One year. I’ve been blogging for one whole year. And ya know what?
I’m not a huge fan.
But let me back up a little bit….
This is what “blogland” calls a “bloggerversary”. Ugh, both of those words make me cringe. Hearts and Sharts started as photo album on my personal Facebook page called “Hey, I made this!” I was making stuff, redoing furniture and gifting it or selling it and just wanted to share projects that I was proud of and inspire others to get creative. After a while, I made it into it’s own Facebook page, then followed that with a StorEnvy shop.
I was making things that I loved and also dabbling in some wedding stuff. I designed some wedding water bottle labels for a Grand Cayman wedding…
…and designed a craft beer inspired wedding logo for some pint glasses to be used and given to guests, along with a few other small projects.
We were living in Texas at the time and there was a new trade days thing starting up nearby in Wylie and they were offering 10×10 spaces FOR FREE. This was the perfect time for me to face my fears and put my stuff out there. I did it and it was awesome. If you’ve been following along for the past year, you might recognize a few of these things.
I really couldn’t believe the response. The booth was near empty by the end of the three-day show. Someone even asked me where my store was located. “Uhhh, you’re in it, lady.”
I did the trade days thing again the next month (this is where I read the book that changed my life) and then we got the news that we would be moving to Georgia for Hubs’ job. I deleted everything off of the online shop and closed it. We packed up and booked it to Georgia and I wondered what I was going to do with myself. Since I had quit working after mom died, Hub’s had gotten used to it and really enjoyed all the housewifin’ I was doing. Not gonna complain about that one, but I still needed to DO something with myself. So, I started a blog. It took me two weeks of reading all the things on the internet, but, I did it. I just wanted to help people do some crafty things and inspire them to do it themselves. It looked a little like this:
If you’re a blog reader, you may not believe this but when I started the blog I hadn’t heard of Vintage Revivals, A Beautiful Mess or Young House Love. I didn’t read blogs, I only looked at Pinterest. I continued reading everything I could to get the Sharts out there. I saw a Facebook group for the Atlanta Home/DIY Bloggers, led by Erin at DIY on the Cheap and requested to join. Then I met Amy from ModPodgeRocks who told me that I need to monetize my blog. I went home and installed Google Adsense and Analytics. The FB group led to a few projects for Dwell with Dignity where I met Rhoda from Southern Hospitality. I told her I had just made one whole dollar on my blog through Google Adsense. Now that I know who she is, she must have been laughing her head off after she left! She asked me if I had ever been to a blog conference. Huh? That exists?! I bought my tickets for Haven and schooled myself as much as I could leading up to the conference and did a little blog redesign.
By the time Haven rolled around I was at 25k page views per month. Not at all big numbers for other bloggers, but after blogging for only six months, my new friends Charlotte from Ciburbanity and Jessica from Gourley Girl & Guy assured me that I was doing well, so I pushed on. I was even able to get my Vintage Crate Footstool into a magazine called Creating Vintage Charm.
I got a couple features on Apartment Therapy and after Haven, I was up to 40k page views per month, which was totally shocking to me after 7 months in.
Then, I started to get burned out. I was spending so much time behind a computer that it made me sick. Here I am, trying to inspire others to “get out there!” and flip furniture and be a maker and I was sitting at my computer. So, I slowed way down on the blogging. This is my first post since December 1st. I’ve been thinking about this post for almost two months and really, I have so many things to say about blogging that it gives me tired-head. I recently saw on a thread on Facebook that there are bloggers who spend over 80 hours per week blogging or doing blog related stuff. That’s insane. I mean, if you love it, I’m sure it’s fun, but… I don’t. I want to be doing stuff. I want you to be doing stuff. I want to be sanding, and upholstering, and creating. I want to seek out new sources for art and design and re-spark my creative side and reinterpret new design trends in my own way.
I just wanna make sh!t.
So, I know it sounds like I’m done with the blog, but really, I just want to refocus. I’m just so tired of seeing what is going on in “blogland”. I’m aware that this may be offensive to some bloggers and that is not my intent.
