger, I'm proud to talk about, review, discuss and share anything and everything that I feel strongly about in this little space called mine, and I can't imagine ever not sharing it with the vast, scary and highly populated world.
Do you share your blogging hobby with people outside of blogging?

24 comments:

  1. I've honestly never told anyone in my real life about my blog besides my best friend. I couldn't even tell you why. I think I just have this huge irrational fear of being judged. Even on the internet, it can be hard. I don't want to tweet another book blogger or an author because I'm afraid of being judged sometimes. And sometimes it's fine, I can work past it, but other times it's not. I'm definitely not ashamed of book blogging, at least I don't think I am. I wish it was different. But something just always holds me back.

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    1. I can totally understand you wanting to keep it to yourself. It's not always fear that drives us to privacy, it can easily be being so proud of something that you just want it to be yours and not be tarnished by opinions, and that's okay. After reading about you wanting to keep your real identity to yourself, sharing your blog with others might not be what's best for you, and that's fine, as long as you are proud of what you do!x

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  2. I'm with you, Amanda. I'm so proud of this little corner of the internet that I've created and I'm quite happy to tell people about it. Before having a blog, I always thought about it and whether or not I would tell anyone, if I had one. The answer used to always be "no way in hell" BUT I feel like that all changed once I started blogging. Because it's not as easy as one would think and I'm pretty confident that we can all agree with that. There's so much hard work involved and I kind of want people to know that it's not just all fun and games, you know? It's also a fantastic conversation starter and I've had some of the best debates ever, just by opening up the conversation with "well I also blog books.. etc". That being said, I don't just give out my blog name randomly. If the conversation rolls organically and I feel like the person I'm conversing with would genuinely love a read of the blog then I'll let them know. My parents know, they don't care to read it that much but they're so supportive. Same goes with my close friends. They know but they understand that its my space and it doesn't bother them to get into the specifics. The only person I actually know that reads it is my brother, just because he lives in a different country and its a good way for him to keep a track of my thought process and life, you know? But yeah, definitely proud to blog so I understand you completely and loved this post! <3

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    1. I'm so with you Jess! It takes a lot of hard work, and sometimes, sharing your blog with others allows them to see exactly what it is that's taken your dedication and hard work, and it is tough, people need to know that. I do think it makes sense to only share with people that will care though. It's always great to be proud of our hobbies!<3

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  3. Lovely post! <3 Honestly, not too many people know about my blog in my personal life--apart from a couple of friends (one of whom blogs occasionally) and my parents sometimes bring it up on occasion, too. Not that it really bothers me either way. While it's nice to share my blog with other people, you've got to be really passionate about books and/or writing to really understand it I think. But I am definitely proud to call myself a blogger. :) :)

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    1. Thanks hunny! Pride comes in all forms, and your proud whether you share it with people close to you anyway, and you should be proud, blogging is hard and takes dedication, and it's great that there are people supporting you! :)

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  4. Nooooo. I DO NOT. But this is mostly because the people around me know I blog, and everyone else I talk to is on the internet so it's not hard to find out I blog. x) I guess I do feel self-conscious, though, because I'm a very VERY quiet person. Like, I'm seriously the person who, growing up, people would start telling me about an event/outing and I'd be like, "Yeah, I was there remember??" -_- Whereas on my blog, I'm preeetty vibrant and open and I DON'T EVEN KNOW, IT JUST KINDA SCARES ME SOMETIMES. hehe. I'm not ashamed just self conscious. YOU clearly are the most fabulous one here. x)

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    1. GAH, always sucks when people forget you because you're quiet. I admit, you're always so out there on your blog, and I love it, but I also love that you're reserved and such a family girl too, that's always lovely, and there's nothing bad about not sharing it with other people, strangers even, because it's your little space, and you can be proud and not tell the world, just tell those that matter! I am only a little fabulous though, JUST A TINY BIT!<3

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  5. I am proud of blogging and I tell people that I do it. Everyone at my old job knew. Everyone at my new job knows. I'm not embarrassed by it. Even though all the people I work with now don't get YA at all, it doesn't bother me. I love blogging, I'm passionate about it and proud of all I have accomplished. But... being honest, I never tell them the name. I love my blog, I'm proud and don't mind everyone knowing that I do it. But still kind of don't want my work colleagues reading it.

