Lately, it seems in all walks of life I’m coming across the same message: in order to be successful at something, you have to find your niche. I’d started thinking about this after our work retreat on teamwork a few weeks ago – we’d gone through six “indisputable laws” of successful team building, and the one I’d had the most trouble with was Law 3: The Law of the Niche. It stated that all players have a place where they add the most value, and if you weren’t working in an area you are naturally gifted and passionate about, you’ll never be as successful as if you are. If you try something you’re not naturally talented at, you’ll only ever be a 5/10. But if you work in your niche, you’ll hit 10s every day. This initiated a gaping chasm of worry in the pit of my stomach – all I’ve been trying to do for the last year is dive into things that make me uncomfortable, riding on the hope that repeat exposure will eventually make them totally fine. The idea being presented, though it made complete sense, was entirely contrary to everything I’ve been trying to do. Said chasm was further widened when we were all asked to go around the room stating what our niche was, and were we working in it? “No,” I thought to myself – “but how do I declare that to the boss who just gave me a new position, in front of all my colleagues?”
Initially, I thought my niche was a given – what I love doing at work is working in roles that allow me to be creative. Writing, designing, directing videos, creating advertising, doing radio – these were the sorts of things that were part of my job before the term ended. Now, the majority of my position involves things that aren’t quite such a natural fit: group facilitation, spreadsheets, and reports. Not so within my comfort zone. As we were going around the room, before they got to me, one of my (teacher) coworkers spoke up. “I don’t think of it as teaching,” she said, “I think of it as encouraging people to want to learn.” Now that really hit home. The thought of standing up in front of a class still makes me nauseous, but with practice it’s getting easier. Regardless, I don’t think it will ever be my “niche”. Encouraging others to want to learn however… has my name all over it. I’d always wanted to be a teacher throughout my adolescent life, before I realised I was afraid of public speaking. I’d always adored learning, too – I remember reading Jane Eyre in the hallways one lunch time and being stopped by an impressed English teacher and feeling awfully proud, wishing my classmates could experience this great piece of literature but saddened they seemed more interested in whose party to go to that weekend. I’ve always loved learning, so when I heard it framed like that, I thought maybe I am in my niche after all. I have the freedom to create curriculum, to design slideshows, to write cover letters and resumes and to encourage people to learn. And looking at it like that made me feel a whole lot better.
Finding my niche in the blogging world has been similarly difficult – mainly due to the fact that I refuse to have one! I see lots of blogs evolve from a collection of diverse thoughts into ones that limit themselves to one or two topics, and have their readership skyrocket through the roof. It continually baffles me – if you want to be a “successful” blogger, you have to be confined into a handful of areas if you want to keep the traffic coming back. But I’ve seen it work all the time. Lately, I think I’ve come to the realisation that it’s perfectly okay to write about what I want to write about regardless of whether or not people are going to be interested. If I’m going to lose readers because I write about Star Trek or obscure music one day, so be it. Why keep your passions hidden, and say what you think other people would rather you say? I feel like a bit of an outsider in the blogging world sometimes – everybody seems to know the ins and outs of each others’ lives, because a lot of people tweet and write about the goings-on of their hour-to-hour existence. Trips taken, friends visited, meals created or books read. There’s nothing wrong with this at all – this is how I keep in touch with many people I care about! I guess I just don’t know if my everyday life is really worth writing about. I don’t know if I could be proud to write about the cookies I baked last week, the invitations I printed on Sunday, or the toys I bought for my little cat. Because in reading about what I did, you’re not reading about me. Writing about my thoughts, however? That’s a different story.
This blog is more than a journal. More than a chronological account of what I did over the last few years. It’s an all-encompassing chronicle of my thoughts and opinions, hopes and dreams, loves, loathes, fears and passions on top of the things that filter into my day-to-day existence. 
I sometimes wish we could all walk around with personal profiles attached to sandwich boards draped over our shoulders. Creative. Animal lover. Nerd. Bookworm. Longs for Home. Artistically Inclined, but Lover of the World of Science. Hopeless Romantic. Wants to Make a Difference. None of us can walk about the world and trust that the right people will just fall into it, but by writing what I do on this blog, I can put myself out there. People can look at my words and see my journey, my story, my thoughts, wonderings, hopes and dreams. Individually, they may be haphazard, random, irregular and about as cohesive as Paris Hilton’s recounting of The Canterbury Tales, but in total, they make up me. All of me. Not one part of me put on show for the sake of “that’s what’ll make me popular”.
