You'd think there wouldn't be much to worry over with this blogging thing. But a neurotic New Yorker can always be counted on to find something, and while there's nothing that necessarily keeps me up at night, here's just a sampling of "blogging fears" that flit across my mind -
Fear #3 - To get recognized in my day-to-day life. As in, "hey, I think I've seen you online. Aren't you that girl with the funny little outfit web site? Wow, you look [younger/taller/skinnier/prettier] in your pics." Sometimes to be followed by maniacal laughter, sometimes to be followed by dead silence. I hadn't quite decided which is worse yet.
Fear #12 - Mean comments. I pretty much feel like when people take the time to read or comment on someone’s blog – good, bad or other – their feedback should be recognized. I mean, as bloggers, we’re all intentionally putting stuff out there to be considered, reviewed, criticized. And not everyone’s going to like an outfit pairing or agree with an opinion and that’s OK. How else can a blogger engage with her readers if she doesn’t allow them to speak freely? But shit, mean comments still hurt.
Fear #7 - Seeing that I've lost a reader. Blogging is not a competition and I honestly don't know enough about my blog stats to do anything meaningful with them - and I know people choose to stop following a blog for any multitude of reasons - but my deep down stuffed unicorn-hugging self can't help but to gulp a little when I see that. Someone has stopped liking me. Meep.
Fear #10 - To log into my Blogger one morning and find that my blog is gone. All posts. All pics. All ramblings. Granted I've never heard of that happening to anyone ever, but my stuff is not at all backed up. Do any of you ladies do anything to save your blog work? (And how do you do it?)
Are there things that worry you about blogging?
Top: Target (sim, sim)
Skirt: Tommy Hilfiger (old - sim striped, pricey, darker, black)
Belt: Asos metal keeper (same in gold/pink/blue, sim, sim)
Rings: F21 (sim, steal)
Bracelets: J.Crew abacus (sim), studded (sim, steal), factory leopard (sim, sim)
Shoes: Zara cap-toe court (worn here - sim, t-strap, pricey)
Bag: Dooney & Bourke (old, worn here - sim, pricey, luxe)
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
By the way, I've got loads of "new" goodies up to grabs on my blog sale. Jewelry, clothes and shoes in the 7.5-8 range. Prices include shipping & tracking, please check it!
I love that skirt!
ReplyDeletei worry about the mean comments too, and if there is one less reader one day, i feel sad too.
ReplyDeleteyou look so adorable! the skirt is darling! xo
We have the same fear. I am afraid people would recognize me someday like when I'm walking down the street, shopping in the supermarket, and etc. Haha! Even here in our apartment, I wonder if my neighbors knew I'm posting OOTD posts and what are their reactions. Haha! I love blogging. Because of this I gained a lot of confidence and my insecurities are eventually vanishing. :) This is a great post dear!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, if you haven’t joined my Ahaishopping giveaway yet, better head on to my blog now. Send in your entry now and you’ll have a chance to win 2 pieces of clothing. You might want to try your luck.
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My big fear is that one of my colleagues or students is going to think my blog is dumb and think less of me because I have one. (I highly doubt this but it runs through my mind like all the time.) I wish I had more followers but I'm afraid to post links on facebook etc because I don't want people I know IRL to mock me!
ReplyDeleteLisa! I doubt anyone would see you in person and say mean things! Not only are you cute as a button but you're so nice and friendly and smart. Sure the occasional anonymous mean comment (as we all get) but I just can't imagine anyone going up to your face and being mean.
chocolateshoesanddebate.blogspot.com
I'm with you on your fear. For some reason it is easier to share an interest in fashion online with complete (albeit like-minded) strangers than with folks I know in regular life.
DeleteI'm interested in blogging fears 1-2, 4-7, 8-9 and 11 that you don't have listed here. ; )
ReplyDeleteI do fear meeting someone IRL or even another blogger and then not living up to their expectations.
Also of course the mean comments are a given. Who likes to be criticized?
I don't back up my blog but it is with a paid service so normally they do back up on their server.
I also worry that my blog is boring, redundant or mundane. It is a constant effort to ensure that personally I'd like to read what I'm writing or trying to inspire and spark some creativity with my outfits while maintaining my personal style.
bisous
Suzanne
I know, it's hard to think of "interesting" things to write sometimes!
DeleteOh, I hear you, sister. I totally worry when someone stops following my blog/Instagram. I fear that I said or did something to offend them. I back up my blog by exporting it and saving the file to Dropbox. I do this every three weeks or so because I'm weird like that, LOL! I LOVE your outfit, as always!
