Since this month is dedicated to gratitude, I thought it was appropriate to share reasons why I’m thankful for blogging. This is especially fitting since I also started blogging 13 years ago! Today there are over 600 million blogs in the world. But back in 2010 when I started it was the “dark ages” of blogging–only 149 million. “Only,” wink wink. Seriously, though, a lot has changed over the years, including me!
3 reasons I’m thankful for blogging
13 years ago on November 5th, I hit publish on my first blog post. I have learned and grown so much in several ways since that first post. At times, blogging has been a tricky and time-consuming path to navigate. However, this online space of mine has also been such a creative outlet and blessing in my life. Normally, to celebrate my blogiversary, I’d share some tips I’ve learned over the years. However, I thought this year it would be fun to just express my gratitude.
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2024 Blogging retreat
I’m thankful that blogging has “made” me be creative
First and foremost, this blog has been such a fun creative outlet for me. Some people quilt, some people bake sourdough–I blog. When I only had a couple of kiddos it was much easier to craft as a creative outlet. However, as my family grew and children got more active and into everything, setting up a table of crafts to work on wasn’t as feasible. My blog is my creative space, and because it’s on the computer, I don’t have to worry about packing everything away when naptime is over.
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I enjoy the challenge that comes with working with brands and having deadlines, as well as coming up with new ideas to pitch. When we plan a family trip, I get excited over planning how many quality blog posts I can get out of a weekend away. My brain has almost become rewired, constantly thinking about how I can make new content that will be helpful and fun for my audience. There are days when I know that if I didn’t have my blog to create for, I might lose myself in laundry cycles and dish piles.
I’m thankful for the opportunity blogging has brought to my family
Full disclosure–I don’t make a lot of money from blogging. Some people might say that means I’m not a “successful” blogger. However, although making money is definitely a nice “perk” (especially considering all the time it takes) it’s definitely not the reason why I started blogging in the first place. Besides the creative aspect I already mentioned, there have been many fun opportunities over the years for my family. We have been able to go places and do things that my family of nine probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
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I’m thankful for the piece of calm my blog provides
One reason that I’m thankful for blogging is perhaps the most surprising revelation–that it has become a sanctuary for me. I love being a mom to my crazy hoard of hooligans, but I also love having something that’s mine. And on the extra chaotic days when I’m feeling overwhelmed by motherhood and homemaking, I love having something to turn to where I can create something beautiful that I’m proud of. I love being a homemaker and creating a peaceful enviroment. But let’s face it–kids are like mini tornados. Laundry gets dirty again, the dishes pile up in the sink on an endless rotation, but once I post something to my blog it stays whole and perfect.
You may also like these posts about blogging:
A Few of my Favorite Things about Blogging
10 Blogging Tips from 10 Years of Blogging
Photos in this post were provided by Amanda of Captivating Photography by Amanda and were taken at our 2023 Magical Media Retreat. Amanda is located in the greater Anaheim area.