Why write a blog?

Art takes practice, creativity takes courage, there will be some failures, and sometimes things will get messy. Remembering that makes art, and life, a lot easier.

The reasons to start a blog would be different for everyone; maybe they just like writing, maybe they want to share their hard-earned expertise, maybe they want to get free makeup samples to review, maybe all of the above or none of the above. For me, one benefit was to have an outlet for writing because it’s a desire I can’t seem to suppress, but also for accountability in the constant evaluation and editing of the life I’m creating every day. I also want to try to ‘pay forward’ the lessons I’ve learned from reading and watching others’ creative lifestyles; I’ve experienced such a significant change in myself, my artwork, and by extension, my life, from the spark of inspiration they’ve all lit, and I want to help spread that like wildfire.

I was hesitant about starting a blog because I thought, ultimately, who would care what I have to say? But then I’d spend hours and hours absorbing other bloggers’ writing and videos about life, love, fashion, food, organisation, art, books, and any other seemingly mediocre thing they felt compelled to write about, and I just loved it. I loved that they had given the time and effort to share their dreams, their successes and failures, and their everyday lives with the world.

So here I am, having faced my fears just enough to finally bite the bullet and put myself out there as a blogger. The concept of combining writing, visual design, and a platform to step outside my comfort zone, sounded like some kind of wonderful, so it was only a matter of time. It’s a big step for me though, because while it’s a very simple thing to start a blog (anyone can do it and you might be surprised how quickly!) but I’ve always had difficulty ‘following through’ (I’ve even come to hate that term!), because of a silly fear of failing to meet my own ridiculous expectations of myself (can anyone relate to this??). As absurd as it sounds to me even as I write these words, that has undeniably been the core roadblock underlying all my excuses. So after countless hours pouring over vloggers’ worlds and wishing I had that kind of confidence and sense of self, I’ve eventually come to realise it’s not about being the person you think you wish you were, but about being comfortable with the ongoing process of creating a life you love.

Over the past year, I’ve made it my personal mission to reinvent myself – that is, not to change who I am but rather approach life without a fear of falling short of who I hope to be. Over the course of this year of reinvention, one baby step I took was to make a conscious effort to make more art, good or bad, inspired or not, despite the fear it won’t turn out as I’d planned, and my art has improved so much as a result. “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art.” Andy Warhol was spot on. I feel this approach has filtered through my whole life and I’ve grown to appreciate my choices, my successes and failures, and to care less about whether I meet my expectations or not. Subsequently I now have a confident sense of my own style, a less cluttered home, and an understanding of what I want with less fear to pursue it.

As a part-time artist, my site will be largely geared that way, as I’ve always liked seeing what goes into developing the art I’ve liked, so I hope you might find this of interest in some way or another.

Thanks for reading, and if you’re part of this wide world of bloggers out there, thank you for sharing your courage and wisdom.