My subscription list has grown so much over the past couple of months that I felt the need to let you know what’s up in shart-land and why I haven’t been posting much (or at all)…. I do have several projects that I could share with you. I have at least thirty sitting on my desktop as we speak. Why don’t I post them? Because, as they say, content is king and I just don’t think that it’s worth the little boost in traffic to post something that’s been done or isn’t original or just plain isn’t worthy. I could easily do an entire post on this plastic skull I picked up at the thrift store….
…and how I painted it gold…
…then I could plaster this image with text about “how to paint a plastic skull”…
…and then go on and on about it, but really, I don’t want that kind of junk in my inbox so I assume that you don’t either. I mean, it’s Rustoleum Gold Metallic Spray. That simple.
You’re looking at me sideways, I see you. Yes, I’ve done some of these posts before. I was on the blog train where they hand out tidbits like “If you want to blog for a living, treat it like it’s your job” and “you must have a posting schedule and post consistently.” I tried both of things. Blogging on a schedule may work for some, but it doesn’t work for me. In a world where “content is king”, if you happen to be in a creative slump but you’re following a schedule and need to post something that day, you end up doing dumb sh!t just to keep with the schedule. That dumb sh!t stays on your blog and is a direct reflection on you. Yeah, you get page views which translates to ad revenue, and if that’s your jam, do it. I’ve discovered that it’s not mine.
Bloggers do this thing where they get together and pin each others pins. They share a pin they want repinned and then in return they will pin something you want repinned. Yeah, of course I want my pins repinned, but not if it means that I have to pin a tutorial on how to turn an over sized mitten into a cat sweater. I’m not into that. And yeah, I was on the pin-for-pin train, too. I’ve done all of these things that I’m telling you that I don’t like. But I don’t want to do it anymore. I want to use Pinterest like a normal person and pin things that inspire me and things that I like instead of filling my boards with things I’m not interested in only to get others to pin my pins for blog traffic.
So, listen, the name of the shart game in 2015 is quality over quantity. While I do want to continue to get my projects out there, I’m dropping out of the blog-traffic rat race. When I post, it will be because I think you can gain something from it; a little knowledge, a little inspiration, maybe a giggle or two. The posts will be fewer, but I hope it will pay off for both of us, less junk in your inbox and more time for me to get creative and stop staring at this dang screen.
My father in law used to have a great quote hanging up in his office; “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’re going to keep getting what you’ve been getting.”
I’m proud of what I did in 2014 but I’m ready for a change, and if you are too, I wish you all the best. Let’s get familiar with being uncomfortable and shake things up.
Love you.
dena@heartsandsharts.com
Dying! “Oversized mitten into a cat sweater,” lol! I also hate the word blogiversary and mention that in my year-end post. Hehe. I’ve been blogging a little over a year and a half now and made the leap to self-hosting a few months ago to try and earn a little money off this thing. But yeah, like you, I don’t want post junk for the sake of traffic. Aside from furniture reveals, I like my posts to answer real questions or solve problems for those in the furniture – painting business (like your spray booth post!). I post very little DIY, unless I think it is really awesome, because I think those following my blog come for the unique content …. if I start posting cat sweater tutorials, I’m going to get some eye rolls and unsubscribes. 🙂
Good for you. In all honesty I thought you were fabulous without all the blog tricks and ways to woo people over. I felt like you got a bit more tame and generic- which is why I haven’t felt the need to comment.
I liked your oddness and don’t give a shit mentality. Don’t slap a sticker on it and post about ‘NEW AND IMPROVED WAY TO TRANSFORM THAT PIECE OF TRASH YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST THROWN AWAY’. Just be you.
Tame and generic?! Ouch! Hhahahaha! Thank you for your honesty, Eska! Tame and generic is right, though.
I think I’ve gotten it all out of my system now… my dont-give-a-shit-ness is back. 🙂
Sorry about causing the virtual ouch. That’s just my TACTLESS showing.
Hahah! No big deal! You were right. 🙂
I see an end to the blog fad. All good things come to an end or at least change.
This is true.
Hi Dena,
I’ve been following your blog for a little while now. I am also a new blogger who is just trying to figure it out. It seems I picked an interesting time to start a blog, as so many others are scaling back, reevaluating what they are blogging about and why. I appreciate your honesty, because it will hopefully allow me to become a better blogger right from the beginning. It is an intimidating adventure that’s for sure!