I’ll never be a niche blogger, or a subscriber to the rules of “successful” blogging. At any moment of any day, the best friend I haven’t met yet may come across my blog – do I really want my first impression to be one-dimensional? No. I want to be known as someone with real thoughts and feelings, whose heart, interests and passions aren’t caged into a cookie-cutter mould to please the masses. I want to write when I’m passionate about something, which may be three times a week, or may be twice a fortnight. I’d much rather have something substantial than post just for the sake of having something new. I want my blog to be genuine and real, because I want my relationships to be the same. I’m not going to limit myself to the things that’ll increase traffic. I don’t want it if it’s drawn by something that isn’t the real deal. I’ve always been a hearts-on-sleeves kind of girl, and if that means not fitting in, I’ll take it. As the Bard once wisely said, “this above all: to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.” In twenty years, these blog posts will be in the archives of history, the commenters will have moved on, and all that remains of this chapter of your life may be the words you wrote. Wouldn’t you rather know, from the bottom of your heart, that they reflected you?
Prose and Constellations 
Here here! You are fabulous, from one nicheless blogger to another. I am soo happy you touched upon this.
“I want my blog to be genuine and real, because I want my relationships to be the same.”
There are not enough out there like you Emily. Keep doing what you are doing. The world needs it.
You are way too kind, and you know I feel 100% the same way about you! ❤
I have to agree with what Hannah said, the world does need more people like you em! i love your blog because it IS real, not just fluff like a lot of the ‘bigger’ blogs, and i like the variety you have. i might not understand star trek lol but i love that you write abot your passions because they make me feel like i know YOU better!
Awww thank you so much!! I really appreciate you reading all my stuff… even when it is about Star Trek 🙂
I have to agree with Hannah. One thing that keeps me coming back to your blog is the fact that it’s not this simple retelling of what you did each day. You bring a new idea or a way of seeing the world each time, and that’s encouraging. It gives people something to learn, to take away from it. Keep writing real thoughts!
That really means a lot – I feel like if I write what I feel, I may not always have the courage or confidence to say it out loud to the world but in a small way maybe if someone reads this stuff and takes something away from it, it kind of does the same thing? I don’t know. All I know is I’m incredibly grateful for you taking the time to read and give feedback on my stuff 🙂
I developed a new niche about a year and a half ago, when I was going through the whole “to hell with niches!” phase. I call myself a “life blogger” and that suits me. Lemonade Life (it’s in the name too!) is about my life – my life as a diabetic, my life as a twentysomething, my life as a patient advocate, my life as a bride, my life as a New Yorker. It fits me in a similar way.
I think there is a difference between working in your niche (creativity for you, diabetes/patient advocacy for me) and exploring things you’ve never done before. Just because your niche might not be public speaking doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever do it. It just means that you probably shouldn’t become an actress full-time! Exploring things outside your niche is important for personal growth, but yes, you’ll probably never be an internationally-renowned speaker. But that doesn’t mean you can’t attempt to get over stage-fright or just get a little bit better at a skill. I think that’s the difference – making something your entire life versus incorporating a skill into your life (if needed).
That’s a really great point. Just because I’m not naturally good at something doesn’t mean I should avoid it forever because then when I AM confronted with it, I won’t have any practice and therefore cope less well. I guess that was the problem I had with the whole “Niche” philosophy on the retreat – I immediately went into “crap, it’s all or nothing” mode without thinking of it more sensibly like you just pointed out 🙂
I think your blog is VERY real. And I can safely say that, since having met you in person for a few hours, you are exactly like I imagined you would be – all from your writing. No greater compliment than that.. keep it up! xx
That is a huge compliment and I don’t tend to do well with compliments but that really means a lot!! I hope our paths cross again one day! xoxo
HannahKaty said exactly what I wanted to type. I’m glad that you’re real and niche-less… though maybe being so open is your niche.
Interesting point – I often wonder if being too open is a bad thing since you hear about the value of privacy and intimacy so often, but I honestly don’t think I would mind having that as my niche 🙂
This is wonderful Emily.