ReplyDeleteI need to start doing that too. Not like I've got the cure for cancer on this blog or anything, but it's still been a lot of work that I'd hate to lose!
DeleteDefinitely back up your blog! I'm on wordpress so I don't know if it's different, but I have a program to automatically back up weekly. Losing everything would definitely scare me too!
ReplyDeleteMine is not backed up at all. I switched you over from GFC to Bloglovin this week along with a load of other bloggers I follow so I'm still following, just on a different platform!x
ReplyDeleteI love Bloglovin - I follow all my blogs either via Bloglovin or the Dashboard feature on Blogger.
DeleteI always wonder why someone drops me from as a reader. Not because of the number but I wonder if my content is boring or too repetitive. It is just clothes after all and my blog is about clothes I wear to work so it's nothing out there. I don't back up my blog but probably should figure out how to do that one of these days.
ReplyDeleteSo true about meeting people IRL and not living up to their expectations. The ones that I've met have been true sweethearts!
Have a great weekend!
Alice
www.happinessatmidlife.com
I know, it's someone's prerogative to keep or drop a blog, but I always kind of want to know why.
DeleteAll of these ring true with me. Overall blogging has been wonderful but I do hate losing a reader. Since I don't do a lot of giveaways I don't think I have people add just for the giveaway often, so when I lose someone I wonder why for sure.
ReplyDeleteGinny
I agree - it's about the quality of reader, not the quantity!
DeleteI don't get mean comments often (thankfully) but when I do I have to wonder why they can't abide by the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" rule?
ReplyDeleteI get sad too when I lose a reader and it bums me out that I don't know the reason why.
-Sharon
The Tiny Heart
I think having my blog go pouf! would be my biggest fear - having start of blogging for family and friends in a journal-like form would mean that all written down details of my life in NYC would be lost forever.
ReplyDeleteLosing readers and mean comments are part and parcel of blogging I suppose - I am not in the big leagues to care - as long as my mum reads, I will keep on writing!
I agree! I figure as long as I want to blog and there are still people commenting, I should keep going!
DeleteI like a simple t-shirt with a skirt - this outfit is simple and classic.
ReplyDeleteConsidering I haven't blogged in ages, I would say I don't have any fears. I would definitely be super bummed if my blog disappeared though. I've put a lot of hours into my site!
I'm off to check the blog sale!
I love your skirt! I worry about some of those too, but I hadn't thought about fear #10 until now. Ack!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I worry about coworkers finding out.. but I know there's one in NY (and a friend) who checks infrequently so I'm okay with that.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I do get sad when I see I've lost a reader. And I am always afraid of seeing someone in real life and them going "oh girl did you gain 5 pounds?". Eeep.
Regardless, you look lovely here. The print on the skirt is gorgeous!
I have never stopped to think of any blog fears - although i think that i would freaaaak out if someone recognized me and would drop dead if all my blog was lost.
ReplyDeleteYou know that thing they say you should write book, have a kid and plant a tree before you die ?
Well i have modified it: the blog is my book, the dog is my kid and I planted several trees :)
My dog is my kid too, then - and does planting a tomato plant count? ;o)
DeleteI really love that skirt Lisa. It's a gorgeous color and print. I agree. It always hurts when a reader (especially one you've connected with) disappears. I drop bloggers all the time though (not that I don't like them). It's just, I'm a faithful commenter and if I don't hear from someone in weeks I just delete them. I like to interact with people on my blog. My readers and I are like pen pals. I don't have extra time in the day to respond to an extra 100 blogs that NEVER take an interest in mine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.averysweetblog.com/
You've reminded me that I should go through my Blogger blogroll - unfortunately a lot of lovely ladies I follow seem to have stopped updating their blogs, and that's sad!
DeleteFear #7 haunts me, even though I think I've grown as a blogger and am no longer obsessed with checking my stats page every bleeding second. But every once in a while, when someone new follows my blog and I get email notification, I check that blasted page and do mental math and wonder why my followers aren't growing in number.
ReplyDeleteI think sometimes people follow blogs with the expectation that this follow will be reciprocated. I'm like Kim above; if people aren't actively engaging in conversation with me on my blog, I tend to go back and "like" their stuff but I won't necessarily automatically follow them.
Stunning interplay of stark black and green, by the way! ;p
myclosetcatalogue.com
I check my stats page about twice a year and don't look closely enough to know what most of the numbers mean, haha!
