The answer is plain and simple. I needed a mental break. A break from blogging, social media, and technology in general. To everyone and their wonderful messages asking where I was and if I was going to continue blogging. Thank you & I love you and the answer is YES. I am back.
Proverbial Hearts has been around for close to 5 years now on and off. While some years have been more consistent than others, this has always been an amazing platform for me to share my thoughts, ideas, creativity and absolute love for fashion. It has always been a fun hobby- a creative outlet past my 9-5 in the fashion industry. Until I started putting a lot of pressure on myself this past year to grow this blog past my wildest dreams. In doing so, I was stressed out, losing confidence, missing out on social experiences with friends and not living in the moment.
Blogging stopped being fun because I was putting so much pressure on myself to build relationships with brands, make money, be innovative, and in the process I was losing myself and the reason why I started this blog in the first place. I realize this is normal especially in this industry, but taking a break from blogging has been the best thing I could have done for Proverbial Hearts as well as my sanity. For anyone going through these same sort of thoughts, I am sharing my reasons to take a step back and take a little break from what you are doing. All with the intentions to come back into it-greater than ever.
REASONS TO TAKE A BREAK FROM BLOGGING
++Playing the Comparison Game++
This blogging world is a saturated market to say the least. Everyone and their dog is a blogger now. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, it just makes being successful with blogging much more difficult. Comparing yourself to your peers in the industry is next to impossible to stop. It is a natural thing to see what is working for others, and to want that for yourself. I have realized that keeping your blinders on and staying true to yourself is the only thing you can do. I have let go of the jealousy, negative thoughts and competition in this industry and vow to do my own thing.
"Comparison is the thief of joy."- Theodore Roosevelt
++It Stopped Being Fun++
This blog started as a hobby, and a fun way to share my love for fashion. After awhile the hustle becomes real, and it starts to become a job. Building relationships with brands, meeting their deadlines, coming up with an interesting editorial calendar all while working a full time job is exhausting. Sometimes taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture is the only way to move forward. Something had to change, and a break did just that. I am now coming back into the game with clear focus and new ideas and my main goal is to enjoy every minute of it.
++Blogger’s Block++
There is only so many times you can blog and write about an outfit, therefore it becomes monotonous, repetitive, unoriginal and you do not stand out. I want to be real, talk about real things and inspire others while I continue on this journey. The greatest thing about being a blogger is you can make your own rules and write about whatever you want. Expect to see new topics, more DIY projects and major realness about life, moving, dating, work and everything in between. I am so excited to take you on this next phase of life.
"The painter has the Universe in his mind and hands." -Leonardo da Vinci
++Brand Rejection++
There is nothing worse than being let down by a brand you would kill to work for. It’s all part of the wonderful blogging game. This tends to kill your confidence, especially if you see other bloggers with the same amount of followers working with said brand. It is hard not to take this personal, but it is important not to dwell, keep your head up and move forward because something better always comes around. Being true to yourself and your brand is crucial in this industry. I will never say yes to working with a brand just to help promote their product unless I absolutely love it and it is on brand.
++Self Doubt++
See comparison. When you look at how fast your peers are growing, what brands they are working with, how much money they are making, how many followers and likes they get and wonder why you do not have the same thing, self doubt becomes real. I am also my harshest critic and have very high expectations for myself. Learning to let this go, and be confident in your own game is crucial to success.
"The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." -Sylvia Plath
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