I feel the exact same way as you about pretty much everything that you wrote about. When I started blogging, it was for totally different reasons. I didn’t even know that I could write, but as I struggled for what to say, it came to me that I would have to be my real authentic self if it was going to have any value at all. That was clearly the right choice!
I try to be useful and positive, those are the only rules. I find that this has helped me immensely to see my own life in a different way which has brought wonderful results.
This week, I have struggled a bit with writing for the past week or so, (you might have noticed the lack of a post this week) but reading this post has helped me to realize that just churning out posts because I’m supposed to doesn’t make any sense and won’t help me to write the way I want to.
So, keep doing what you are doing. I think I can be so bold to say that many of us love it!
I am so with you on wanting to be helpful and positive, but I think you can be helpful or useful by writing out the hard things as long as you leave out one thing: complaining without doing anything about it. I think you are extremely helpful and insightful, and I love your blog!
Hmm. Yeah, this definitely makes me think.
My blog is topical, but since writing is such a diverse topic (and my writing diverse by default) I don’t feel too much like I’m limiting or throttling my creativity. I write off-topic on a semi-regular basis, but writing is my passion. It is my niche, and it took me a long time to find it.
It’s a brave and bold statement you make about not blogging to please or create traffic, but that mantra is at the heart of every writer. We want people to read what we write, but we write for ourselves. Whether people endorse it is irrelevant, because we’re not going to stop.
It’s kind of funny that your last post was about self-image and the theme of this post is that you are who you are and image be damned. The confidence concept just doesn’t go away; like who you are, then be who you are. Even if people don’t agree with you, at least they’ll respect you.
I adore your last few sentences. It’s funny because I wrote this post and Monday’s post in succession, within minutes of each other – but looking back at the two of them now I think you have an interesting point. I would like to summarise the two of them by saying I still struggle with image, but in my heart I believe image should only matter to YOU and to nobody else. I’m not going to say it doesn’t matter, because in various facets of life I believe you need to give the right image – at work, it has to be professionable, knowledgeable, approachable and personable – and those are all things I want to project for me, as well as my employer. However how I look to people on the bus is something I believe SHOULDN’T matter, because I should be comfortable in my own skin, but I am still struggling with. If that makes any sense. Bottom line however – I think everybody’s blog should reflect who they really are. If that’s an expert on home baking, that’s great – but I think when niches become “sunshine and rainbows” and are only a part of a person’s true self, and that’s the image they build themselves on – I think that’s where the problems start. If any of this made any sense in the slightest 🙂
I think, again, it may be an issue of “growing up.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve cared less and less what other people thought of me. Maybe it’s because of that that I don’t mind “playing the bad guy.”
You have, of course, noted a great exception; at work it literally pays to be courteous and professional. With my personal relationships, and my wife, I care even more. Their opinions of me matter because my bond with them reflects the person I am.
The trouble is knowing how high to set that filter, and the only gauge we have is how much we respect the person. The other trouble is that some people need more validation than others, so everyone’s filter is going to be different. Finding yours is the growing up part.
I agree with your “Nichean” philosophy (cue failed joke Tuba: “Waah waaah waaaah”
But seriously, I really do agree, and in the blogs I’ve done I’ve never made it chronological. Other than to state my growth in that moment.
The blog is for me really, if other people like it. Cool.
And this is exactly why I love you and your blog. I know when I come here that I’m going to get the REAL you, not the you that you feel like portraying to make yourself look perfect.
Hear hear! The bloggers who write all about the good stuff all the time don’t seem to realize that it comes off as fake a lot of the time……. nobody’s life is THAT limited or THAT boring or THAT perfect…… I love reading all your different, un-nichey posts and I feel like I get to know the real “you” when I do.
Because I’m not perfect! That’s the trouble I have with blogs who portray that they are… I really appreciate you reading 🙂
this philosophy is unique for my mind, but its nice, good messages, good character ,nice one
i just want to think that you do this not because you want to popular, coz i really like what you are doing specially like this.
Thank you 🙂
yeah, obviously agreee…. nice share 😀
I’d never be able to write for the sake of readership. I love having a blog community, but there’s no need to care about HOW many comments you get.