DeleteYep, I've felt all those fears. And faced Fear #3 -- for the first time this past week, I *did* get recognized as a style blogger! I was at a friend's get-together, and another guest saw me and greeted me with, "You're the fashion librarian!" Very surreal, but very sweet, too. I basically blushed and stammered and thanked her. I so do NOT know how to play it cool. ;)
ReplyDeleteI know - wanna likely see me turn blazing bright red? Recognize me in real life for my blog! ;o)
DeleteAwwwe. Your awesome Lisa, I may not "follow" but I always check in and read. Keep up the good work and try not to sweat it. :)
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks much!
DeleteYes, these are very real fears! Also, showing up on Pinterest under a board called something like "what not to wear" is a big fear (and it happened once, and I didn't die, but still not fun).
ReplyDeleteI need to back up my blog again. I did it a few months ago. I mean, I should probably do it weekly, but I just don't remember!
I used to throw in intentionally goofy shots with my outfit pics but stopped doing that a while ago. While I thought it was fun and no one seem to have minded, I started thinking, what if someone saw a goofy pic out of context? Ugh. I mean, I AM goofy, but I'm not goofy, you know?
DeleteOh man, I can understand why these would be fears for anyone! I don't even have a blog and I worry about these things anyways. They stop me from starting one. The other thing that stops me is being thought of as one dimensional or frivolous if I start a blog about makeup or fashion or something. Even a well maintained and well streamlined blog hardly ever shows the entire story of a person. It would suck to expose what you think are the best parts of yourself, and then be viewed as boring, stupid, or inauthentic.
ReplyDeleteI know - we only see like a fraction of a percent of a person in a blog, but sometimes people just take that at face value. And honestly, style blogging is a bit frivolous, but I figure it isn't necessarily more frivolous than someone who collects train sets or someone who knits or some other hobby.
DeleteOh no! I never even considered #10. Yikes. Rookie mistake on my part. I will now go and back up my blog. Thank you for the tip, Lisa! Love that green skirt, btw!! xo,cynthia
ReplyDeleteI need to backup too!
DeleteYep! Sounds like me too! I actually HAVE been randomly recognized in public--one time by my kids' dentist's receptionist! And it wasn't as bad as I thought. But I always get all pouty when my followers on BL go down. Even though, like you said, they might do it for a multitude of reasons, I always take it all personal. I love your skirt! And your blog! I am glad that you blog and that we have connected on here!
ReplyDeleteI'm living on a Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, but still lurkin' and lovin' you.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough I've found my essential style (not having a job helps lol), but fear I'll never want to take another picture of myself again after going through this life-changing experience for both our family and our daughter. But I miss the blog, and I still want to respond to clothing compliments with, "This came from Goodwill!"
One o' your loyal fangirls,
Lynne
I miss your sense of style and your great view on life and humor, Lynne, but you're doing something so important for yourself and your family now. I hope all is going well.
DeleteHey Lisa, I just survived go-carting, so I'm on a bizarre adrenaline high, going, "Fear, what's that?" ;) I do get you though, like all of them are really understandable fears, especially since you have a pretty wide readership. Maybe a way of making them less of a worry is to come up with solutions? Like jot down a few smart-ass responses to have on the ready if someone does approach you and say they recognise you in a mean kind of way?
ReplyDeleteDo you ever get mean comments though? Because if you do, delete them from your blog, and then delete them from your mind! Nobody has the right to make themselves feel all tough by putting you down. That person won't even know you, right? So it'll just be them taking their own bad day out on you.
Anyways, I like this look - it's like downtime ballerina! That skirt is awesome, you should never get rid of it. :)
Aw, I'm never been described as a "ballerina" anything before - I feel so dainty! ;o)
DeleteGorgeous skirt and outfit! I also wonder what would happen if you wake up and your blog is gone. I like to keep mine as sort of a diary (even if it is public) of my wardrobe and my travels. After all the hard work it would be sad for it to vanish into thin air!
ReplyDeleteCute skirt! I love it:)
ReplyDeleteHugs & Kisses,
Olivia
I am all about gingham these days, so I'm seriously loving that skirt!
ReplyDeleteAs for blog worries, I sometimes fear that someone I know (besides my husband) will read it. I'm not sure why I am more comfortable sharing with strangers than people I know--I guess I'm just afraid of facing negative feedback in real life rather than just in the internet world.
I know what you mean, I feel the same way!
DeleteThis skirt is sooo cute! Yeah, I worry about things, too. I think you totally can't help it. I kept my blog as sort of an open secret for a long time, and then I just stopped caring. I've only been recognized once, but it was by fellow bloggers and I love that we've been able to keep in touch online!
ReplyDeleteLisa,
ReplyDeleteI love the mid green gingham with the black, lovely contrast!
I can't imagine anyone giving you negative feedback, if they have then I personally will spank them ( in my head, of course)
Your style is original, artistic and without reproach. So no worries there!
