Authenticity & Originality

When I first started blogging, I had no idea how it would change in a year. It all started when I decided to start posting outfit of the days on my Instagram, when I had only about one hundred followers. I started entering giveaways, and after winning one I was offered a free piece of clothing if I would post a picture in it. This is where I first started doing collaborations with brands. It was exciting, new, and scary all at the same time! I had no idea what I was doing, I didn't have a professional camera, and I didn't have hardly any followers. I had always loved dressing up and and had been told for a long time that I should do something with that talent. Of course, my style has changed drastically over the past year. I have learned so much about the blogging world. I found my niche in fashion, but my biggest hobby is traveling. I recently decided that after this year's vacation, I am going to start incorporating a lot more of my travel experiences into my feed; both old and new. Traveling is a huge passion of mine, and I enjoy experiencing new things with new cultures and seeing God's beautiful creations. I hope ya'll are as excited as I am to see some of my favorite places, along with my regular fashion and beauty posts! Although I have enjoyed the creative outlet of blogging and creating a successful Instagram account, there have been many struggles. I'm sure many of you bloggers have heard of shadow banning. A couple months ago, my account took a huge hit in engagement. Instagram has been banning accounts for various reasons from showing up on hashtags, which decreases your exposure significantly. I believe the reason for mine was because I used the same hashtags everyday, and I haven't recovered since. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but to me it has made growing and reaching more people extremely difficult. It has been disappointing because I have worked so hard to create a successful account, with original and exciting content. Another big issue with blogging is self-esteem. I know for me, and i'm sure a lot of others, we view our success by how many likes we get, how many followers we gain, how many blog views we get, etc. There are hundreds of ways that the cyber world can bring you down. It seems like everyone is obsessed with creating this aura of a perfect life, with perfect outfits, perfect friends, and doing fun things everyday. This is simply not realistic, we can't get caught up in what others post. It's so hard to stay original in a world of copying people. If one person buys one item, all of a sudden everyone has to have it! Which is totally okay, I love finding great pieces that everyone loves as well. I just wish that people were more original; be your own trendsetter, don't always stick to the status quo. I have struggled with this a lot. Sometimes I focus more on what others will like, than what I will like. I have lost my sense of original style and authenticity. In order to get this back, I am going to start focusing on creating outfits that I love, no matter what others think. I am also going to start posting several of my travel photos, old and new, to share my passion for travel. All in all, it's just social media. No matter how many followers or how many likes I get, I will always stay true to myself and post about what I enjoy! I do not need others approval to make what I post feel justified. I love taking pictures and sharing a little bit about my life. I hope that to you, whoever is reading this, truly enjoys my content and shares an interest in what I share! Thank you all for reading this blog post! It is truly something I have been wanting to write for a long time, and I hope this inspires some of you to be more original and authentic. I truly appreciate each and every one of you who supports my hobby of blogging, supports me on Instagram, and truly enjoys my content! I hope you will follow along with the enhancements I am bringing soon, have a fabulous day! - Amelia