I totally know what you mean about finding your niche in the workplace. I feel as though I am still trying to find that!!!! I don’t know if teaching kids is really my niche. I’m good at it, but am I great at it?? Not sure…
It’s an ongoing process of figuring it all out I think 🙂 The tough part I have is what to do with those feelings of “but I’m NOT naturally good at this… is that a sign I should be doing something else, or should I continue to rise to the challenge?” I guess if it’s something we’re not meant to be doing, eventually there’ll be a sign that’s loud and clear that’ll send us to what we ARE…
I think it boils down to this: does one care more about popularity or sincerity? It’s nice to see someone standing up for the latter. Good for you girl
Thanks! 🙂
This is why (even though I’ve been inexcusably quiet on the comment front lately) I always read your blog. I like that you don’t try to paint things in a certain way, and that you write posts about whatever you feel like, not what you think your readers want. You give us a window into you, and it so makes me want to get to know you better.
I’ve missed you!! Thank you so much for always reading my stuff, it really means a lot 🙂
I do agree with some of what Hannah said, and some of what Todd said as well. I mean, I was blogging way before I had any sort of readership and now that I do, I do like knowing that people are reading what I write. I love the friendships I’ve made through blogging and sometimes, those comments are the only thing that make me smile during the day.
While I might sometimes delve into the stuff I do, I want this blog to be about my life. I want to look back on things I wrote or pictures I posted and remember those times. So while sometimes I may not go deep into my thoughts, I still feel like I’ll look back on my blog and be happy with the way I made it.
That said, I love you & your blog. Your posts always make me think and inspire me! You’re an amazing lady. 🙂
Aww, thank you love, your reading and comments always mean such a lot. I really enjoy your blog and I think you’re EXTREMELY real, genuine, and courageous to share the good things as well as the bad, but always with such determination to make things better and to be more. I love that. 🙂
I’m happy that you’re asserting your voice and rejecting the idea of niche blogging because that is right for you, but it seems a bit harsh to say that you couldn’t be proud of writing about the cookies you baked, invitations you printed, etc. Should I not be proud of my writing, even if it is confined to what I did last weekend or the meal I cooked last night? Even if your intent is not to judge (which I honestly believe because I do feel like I know you to a certain extent and I adore your writing and the personality that shines through) it could feel like you’re judging what others choose to write about, which is kind of what you’re denouncing when you say that you won’t subscribe to the rules of successful blogging and you’ll write about what you want when you want.
I don’t know. I think that we’re all trying to be so different and unique when really we’re all just a bunch of nerds writing about our lives on the internet 🙂
I enjoy your blog, lady, and will continue to read what you choose to write about.
Thanks Hillary. My intention was never to judge – judgment of others is something I wish the world could be without; and I have absolutely no problem with people writing about their days or meals or hobbies – it’s when the blog is touted as a representation of the person themselves, yet the whole story is never fully told, things are hidden, and things are represented in a way that isn’t true to what’s real, that gets me. I think it’s dangerous to represent yourself as something you’re not for an extended period of time because then when you look back, your memories of what really happened could all be an elaboration and were never really the case at all… it’s a dangerous thing to not be real, because then you start believing it. I just have a passion for sincerity, and being who you are, having faith that even if that doesn’t make you the coolest kid in school, the ones who do reach out and interact are the ones that do it because they like you anyway – not because of some image created to please the masses.
To the above commenter I don’t think it comes off as judgemental at all. I think it’s a strong person asserting her belief that the blogging world is becoming more and more shallow and standing up for herself in an “I’m not going to sell out for the sake of popularity” kind of way. I’ve seen alot of blogs go from writing things that made them really interesting, to just writing the same old stuff all the time because they’ve found their “niche”… and it’s rather sad I think.
Em I think you are a rare gem in this blogging world, way to stand up for yourself and stay true to yourself. I wish there were more genuine blogs like yours.
Thanks Mindy, that really, really means a lot ❤
Love, love, love this! You are possibly one of the most genuine bloggers out there. That’s your niche!
You absolutely made my day by saying that 🙂 ❤
Nicheless or not – you are genuine and very real and you reflect that in your writing. This is why I come back here.
Sure, fashion blogs or crafting blogs are fun, but do you really connect to these people who only write about this one subject? Hardly.
If I am looking to make friends in the blogging world, I am looking for blogs like yours, Em. Because you said it perfectly: “I want my blog to be genuine and real, because I want my relationships to be the same.”