There are a couple of really great blog conferences, one of them is Haven and I think tickets go on sale soon. I learned a ton from that conference so if this is something that you want to pursue, you’ll gain a wealth of knowledge from a conference and meet lots of great people. Wishing you lots of luck on your new adventure! Do what feels right to you and stay true to yourself. 🙂 ….and have fun!!
Now that you are not spending all your time blogging, let me know when you are ready to come back to my basement for some “PICKING” . Got to get my Christmas stuff put away so it might be Easter before I can walk down there again! Never know what you will find that is just waiting to be re-born!
Gail! I have actually been thinking about this! I have been on the hunt for a few things, gonna email you!
So glad to hear this!!!! I don’t have a blog but I read so many that my email is so full because I don’t have time to read them all. When I go into a blog and it is fluff it also takes my time. But I don’t unsubscribe them because I don’t want to miss a blog that I am interested. Does that sound crazy on my part but that is how I feel. I will wait till you have something you feel worthy. Thank you
Hey Shirley! I was subscribed to a bunch of blogs as well and wasn’t reading most of them so I recently unsubscribed. I definitely offended a few people with that move. Have you heard of Bloglovin’? It’s a place where you can follow your favorite blogs and every day that they post, it will pop up in a news feed and it gives you a short preview and an image. It’s a pretty good tool for following blogs and you can unsubscribe from your email and keep your inbox clean. 🙂 Thank you for reading, Shirley! I really appreciate it! Hope you have a wonderful week!
So THAT’S why I haven’t been getting your posts in my inbox! I thought there was something wrong with my gmail. I tried re-subscribing and just couldn’t figure out what was going on. Anyway, I”m just a lil ol reader, one of your many ‘new’ subscribers. I can’t offer a blogger perspective. My ‘reader’ perspective is: your awesome personality really shines through in your posts and your projects are fun and so cool – reflective of your personality, which is easy to be drawn in by. Those are the reasons why I subscribed. I’m picky as to which blogs I subscribe to – mostly because I get overwhelmed at too much content in my inbox. I appreciate quality over quantity. I look forward to reading whatever you post, whenever you post. I love to create things too, and I find myself spending too much time trolling for and pinning ideas. I need to get busy creating more of them. So one of my new year resolutions is to make a certain number of the projects I already have on my to do list before I add more. Looking forward to “quality over quantity” from Dena at Hearts & Sharts!!
Looks like our resolution lists are pretty similar! Let’s do this, let’s make stuff!! Thank you for your sweet words, Colleen! So glad you’ve subscribed and hope I don’t disappoint!
dena i follow you because of you i am 65 and my advice to everyone is to do what makes you happy without guilt…so go for it woman, the picture of your booth looked like you was a happy camper, i’ll be hear if you only blog once a year xx
Guilt is a happiness thief! I have to fight that monster all the time. Thank you so much for all of your sweet comments! It’s a great feeling to have a cheerleader like you in my corner! Have a great week, Chris!
Congratulations on the changes you are making, I am just getting starting on this journey and to be honest what has burned you out has kept me from starting. I don’t want to have to do something just follow a calendar. Best of luck and I look forward to your posts when they occur.
Thank you, Nancy! I would definitely not be at this point had I not “followed all the rules” of blogging. Finding what works for you is the very best advice. It stinks that it took a whole year to get here, but, I gave it the ol’ college try – which is more than I can say I did for actual college. Ha! Good luck on your new journey! Wishing you much success, but more than that, wishing you happiness! Thank you again, Nancy!
Yay for you! I came to pretty much the same conclusion back in October of last year. 2014 was my year to push everything and learn as much as I could just to see where it would lead. I ultimately ended up completely drained, feeling cheap for pimping out the blog, and disingenuine as a whole. I do appreciate all the learning experiences and value the relationships I built. But, ultimately, I’ve decided to control what, where, and when I post rather than following a set rule. If I feel like doing a sponsored post, fine. If I feel like taking a two week break, that’s fine, too. The year of pushing myself was great in many ways, but I’m so happy to have gotten off that crazy train!
Sarah! All of that is exactly how I feel! You summed it up much better than I did – and now I have the Ozzy song in my head. Hahaha! Looking forward to seeing you at our next meet up!