XX, Elle
http://mydailycostume.com/
My Husbands says to BAck up all your posts on a flash drive in a word doc. Silly right? You have highlighted all my fears though.
ReplyDelete-Ash
ww.thestylizedwannabe.com
My blog is anonymous so I don't really worry much, I think I would feel very differently if I blogged under my own name (I work in finance, which is very conservative and my coworkers for instance would simply not get a fashion blog, I think). But a very interesting post, even for me!
ReplyDeleteAnd that skirt is just adorable, by the way!
Love this outfit with the wonderful skirt! Always love your topics too! I am in awe of some bloggers who are propelled to stardom/celebrity status and wondered if maybe I show my face more on my blog and have better content maybe I could be like that? But then my fear of co-workers finding out about my blog and laughing at me or stalking me on my blog creeps me out...so ill be keeping low... Blogging outfits is sort of my fun secret :)
ReplyDeleteI kind of agree - few people that I know in day-to-day life know that I have a blog. And I kind of prefer it that way!
DeleteAwwww I always love your funny but wise ramblings Lisa....and being honest about those fears is an awesome thing while being in an adorable outfit! I'm quite scared too about being recognized on the streets...haha...irony isnt it? Putting yourself out there then afraid you might be recognized!
ReplyDeleteRebecca
www.redtagchiclosangeles.com
This skirt is darling! I love the shape and color. And those pointy toe heels are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteJessi
http://haircutandgeneralattitude.blogspot.com
I totally identify with this. I am just getting back after a very long hiatus and I have obviously lost a lot of followers from being away, but we just have to remember that anyone who gets us/our passion for this will stay :) You look great btw. I love that lady-like skirt!
ReplyDeleteYou're totally right!
DeleteLove that green skirt on you! It's so nice with the belt :)
ReplyDeleteI have some of the very same fears! I once got an email from a lady who had seen me at an event but hadn't came to say hello as she was too shy. I wrote back to say I would have loved to have met her, but also I'm thinking it might have been awkward with what to say as I'm not good at first impressions, haha! It's weird enough when my coworkers talk to me about my blog - they know I have a blog, I don't hide it, but it's always strange to have someone come up to me in person and talk about something they saw on the blog!
For the fear about your blog going missing, I can help though! On blogger, go to your blogger dashboard, Go to Settings > Other and where it says "Blog tools" you can click on "export blog". If you do that, it backs up your blog to a file! :)
Away From The Blue
Hi Mica -
DeleteThanks for the blog saving tip! I didn't know that was an option, I will def do that this week.
Oh woman, you are so funny. I have to laugh so many times. (Losing a reader.. Meep hahaha.)
ReplyDeleteI have less worries than you have, but I do recognize some of them. And I am relieved you dont't want to block honest opinions even if somebody does not like something. Sometimes I don't like an outfit either, although that really hardly ever happens, as you are really good! And I know I can say that. But I will never be mean. Mean is not necessary and you should ban people who are mean to you.
And yes, I do back-up. 1) my server provider has a back-up. And I make a back-up from their back-up. And I back-up all photos to an external back-up. While writing this I feel really good about myself. Thank you for that feeling.
Greetje
I agree. I think there's a difference between being critical about something and providing a different view point or new insight, and then there's being mean for the sake of nothing more than insulting someone. The only time I've deleted someone's comments was an Anon who kept leaving me really nasty comments about the way I looked - pointless!
Delete:-)
DeleteIf you ever figure out how to back up your blog, please share with us! I have always wondered if I'm supposed to do that...
ReplyDeleteI think you definitely nailed all the blogging fears. We don't want to care about things like critical comments, and losing readers, but we all totally do. Thanks for sharing :)
i so agree.. blogging makes you semi neurotic and crazy i thought i was the only one lololol! you look great!
ReplyDeleteI totally have fear #3! Of course, most of our readers are our friends but whenever I see them in person, and they comment about the blog, I always feel super awkward and self-conscious! It's totally irrational since I'm willingly putting myself out there for the world to see but it's a fear all the same. Glad to have found your blog! xo Carolyn @ lifebyappointment
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your blog, and can't imagine why someone would leave a rude comment for you. You look great (as always)!
ReplyDeletecute outfits. i am in love with your blog.
ReplyDeleteplease take time to check mine out.
http://spendlessusemore.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks
cute outfits. i am in love with your blog.
ReplyDeleteplease take time to check mine out.
http://spendlessusemore.blogspot.co.uk/
Thanks
Getting a mean comment means you've made it, right? I still haven't gotten one yet. I've gotten strange spammy ones, but nothing mean. Ha!
ReplyDelete