P.S. Sometimes you can be good at something, even if you yourself don’t feel too comfortable doing it (maybe because you’re too humble?). Your boss surely gave you this new job because he thought you would excel at it! 😉
Oh I hope you’re right! I know it comes from growing up always striving for the approval of others, and I guess kind of believing without it, I wasn’t good at something – I’ve always needed a somewhat unhealthy amount of reassurance. Look at me getting all psychological here lol. I really appreciate your kind words and the fact that you continue to read my stuff, it means the world and I’m so glad to have ‘met’ someone so genuine – I do hope I get to meet you IRL one day! 🙂
You should definitely keep doing what you’re doing! (I don’t really want to read about the toys you bought you cat! hahaha) 🙂
Haha, thanks 🙂
First up, I agree. I am not a popular blogger, but for me, that’s fine. I’m not using my blog as a source of income or to create a character that is marketable, so for me, it’s a spot I write so I can go back and look at my changing views and mock myself. If people come across it, sweet. I feel heard. If they come across it and think, “THIS girl doesn’t post on a preset schedule of prewritten blogs on preselected topics and her photos aren’t perfectly themed and uniform!” and they hate it… Good deal for you, you’re insane and I don’t need ya around those parts anyways! So be you! 100%. No one wants to a read a blog where every post is the same length, same theme, lacking fun and far too preachy, ya know?
Then, to rant about your work’s lecture!
“If you try something you’re not naturally talented at, you’ll only ever be a 5/10.”
I kind of think that is one of the worst messages to ever portray to someone and I’m amazed they teach that. Granted, I get the idea. You’re going to excel more easily in fields you have natural pull at, and there are plenty of examples of people trying to do things they have NO natural talent in (cough American Idol cough), but if everyone shied away from trying to be rock stars in things that don’t come naturally or easily, we’d be teaching so many generations that trying against adversity and putting forth hard effort will never pay off.
I guess this just reminds me of the 80s when parents taught us all we were individual snowflakes and special no matter what (which is kinda true but…), and we’re the first generation that has major trouble picking careers, working hard, wanting to be famous with little effort and moving out of our parents homes and becoming truly self sufficient AGES later than generations before us – possibly because we’re under this belief that if it doesn’t come easily and isn’t the most fun, it isn’t worth doing? Darn you MTV generation.
At the same time, though, we’re an incredibly creative generation constantly thinking of innovation and ways to add more play into work, so maybe it’s fine. And I’m just a cranky today. I’m rambling and should eat more candy.
100% with you on the blog front! And interesting take on what my work was telling us. I still feel a little uncomfortable saying I agree with it, but I also feel like it’s true – you’re always going to be better at something you’re naturally talented at, BUT I also feel like you shouldn’t let that detract you from trying to do things in which you’re NOT, otherwise we’d all live boring lives sticking to the same old thing and never growing or taking risks, or potentially finding something new we LOVE doing and never would’ve tried had we stuck to the “stick to your niche” idea.
I love that we all have the freedom to blog however we want, but I must admit that I cringe when people say they’re going to narrow their topic, because so often what happens along the way is that they lose their passion for blogging. It becomes more of an obligation. Plus, I feel like I lose touch of the person I’ve come to call a friend, because they’re writing only about subject x and even if I care about subject x, I care about the blogger more.
Still, it is quite hard to continue on nicheless. More than once in the last few years I’ve asked myself, “What is it that I do here? Does this fit? Is this what they come here for?” In the end I remember that the only way I can continue on is to write whatever interests me most. Thankfully, people are willing to go along with me.
Absolutely, I really enjoy your blog because it’s NOT just one thing, and it’s not all sunshine all the time – it’s real, and I feel like I know more of you as a person as a result 🙂
You know what I just realized, is that we are a niche in being niche-less. An analogy that comes to mind is atheism as a belief system. There’s even a word for this kind of blogging: escribitionism (portmanteau of “scribe” and “exhibitionism”).
While that word isn’t catchy by any means, it was the original intent of a blog, I think; it was a “person log” or journal, or even a diary – and those ideas certainly aren’t limited by subject matter. It’s a good way to write, I think.
