I sit here in a rainy day cold and dark. I just got finished watching a film Enchanted April. I decided to write the blog as requested by one of our youngest followers. I dedicate this to Emily. I would go on a message board for Duran Duran fans. I would write responses people would say " Save it for the Blog" What was a blog ? I had one on Myspace which I thought was very wonderful yet I hadn't really dipped my toe into blogger. I had opened account yet didn't really know exactly what to do with it . There it sat for almost two years with one post. As changes in my live ensued, I found that I had to make a extremely bold decision. I knew I needed a creative outlet that was all my own. I had at the time been learning twitter by just being on it. I was lucky when I joined twitter for it was at the beginning we were all learning together. The people you were able to network with was amazing for the mere fact they had not yet become twitter celebrities and were just as confused as the rest of us. It would make me laugh when you'd see a celebrity reaching out asking what an RT ( retweet ) was.
I found allot of my friends and family weren't thinking that twitter wasn't there thing. So in a very public forum I had this technological freedom to just be. Id liken it too when you travel alone somewhere for the first time. In a way you get to just be purely what you want. I noticed that allot of people had reasons why they were there. I was making friends with allot of amazing bloggers. Who had suggested that I start one also.
I thought that oh I have a myspace blog. What I found out was this was doing me no good, though it was a great place to get my chops. When I rolled up my sleeves and got to work on blogger. I honestly didn't even know how to upload a picture or embed a youtube. I tinkered with it until it worked. The best way to learn any tech is just to dive in. You'll learn it on a very intimate level. Through making mistakes you'll get good. I remember spending hours shouting expletives at the computer. I couldnt afford the gadgets others were using. So I had to get crafty and make my own. I was indeed using duct tape and 10 dollar kids cameras that I purchased at the department store. I was trying to emulate the new pop up cam everyone was using. .Instead of going with my passion I launched a blog called " The Cougar Beauty Spot " In pop culture Cougars were all the rage and I thought that demographic was over looked. Most Beauty blogs were for the twenty somethings. I wanted to make a place for the older women. What I found out is I was to young to be a cougar and the blog was not jiving. I decided to scrap it and start over.
Some advice to all of you out there which was valuable to me. Make your blog an acronym . Its catchy and not only you will love it , your readers will too. Its a step to giving a blog a personality. I had acquired quite a skillset and yet didn't know how to market myself. So why not put myself out there show what I could do. Thus lets just say a very 4 year old long resume. What I ended up creating was something that was unique and respected. I watched other peers sail ahead of me with followers and popularity. Though not without knowing it at the time by building a quality blog with a loyal following I was doing everything right . Not jumping on the band wagon was the best decision I ever made. I was paying the price of being different. Some beauty blogging networks weren't accepting me. They didn't exactly know how to peg me.
I had a created a place that was as diverse as me . I fused it with the music and popular culture of Duran Duran. Though as to sever the bright pink glittery umbilical cord I was finding I could stand on my own. Though comforted in knowing they were always there.
As I grew more accepted I notice others copying my format. I decided format could be copied but there was only one Tracey J Whitney. My mind was all my own sometimes I don't understand it so have fun trying to copy it. The age old saying imitation is a form of flattery is completely true. While it does annoy you it is a compliment in the highest form.
In the end the blog had to keep evolving as I was in my personal life. There were growing pains yet we got past it and got better. Through my blog I learned about the value of social media. I am sought after for my knowledge. Love what you blog about is the most important thing you can remember. You may be an overnight success or may not . Just know you are brave for you are putting yourself out there. In that aspect you are already a success. Don't look at your follower number. I have 50 followers yet some of my blogs most loyal and engaging followers choose to follow me through twitter. I have in essence 2000 loyal readers to the blog who have been with me for years.
Enjoy your journey into blogging it you will learn allot about the world and yourself. You will empower and inspire people without even knowing it . Its a gift that is beautiful beyond measure. I will talk about this more in future posts . My blogging adventure is still emerging yet the doors are opening now I have the courage and knowledge to walk through.
