I started my blog for me. I started my blog to look back on as a memory and as pictures and as snippets of my life as the memories in my head started to fade. I started my blog to remember: to remember the good memories, to remember my youth, to remember that everyday counts and to remember my trials and to remember my triumphs.
I didn’t start my blog to impress other people, to make a living, or to let people know what I think they should do with their lives. I started this blog for me.
After a phone call with my roommate of four years, I realized that I had lost my voice. I lost my passion for blogging. I lost that spark that could keep me blogging from 7AM to 10PM. I lost that fire that sparked my need for the creative outlet. I just lost my voice. My roommate reminded me that freshman year, I kept my blog hidden from her, from the world. It was personal to me and it was me. My blog encompassed me. My blog carried my heart and my soul, my thoughts and my wonderings. My blog was every piece of me poured into one place. A place where I could just write with no rhyme or reason, a place where I could write about whatever I wanted, a place where I could write about my passions, even if those changed.
In the blogging world, you’re supposed to have a “niche,” something that you solely focus on, something that makes you different.
All of my blogging career, I just wrote about what sparked my interest. If one week I was passionate about essential oils, that’s what I wrote about. If another week I was passionate about a pair of shoes, I wrote about those shoes. There was no structure, no specific thing I needed to write about, no parameters to keep me in a specific niche. And I liked that. I liked that a lot.
When thinking about my future, as I am going into senior year, I was recently faced with the decision of what to do with my blog. Do I try to make it full-time with this thing, or do I go the route of teaching? What do I do? Well, I have the potential to make more money with blogging, and I love that, so I should do that, right?
So that’s what I decided. I would change my outlet, narrow my niche to fashion, and I would grow until I could go full-time with this gig.
Y’all, that broke me.
I lost my voice.
I lost my passion.
I couldn’t find the passion to write another post, I didn’t want to open up my computer until now. I didn’t want to edit another photo. I didn’t want to shoot another picture. I wanted it all to stop.
But why? What happened?
As I narrowed my niche to just fashion, I thought everything would fall into place. I truly did. I thought that since posts about fashion are popular, they would help me skyrocket and grow. They would get me seen, they would just work.
Narrowing my niche did just the opposite.
I was stuck on the decision of what to write. I’m not truly passionate about fashion and how to wear certain items, so I surely didn’t want to write about that.
In all reality, I love writing encouraging posts while including a fun outfit that I think is cute. Yeah, the two are pretty unrelated, but that’s what I like and that’s what sparks me, that’s what lights up my soul for blogging.
I’ve lost my voice for blogging, I’ve lost the passion that drives me closer to Jesus and I’ve transformed my creative outlet into a chore that I couldn’t stand to do.
After a long (and much needed) break from blogging, I think I’m ready. I’m ready to jump back in, but I’m ready to do things my way, the way I like them: Encouraging posts, things that build people up, pull people to Jesus, and fashion posts that show my favorite outfits. Some people may hate this, some people may love this. I’ve done this in the past and that’s when I’ve been happiest.
Right now, I’m not happy. I’m not happy with blogging and blogging is a burden. Not anymore, though.
Y’all, even writing this, writing about something that’s on my heart and on my mind, I am set free. I can finally let go of the breath I didn’t know I was holding. Writing this makes me happy. Writing this makes me happy and it brings me joy. It truly makes me have joy in my heart. Why? It makes me happy because I am passionate about this. It’s been on my heart and on my mind. I am expressing myself in writing, almost like a little journal, just how I like it.
My blog was created by me and for me. It was created for the remembrance of memories and for the thoughts and dreams to be recorded for me to look back on. I think it’s about time I find my voice again and go back to my roots.
Thanks for reading, y’all.
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Reading encouraging posts featuring outfits are my FAVORITE type of posts to read, so I think this is the perfect solution! :) We alllllll go through those frustrations and stresses- you’re definitely not alone in feeling lost. It’s a yucky a feeling, I am happy you’re feeling more back to normal!
http://www.mollyonthemoveblog.com
Thank you SO much, Molly!! I realized after trying the whole “just fashion” thing that it wasn’t working for me and it just didn’t make me happy!! I’m so glad to hear that you like encouragement + fashion!!! Thank you so much for your constant encouragement!!
