5 Lessons I've Learned from Blogging

Practice your art even if you don't feel like it.
There are plenty of times I don't feel like doing a photo shoot or sitting down and writing. I will take uninspired photos and write and delete ideas. This will slog on for up to an hour sometimes but with persistence, creativity starts flowing and I find myself loving what I'm doing. I think it's important to make time for creative pursuits even if you don't feel like doing them. If you don't have fun with it, it is still good practice.

Record mistakes.
My jaded 93 year old grandfather says "If people kept track of what they did then they wouldn't do so many stupid things." Running a blog, everything I post is recorded. The photo shoots, the writing. I can look back and see what I have done. I can see where I can improve myself. I can learn from past mistakes. This is especially useful in photography. I have learned so much about light and colors and posing this past year blogging that it's entertaining to look back on my first posts and how much I have improved since then. The best part is, I can keep improving. 

Never stop learning.
I graduated college as a history major. Research was my life for about four years. After graduating, I worked in a coffee shop where I didn't need to use my mind the same way. The job was physically demanding but mentally sedative. Running this blog gives me an excuse to do my research and keep learning. Occasionally I like to throw in historical articles like this one about women re-purposing fabric during the great depression. I have all the fun of learning without the pressure of being grading that school insists upon.

Share your work.
One thing that keeps me motivated as a blogger is knowing that my work is public. Knowing that there are people who will look at what I create. If I was to practice photography for myself alone, I don't think I would have the incentive to create as often as I do. Having an online community of like minds to share with keeps me wanting to craft content and continue improving my work.

Quality over quantity.

This lesson applies to both clothing and blog content. When I started this fashion blog, I liked to shop without premeditation and post about what I found. I ended up with a cluttered closet and a case of I-have-nothing-to-wear. Now, I like to save for select high quality pieces that I absolutely love. This works towards a highly functional wardrobe that I can always feel good in.
As far as blog content is concerned, I think it goes without saying that it's better to publish less of your best work than a constant flow of mediocre work. I want to challenge myself to get better and better at what I do.