50 Things I've Learned From Blogging

Let's be real- blogging is one big learning experience. Most of the time, in hopping into the blogger world, you're entering a world that's completely new to you. So naturally, as with any new experience, you learn a lot. Here are fifty things that the last two years of blogging have taught me. ♥

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1. Good lighting is everything.
2. When suffering writer's block, obviously the best idea is to procrastinate on twitter.
3. VSCO and A Color Story are lifesavers.
4. Staring at a screen long enough will make you want to stab your eyes out.
5. You can take 1000 photos, but you'll be lucky to get two good ones.
6. The number of followers that you have really doesn't matter.
7. That being said getting a new follower is basically the most exciting thing ever.
8. There's lots of screaming and flailing.
9. Blogging is a great excuse to introvert.
10. You're never done. Never.
11. Social media is the greatest thing ever.
12. It's also the worst thing ever, but we're being positive here.
13. Sometimes you just have to give up and go eat chocolate.
14. Comparison will make you miserable. Don't go there.
15. Bloggers are literally the most helpful people ever. Don't be afraid to ask if you need help.
16. Everything will take an hour longer than you think that it will.
17. Canva will be your best friend. It's free. Use it.
18. DON'T use lousy iPad apps for your header images. Learn from my mistakes.
19. Just because someone has a blog with a large following, that doesn't automatically make them arrogant or scary.
20. The more white space, the better.
21. It's totally normal to have 89382981 drafts.
22. Just because your blog doesn't look like A Beautiful Mess doesn't make you a failure.
23. Make a contact page.
24. Talk to people. Reach out. Bloggers are some of the coolest people ever- get to know them.
25. Be yourself. Trust me- if you're being fake, we can tell.
26. Write about what you're passionate about. Don't be something that you're not just because you think it will get you pageviews. Write with passion. THAT'S what people want to read.
27. Reply to comments. Leave comments. ALL THE COMMENTS.
28. Similarly, if someone's doing a fabulous job, TELL THEM! You'll make their day.
29. Don't look back at your first year of posts. It will make you cry.
30. Give credit where credit is due. If you got an idea from someone, say so. Don't steal it.
31. Time management is a very important skill.
32. The word "aesthetic" will soon become a staple in your vocabulary.
33. Don't feel like you constantly have to be perfect. You're human. It's okay.
34. Sometimes a post will randomly not get any comments and it's not your fault.
35. Pageviews can be amazing one day and terrible the next. Oftentimes it has nothing to do with you.
36. You'll quickly gain an incredible typing speed.
37. Taking aesthetic photos of food is fun because then you get to eat the food.
38. Sometimes the most random ideas for posts are the best ones.
39. Keep a notebook for blogging. Write down any ideas you have, because otherwise, trust me- YOU'LL FORGET.
40. You can get a blog post out of almost any experience.
41. Set a schedule, but don't stress over it. If you post a day late, it isn't going to be the end of the world.
42. Have a stockpile of generic posts ready. You're going to get busy, and it's nice to have something already written.
43. Read as many blogs as you can. You'll gain friends AND inspiration.
44. Guest posts are the most fun and exciting things ever.
45. If you try to do a cute DIY or recipe and it fails, post it anyway- I dare you. ;) It's fun to look back on.
46. You'll start to acquire tons of random items used for no other reason than blog props. It's okay. They're pretty. And trust me- it never hurts to have extra props around.
47. People are either going to think that you're awesome or you're crazy. (Or both) It doesn't matter either way.
48. Bloggers have the best book recommendations. (Looking at you, Olivia)
49. Sometimes, you just need a blogging hiatus to save your mental health.
50. You end up blogging for no other reason than the fact that you simply love it.

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What have YOU learned from blogging?