Ok, here’s a confession: I’m getting a bit frustrated with ‘blogging’.

Hear me out.

So, blogging, (for me anyway) was (and hopefully will remain to be) a great little creative outlet that I can share with others (that are interested).  What is a blog?  An online ‘diary’, a personal website, or an online scrapbook if you will.  I know blogs have really changed over the years, but essentially, they are still quite personal.  Like a diary, or scrapbook, I feel they’re really designed for the enjoyment primarily of the creator, and secondly for the audience, should there be one.  I hang out with a lot of bloggers and since everyone and their uncle is a blogger, I’ve noticed this recent obsession with readership/numbers/page hits.  I’m going to say this, and I’m sure lots of people will have something to say back:

If you’re doing this as a creative outlet for yourself, who cares how many people will read it?

If you’re expecting to be the next $10k/month blogger, YOU’RE NOT GOING TO BE, but anyway, who cares how many people read it?

If all you want is fame, you’re not going to get it through blogging, so who cares how many people read it?

What is up with all the fame obsession?  Becoming the next 10K/month blogger is about as realistic as becoming the next Hollywood starlet: everyone is trying to be her, and the net just isn’t hiring.  Not only that, take a look at the women who are “pro” bloggers, usually they are:

• Affluent (Mom, dad or financier husband/boyfriend) pays for EVERYTHING
• They ONLY wear designer brands, with some ‘low end’ brands like Topshop, Asos, Club Monaco, Zara (i.e. what the average person considers high-end on regular price)
• They’re usually a size 0-4
• They’re model pretty
• They’re dating a pro photographer or ONLY work with pro photographers for their blog pics
• They have major connections in PR, Fashion, and/or entertainment industry

Yes, there’s an exception to every rule but these points are hard to deny.  Looking to become a pro blogger?  Better hope your closet is already full of Alexander Wang, better hope you already have a Chanel 2.55, are model pretty (and skinny) and already have an envy-inducing lifestyle.

I’m not trying to rain on your dreams of being a pro blogger.  I’m just saying “wake up, pretty girl, the joke’s on you”.  (The harder you try to be a pro blogger, i.e., the more money you spend, the better it is for the retail economy, and guess what, you’re still not going to make it.  You’ll just be left with debt and a closet full of regrets).

Blogging isn’t about fame, freebies or getting your own reality TV show.  At least, it shouldn’t be.  Want your blog to be better?  Stop thinking about what other people might want, what will drive readers, and focus on making it fun and enjoyable TO YOU.  That way, even when your readership remains the way it is, at least you’ll have an awesome time writing and photographing it.

And on another note, what makes any of us think our documented, totally edited lives are worth a penny of anyone’s thought?  Not that I’m ungrateful for the readership, I am quite grateful, but thinking “I deserve this because I’m AWESOME and my blog is AWESOME” is just vain and ludicrous.  That’s why people think fashion bloggers are vain and vapid, because of this inflated sense of entitlement People should read my blog because my taste is awesome and so am I. I’m sorry, but let’s all grab a slice of humble pie and realize that most fashion bloggers are good at putting on a trendy pair of pants.  And that’s about it.  There’s nothing wrong with being skilled at getting dressed in the morning, but does it warrant thousands and thousands of readers and a circle jerk of complimentary comments? And PS, here’s what I noticed:  I rarely ‘comment’ back.  Not because I don’t appreciate comments, I just don’t comment back because you commented on my blog.  Doing that defeats the purpose of commenting.  People that always ‘comment’ back usually have 50+ comments on their site, and most comments sound like this OMG you’re so awesome, xoxo http://www.RandomBlog.blogspot.com XOXO or OMG you’re so cute xoxo http://www.randonChickBlog.wordpress.com XOXO.  Are those comments worth it? No.  They’re ONLY commenting so you’ll comment back.  They have zero interest in what you’re doing or creating, they only want traffic back to their site.  That’s not interaction.  I love the 4-5 comments I get on each post because I know those 4-5 people commented because they ACTUALLY LIKED my post and aren’t hoping for anything back.  That’s interaction.  That’s quality.  I’ll take that any day over 50 OMG you awesome http://www.readMyBlog.blogspot.com comments!

Anyway, I’m still having fun getting dressed in the morning, and I’m grateful for the visitors I get, but I’d still be doing it without an audience, you know, like I do in real life?  I’ll still get dressed even if no one is watching.  I guess my ultimate advice is, if you’re not doing for yourself, or if you’re doing it and it’s making you unhappy, it’s time to stop.  If blogging still makes you happy regardless of audience, keep on truckin’ sister.  You don’t need the interwebs validation.  If you feel you do, your money would be better spent on therapy and meditation, not Wang or Chanel.