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    1. I can totally understand you wanting to keep it quiet a little, honestly, it's such a big deal sharing it, and while I do it automatically, others might not, nothing wrong with that. You're proud, and that's fabulous in itself!<3

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  6. I'd like to think that I'm open about my blog. I'm not afraid of telling people but it isn't something where it's like on the first day of school: hi i'm nova. i'm fourteen, i have an obsession to dye my hair and i love to blog about books.

    when someone found my blog and confronted me about it... things got weird. I didn't like how i felt, even though it wasn't shame. I was like... "why do I have to justify my hobbies to you?" also because the person who asked me was very ignorant about it too.

    I'm at an age where there's soemthing negative about reading. I don't get it at all. but when I tell people that I book blog, they're like "what? ew. Why?"

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    1. Yeah, that always frightens me, that people are so negative over reading books, I don't really understand it, or why. What's wrong with enjoying a hobby, and why should we justify it? As long as we're happy, that's what matters!<3

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  7. This is such a fantastic post, Amanda! I applaud you for being really open about your blog, and it's amazing how much your friends and family support you.

    To be honest, most of the kids in my school are pretty judgmental, so I prefer not to go around saying, "I have a blog!" But my parents and closest friends know that I blog. I'm really happy my parents are supportive of it. My mom funds most of my giveaways (and she likes telling all her friends that I blog), and my dad always drives me to bookish events. :)

    There are some people who ask me if I blog, and that's the time when I'm like, "Yeah! I totally blog." But if people don't ask, I don't mention it outright. >_<

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    1. I think that's a safety thing though, sometimes you don't know how somebody's going to react, where-as if they've already been positive about books or blogging, it's easy to mention isn't it? It sounds as though you're just as proud though, and that's important, you should be! :)

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  8. Great post Amanda - blogging is definitely something to be proud of, especially with a lovely blog you have here at BBB! My friends know I blog and support me with it, even the ones that aren't as voracious readers. It's not something I go around telling anyone and everyone, but it is part of who I am and something which I'm glad I do.

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    1. Thanks Eugenia, that means a lot! I do think that being proud for yourself is being proud enough, you know? :D

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  9. Hey Amanda! I'm so excited that you have such confidence from blogging and you are taking it out on your job hunt! Super impressive. I do talk about my blog, because it has become a source of confidence for me as well. Everything you talked about, from contacting publishers, or being contacted, social media marketing, and everything else. It's a great experience. I am a writer and I am using my blog as practice before I have to go out and start marketing my books. I love talking about my blog!

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    1. Thanks lovely! I think it's great that you're using your blog experience before marketing your book, it's not only confidence boosting, but you get to see it from the other side too, you know? Thanks for visiting, good luck!<3

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  10. You know what, blogging is my passion and most of my friends know that I do blog, but they rarely ask me about it. Whenever someone does ask me about it, I'm always surprised because I feel like IRL and online world is separate you know? But actually, talking about it can definitely have it's benefits. I love recommending books to others, and talking about reading and blogging. I'm proud of what I've achieved with a blog thus far. And it's actually helped land me a job, I get to do social media and digital marketing - and part of that reason that helped me stand out from other candidates was because of my blog! Really wonderful post Amanda.

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    1. I've always felt that way, but recently, I've just sort of changed in the last few weeks and though 'why not, it's a hobby, it's my passion, I should be proud of it', you know? I think it's great that you're doing social media and digital marketing thanks to your blog, that's amazing! You must be so so pleased :D Thanks Jeann!<3

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  11. This is a great post actually, I love blogging and reading although, I don't share my book blog's URL with most people. My family knows about it, I always share it with them because they're so supportive. I told my friend once, and she called me a "nerd." After that I never told a soul lol I tell it to some friends I trust though<3 Benish | Feminist Reflections

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    1. Thanks Benish! Sharing it with anyone is a great thing, you should be very please and proud!<3

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  12. I do. It's not like I go around shouting I am a book blogger, but when people ask what I do in my free time I will let them know all about reading and blogging :) I don't see why you should be embarrassed about it. I have learned and gained so much through blogging that I'm proud to share that part of me :)

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    1. As have I Mel, it's such a great thing to do and enjoy, and people should be very very proud of themselves I think<3

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