Oh yay Sally, I’m so happy for you! I’m the same way, a product review or wishlist post never fulfills me the same way that writing an uplifting, personal blog post does. I’m excited to read more posts like this from you! Congrats on getting your mojo back girl!
xx Jocelyn // lifeinaleotard.com
Thank you so much, Jocelyn! I am so happy to finally be back and in the game!
Yes girl!! I’m so so proud of ya! Can’t wait for this new era of of the blog! It’s so important where you came from in order to move in the right direction. We all have those periods where we try and change our content because of public opinion. But, we just gotta keep doing us!
xo, G
theswirlblog.com
Thank you so much, Gabby!! Blogging can be tough, but it’s so worth it if it makes you happy!
I’m also a senior in college. And this summer has been a wakeup call. I’ve had to find time during my lunch hour at my internship just so I could stay engaged in the blogger world. Once I graduate, is this going to be a daily habit of mine? Instead of spending time with my boyfriend after work, will I be focused on writing a blog post. Who knows! It’s hard to know that the future holds for us. We just have to stay true to ourselves, and keep doing what we think is best
Kate || KATE KOUTURES
I know, blogging can be so much sometimes (ALL THE TIME!). I think that as long as you’re happy with your posts and you are passionate about them, it’s not even work!
Love this! I think I really needed to read this too. Balancing a life and a blog is so difficult. Not to mention inviting the world and strangers into your life is hard work and can be draining. I’m with you girl. I need to find my spark again. The thing that makes me love blogging. I’m so happy that you have found yours!
http://moosmusing.com
Aww thank you so much, Mariah!! Balance is so hard to find, especially as we get older! Hahaha I know, writing for random people to see is tough and it’s super weird, but somehow it’s cool and inspiring! Thanks for reading!!
You go girl! I appreciate your honesty about this! I just chuckled because I actually literally just wrote a post on how I was feeling like I wanted to pursue blogging 24/7 but that ended up changing because I realized I needed to pursue other facets of my life besides blogging as well. It’s tough to find a blogging balance…especially teaching! But I also know the right posts will work out and the right schedule when I’m totally me on my blog.
You’ve got so much great insight and encouragement, and fashion! I love hearing your voice! You go girly!
Caitlin
Thanks so much, Caitlin!!! Yeah the whole “blogging full time” thing has definitely crossed all of our minds before! Blogging is great and all, but definitely not in my future as a full time job! Thanks for reading, Caitlin!!! I always appreciate your comments! :)
I am so excited for what you have in store, Sally!!
Thank you so much, Allison!!!
Hello! I have been reading your blog for a few months and I am so happy that you are choosing to do this…it is encouraging to me as a novice blogger trying to decide if I want to go bigger with my blog or not. Thanks for having the courage to do this! It’s encouraging! =)
Maggie, thank you so much for reading! I love it when my readers can resonate and relate to my content!! I think that as long as blogging stays true to your heart, you’re doing A-okay!
I’m very much against preaching the niche strategy for this reason!! I tried narrowing down to only blogging tips one time, and ended up running two blogs because I missed my lifestyle posts. I’m so much happier now running one blog and posting about whatever I want, so I hope freeing yourself like this makes you just as happy!
EXACTLY!!! Niches are great and all, but totally NOT for me!! I even considered starting another blog for the “other” topics that had nothing to do with fashion! I’m glad I didn’t spend time and energy actually doing that!! Thanks for reading, Jessica!!
I love how honest this post is! I completely feel you, blogging is so hard sometimes. I never into blogging about fashion, but sadly fashion is a lot of what drives traffic. So I started to try to work it into my posts, but it totally exhausted me. It lead me to needing to take a few months off just to reset. Now, if I do have a fashion topic to discuss, I will throw it in. But I will not just write about fashion to write about fashion. I hear you girl!