1 YEAR OF MY BLOG
Hello friends!! One whole year ago, I took the leap and started my blog. Which initially began as one Medium post about how upset I was that my graduation had been canceled. That article started as a draft in my notes app. It was something to get my feelings down, and I really thought that would be its end. I had no idea it would spark me to create an entire blog. That is absolutely wild to me and man, time has flown by. I stepped outside of my box a year ago, and I'm still here. I'm still writing, still making mistakes, and still bringing you all along for the ride! For me, this is a big step. I've been consistent for an entire year. (Okay, maybe not as consistent as I wanted, like posting every week. But at least posting twice every month!) I wanted to share some behind-the-scenes stuff with all my readers in honor of one year!
how it started
For a more in-depth story of how I started my blog, check out Why I Started a Blog. But long story short, I had many ideas and things I wanted to share with the world. I had goals that aligned with starting a blog, such as trying new things, becoming a better writer, and creating and documenting more memories. I also wanted something that felt like mine. I wanted an ongoing project that would help me grow as a person. Something that I could look back on in five years and see how much I've grown and how much my project has grown. And after one year, I can definitely already see changes in my blog and myself. It took two or three months of debating if I should actually start sharing/blogging. Of course, I was intimidated at the thought of what others would think of me in the beginning. But I'm so glad I didn't let that stop me!
stats
When I officially decided I was going to start posting my writings, my expectations were so low. I thought if I had ten people read my blog, I would consider it a win! Writing has always been more for me personally, but if posting them for the world to see could make a few people smile, I thought, why not. I've written 24 articles since starting my blog (this being number 25). Drumroll, please– since I started, I've had 2.8 thousand people visit my site! I've had 5.1 thousand page views— with an average of 235 people reading my blog every month! (That is so crazy to me, but keep reading!) In the past year, I've had views from 75 different countries! (Like what in the world!! How did that happen?! My mind is blown.) As of today, my top three most-read blogs have been How I Lost 15 lbs, Sarah's Day: Sweat It to Shred It Review, and 25 Things to do Before you Turn 25! If you've been here, reading my blog since day one, I want to say thank you! (and if you're new here, I'm glad you're here, and thank you too ;))
I can’t get over this! How wild. If you are reading from a different country…hi!
questions
I wanted to answer some frequently asked questions:
How do you come up with new ideas? Well, I have a planner that I love and somewhat live by. At the start of every month, for 30 minutes, I will brainstorm. I'll think about things I would like the read, things I want to talk about, and products I like. Sometimes, I'll write down things that don't even make sense. But I get it all out, then I go back and refine till I have some solid ideas.
How do you find the time to write? I write before work. I write on my lunch break. I write after work and occasionally on the weekend. I love writing. It's a creative outlet that isn't the same as my job. (Which I think is so vital for creatives.) It's a different way to express myself. And sometimes words come so naturally (I did say sometimes haha.) Writing lets me talk about the things I really want to talk about.
Who shoots your photos for you? It's me! I have a tripod, and I go out on the weekends and shoot my own images. I was super bashful about this initially, and I would get so embarrassed when people saw me. But now I don't really care cause (most of the time) my photos turn out pretty cool, and I'm proud I took them myself. Usually, I will set up photoshoots in my bedroom for more studio-type photos, where I literally destroy my room to get a good shot. (The photo above is a perfect example.)
the future
I'm not sure where the future of my blog will take me, but where ever it is, I can't wait. I have so much fun writing and sharing everything with you all. Things in the works for my blog are potentially moving to a different site and giving my blog its own name. Hopefully, the future of my blog brings an even more consistent posting schedule! One day I'll make it to one blog a week. If you have anything you want to see on my blog, anything you want me to test out, or share, please let me know in the comments below! If you ever want to chat privately, my email is hello@laurenkittle.com :)
Thanks for reading y’all and sticking around with me for an entire year.