That first blogging day is a blur to me. You’d think I’d remember how excited I was to finally take a running leap into the world of being a Blogger!
I remember being excited, nervous, and at the same time, a tad scared to death of failure. Picking a place to start is supposed to be the easy part, right?!
What photo to use, what words should I choose, what length, what topic…?
“What the hell am I thinking…this is crazy…?”
Holy sh*t, as I typed, I thought more about it, and I freaked a bit – the holy grammar police will come running…what if I write poorly, what if I spell something wrong, what if somebody calls me out on it?!
“I’m sharing me, myself and I to the world!!!”
I clicked Publish anyhow…
Don’t play the second-guessing-yourself games, that’s a sure-fire way to stall your progress.
Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. – Martin Luther King, Jr.
If you analyze too much, you might end up feeling like the limp biscuit a puppy walked away from.
You will reject any attention thrown your way…
you’ll be ready to toss it all in and quit.
Don’t quit, even if you’re feeling all alone. Someday, you won’t be. Be honest with yourself about how you feel as you keep moving forward.
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom. – Thomas Jefferson
The clouds will clear and the gloomy feelings will subside, and someone will read your posts!
The day you post your first post, and no one reads it is a tough day emotionally, but working your way through the emotions helps you grow.
First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. – Mahatma Gandhi
That first day it is a good day! It’s perfect for reflection…
For asking yourself what it is you want out of the efforts, for beginning the definitions of your blog, and for working out the kinks in the process. It’s kind of nice to be alone when you’re trying to figure out things to help your spirits bloom.
It may feel doom and gloomy at times, too. Don’t give up, keep trying to make a splash in the world of blogging.
I didn’t stop, I kept on going because it was what I wanted to do, I had committed to it, and I was going to have fun regardless of readership. The first few posts were (are) awkward. And, you know what, some days it still feels damn awkward. But I keep showing up.
Days like that are an important part of your blogging efforts, especially if you allow them to be lessons for you to work through the awkwardness.
In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can. – Nikos Kazantzakis
Tip of the day – Embrace each day you write and look back on them to see how far you’ve come.
Post Inspiration – Linda Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday – Limp Biscuit; TPC Dutch Goes the Photo – Backyard (on a side note, I take lots of pictures of my backyard, these are just a few rainy ones to capture the mood of the post. Copper’s (aka, my dog) debut post as he pontificated the best description of our backyard is one of my favorites – do feel free to check his first efforts out here).
Today’s post also in response to the 30 Day Blogging Challenge – #MyBlogMyWritingStyle Find Your Writing Style (guidelines here – it’s never too late to start!!) The word prompt for the day is First and the to ponder about prompt for the day is “Describe the day you did your first post.”
PS – What is the most memorable first day you had? Were you scared or excited, or what other words would you use to describe how you felt? How about your backyard, are you like me taking pictures of it all the time? How long ago was it that you wrote your first blog post?
Happy blogging, Shelley! Glad you found your writing voice!
Thank you, Mary! I’m still grateful for the first time you commented on my blog. I’m forever thankful for your kindness and support! Happy Blogging to you too!
Thanks for sharing. As always very inspiring!
Thank you, April! Love your new haircut/color too by the way! You know I don’t go there (coloring) anymore, but I do love it when people find a hair color that makes them smile! xx
Glad you wrote that first–and all the subsequent posts! Just keep going, is a thought we can all use, midweek!
Thank you, Rebecca! Yes, just keep going – one blog post, and one manuscript at a time!!
Yes scary at first blog. Now it’s a social addiction.
LOL – you’ve got that right!!
Great post, Shelley! I don’t really remember my first day blogging but it was on an old free site from Vistaprint which I had started to promote my Etsy shop in around 2013. I got so many spam comments on the site that I shut it down and moved over to Blogger. My first post there was January 1, 2015. I love it and all the great people you meet and interesting things you learn. Scary first day?…probably working at Michaels since I had never worked in retail before. I do take pictures of our backyard because it is our work in progress at the moment. I will say again how much I want a little house like yours!
Thank you, Janet, I appreciate you sharing your thoughts! I started back in 2012 on Blogger…I was completely anonymous, but it’s weird, it still gets reads occasionally! I love blogging too, it has become a fun way to meet people like you said. I could never work at a craft store, I’m afraid I never would have a paycheck to bring home! Aw, glad you like our Tea House – Mr. built it and we do love it too!
Love the pictures around your house. I so miss being out in the country.
Thank you, it is very nice being out in the country. I’d be sad if we didn’t live here, so I understand how it might be easy to miss it.
I’m almost afraid to look back at the early days of my blog. I was really awful when I got started.
I can’t imagine your blog being awful – you’re so darn organized!! 😉
It took a while to get the organization down, and even then I’m not sure it’s the way I want it. But thanks!
From my seat, it looks like you’re doing great! You’re welcome!
That faith and the staircase quote is one of my favorites. 💛
:-)!!
I am a new blogger so I can totally relate to pushing that publish button for the first time. I discovered a few things when attempting to write my first blog. One was that lol is not a period even if I am use to using it as one. I had just come back from my first vacation ever and I was so excited about how good it felt to experience a real vacation that I wrote in run on sentences. Making the word “and” both my period and comma ! Hahaha ! All in all it was fun. May the learning never end !
Hi Terri, welcome to the blogging world and THANK YOU for stopping by to say hi!! Way to jump in and have fun, if you keep that mode up, you’ll be a success! LOL – oh, I’ve had my share of run-on sentences, poorly constructed paragraphs, you name it, I’ve done it. Free Grammarly app helps! ;-)! PS – I enjoyed your post about Visual Arts! Looks like you’ve got a great start to your blog – Happy Blogging to you!!
Awww , thanks ! I will get that app !
I’d say it’s feeling many bloggers can identify with Shelley! I love how crisp your reflection photo is.
Thank you, Marie! I still have fond memories of when you first said “Hello” to me when I started out! It’s fun to hear from you – and congrats on your adventure trip, it was so nice to read about it on your blog! xx
‘You’re welcome as always Shelley! I just can’t find enough time for reading & blogging and living because pacing myself means my days are just like hours. I’m glad my “Hello” was memorable and likewise it’s lovely to have you visit and post your encouraging comments here. Your dedication will reap rewards!
I appreciate your words of encouragement, your positivity is memorable! I’m in the same boat, it is hard to find the right pace when it comes to blogging. Happy blogging to you!
Very glad you’ve stuck through the “gloom and doom” times, ha!
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http://www.areweadultsyet.com
Thank you!! I appreciate your encouragement!
I am so glad I found your corner of the internet, Shelley. I love your writing style and your topics. we bloggers need all the encouragement and support we can get, right? I was excited on my first day of blogging. My computer -expert son helped me set up my site and I published a post about gratitude. When I look back on it, I still really like that first post, even though there have been a few clunkers along the way. When you hit the sweet spot and say exactly what you wanted to say, it is very satisfying!
You’ve stated the art of blogging very eloquently – you’ll rock it with that attitude for sure! I’m glad our paths have crossed and that we can share the mutual excitement about blogging!
Thank you, Shelley. So glad our paths have crossed too!
As I look upon those first days of mine, when I stepped in the blogging world, there’s a significant change in not just what I blog about but also in understanding of the world I live in.
A large number of bloggers live so far away from each but through our words we connect instantly and share our thoughts and feelings unlike anything else. This is the power of blogging!
Those snaps of reflection and purple flower are really amazing 🙂
Yes, that discovery of yours is one of the best parts of blogging! Thank you for sharing your thoughts and for your kudos on the photos, I appreciate your feedback! 🙂