This post is exactly what I have been mulling over in my mind. I didn’t find the success you did – I tried for years but it never caught on. I even ramped it up, followed a schedule, and tried to make contacts. This all left me feeling like a big, fake, dork. I realized in the last 6 months the games you have to play to gain followers. I am not a fan. If that’s what a takes to build a successful blog, then I’m really not interested. You nailed so many of my issues! I don’t want a ton of crappy pins on my Pinterest boards. I only want pins that I love. I don’t want to pimp out other people just so they will give me a “shout out” in return. Nope. I can’t do it. So it’s quality over quantity for me too. I’m going to post when I feel like it, about things I feel good about. I just wrote about my trip to NYC to see JW , and I thought about all the people who wouldn’t even know who he is, and who might be turned off. I have ZERO comments to show for it. Don’t care. It’s my blog. I can not be forced to write about burlap and spray paint. Hooray for honesty. I am right there with you!
Duuuuuude. Forget all the blog crap, lets talk Jack White! I know we’ve been through our love for him before, but I’m dying to hear more about the show. I really wish he would do some sort of VH1 storytellers thing in Nashville… Deets! Spill it!
Aaahhhh! You are hilarious! If we lived in the same town we would so be friends. The concert was awesome of course, but I heard from people who attended both shows (Nashville and MSG) that Nashville was way better. Can you even imagine seeing him perform with Loretta Lynn? Apparently he was laughing and smiling the whole time. I’m planning a trip to the Third Man record store sometime soon, when I’m certain he is in town. Just for the CHANCE that he might be there. It’s only a five hour drive for me. I don’t know how far you are from Nashville, but let me know if you want to meet up! Road trip! We could find tons of things to spray paint and then write about it. 🙂
Uhm, yes please. I’m in Atlanta and it’s an easy few hours up to Nashville.
Totally agree with Erin! What you blog for and why you blog TOTALLY depends on the person. I hate blog competition/comparison because it doesn’t make any sense – we’re all in our own personal situations, and doing it for our own reasons, and wanting different things out of it. Some of us can tolerate things that others hate, and vice versa. I know that I too am cutting back in 2015 and doing more of what I want to do (um, though I do have to figure out what that is). The truth is, if you want to make big money in this blogging game, you have to sacrifice and give up and do things you don’t want to do (but that’s like ANY job that pays big money) – unless you get lucky and people just flock to your blog no matter what and when you post. But basically, it doesn’t need to be all about money. Or page views. If we aren’t going to be slaving away behind desks, we should be having some amount of fun, right?? Blogging CAN also exist as a hobby that you earn a little money off of. Nothing wrong with that!
Great advice, Amy. I’ll be crossing the line over to “blogging as a hobby”, I can’t imagine stressing myself out for about traffic/competition for another minute. I am SO GLAD to know you guys and the rest of the ATL group. Y’all make this look easy!
Can’t wait to see your studio! Is it done yet?
Good for you!! You’ve discovered what you like and what you don’t and that’s awesome. I’m sticking with the blog train, but chilling out on the crazy. It can so easily be all consuming and even though I LOVE it, I don’t want it to consume. Let’s see where 2015 takes us… now off to go spray paint something gold and then post about it. =)
SO EASILY all consuming! Raising my spray painted wine glass to ya! Cheers to 2015 and new adventures!
“Go sharty, it’s your birthday..” Sorry, had to. Anyway, I totally agree with “quality over quantity,” and while I consider blogging to be my hobby-turned-(part-time)-job, I don’t let it rule my life. I don’t aways post consistently and I absolutely never use “filler” posts just to have something to post on a certain day. I can’t stand when people do that. I just think everybody needs to find what works best for them and do it, not follow a specific set of “rules.” I work hard to promote my content, but not nearly as hard as others because then it would rule my life, and I already have 3 kids who do that just fine. Ha. Anyway, good luck and I hope you find the perfect way to share your creativity in a way that you enjoy! Glad to have you as part of the Atlanta group. 🙂
Thank you, Erin! It’s hard to filter through all the advice given in the blogging world since there are so many bloggers out there these days. “Find what works for you” is most definitely the best advice. Looking forward to our next meetup!