After all, being genuine is why we’re all hanging out here in the first place. So maybe a retort to those seeking to increase traffic and SEO is that having a successful blog requires being genuine. Do we have examples? Yes. This comments thread. 😉
Awww 🙂
Fabulously written, Emily. I adore that you march – or rather write 🙂 – to the beat of your own drummer. I know when coming here I’m going to get: Em, my sweet, heart bursting, down to earth friend north of the border. This honesty is why meeting you was effortless; there was no awkwardness because I know you. I can hear your voice in my head when I read, see you smile and laugh. I don’t think I would have been able to do that had you not written so candidly.
I always thought I needed a niche to write,”successfully”; something quirky or sentimental. But you, my dear, are an inspiration. ❤
Those words mean the absolute world!! ❤ I think we all start to think sometimes that we have to do "what somebody else is doing" if we ever want to be popular. It's a great moment when you realise, wait a second, I don't WANT to sacrifice myself for something as trivial as comments. It doesn't matter how many people write a few sentences after every post, it's what matters at the end of the day, when you can look back and say "I was true to myself", and those that took the time to read, and write back, and offer their thoughts, opinions, encouragement and support, were really genuine people who didn't have to, but did not for the sake of a facade, but because they value sincerity. 🙂
I am the exact same way.
When I hear of people blogging and making $20,000 a year off 500 subscribers when I don’t make any money worth writing about with 1500 subscribers, I feel a tinge of jealousy then I stop and ask myself: why am I blogging?
I blog because I talk too much and it’s a great therapeutic (AND FREE) way to connect with others and get your thoughts out.
I do it for myself (what I think I’d like to read and write about) and that’s enough for me to be content with.
I could be seen as a niche blogger, but I feel like if I wanted to write about something other than minimalism, I should be able to do so. I branch out into simplicity, organization, de-cluttering… these are all niche areas too but mine is more of a blog that amalgamates all of that.
Great post
Oh I feel this. I recently considered making a less anonymous blog, which I was going to make niche, so that it would get lots of hits and I could brag to all my friends about it. But as I started writing it, I realized that writing for a niche sucks. It wasn’t me talking anymore, it wasn’t genuine, and there were many days where I just had nothing to say because it didn’t fit in with the whole thing. But I had things to say, they just weren’t the right things. Which is silly. There’s no wrong thing to say on a blog!
I love this post, it is so true.
I actually started out as a niche blogger – a food blogger. Then I found myself bored with just the one subject. I got myself a cat* and began blogging about her, so I became a food/cat blogger. Then I started blogging about life in general, so I became a food/cat/personal blogger. Then I realised I didn’t have a niche, if I had three, so I just decided to stop thinking about niches and instead just write whatever I wanted to write about. And ever since then, I’ve found it easier to write because I’m not mentally restricting myself to a certain niche. Sure, it works for many bloggers out there who specialise in one topic or theme, but it just didn’t work for me.
*Let me clarify that I didn’t get a cat in order to blog about her. I got a cat, then the blogging-about-her thing just sort of happened, because she was so cute. Heh.
There’s no way I could limit myself to only a few topics in my blog either. My blog tends to reflect what is going on in my head, and my head? Is all over the place. I wouldn’t be true to myself if I tried to fit into a niche, and I wouldn’t be willing to do that just to increase my readers or whatever. My blog is for me, first and foremost.
Well written. 🙂
I’m super late to this but I’ve got to say this post hits close to home and sums up a lot of thoughts I’ve had about blogging lately. I’ve considered narrowing my topics, but it would feel false to me. I want to write about new discoveries, about personal reflections, about my marriage, about my family, about my adventures and about current events. So, ditto – I don’t think I’ll ever find myself as a niche blogger either.
And that’s exactly why I’m going to keep reading 🙂
Well, I think you’re a really great blogger. I honestly wish I was half as insightful as you are. And be able to put my thoughts into words so eloquently.
I do find your blog takes a little more effort to read because it is not just about cat toys and cookies but to me that’s a good thing (just why I am only now commenting here).
And you know, even if you are branching out into non-niches and even if you may only ever be a 5/10, that is still better than how you did at something before branching out into it! Being a 5/10 is better than never branching out into that activity at all and remaining a 1/10 or a 2/10.
That’s exactly the thing – NOT trying things that aren’t naturally your niche will never lead you to expand or grow outside what’s naturally comfortable – 5/10 is better than a 2/10!! 🙂 Thanks for the kind words about my blog – and no worries; taking a bit more effort to read is a really nice thing to hear! I am the same way with a handful of blogs – the ones that write longer posts and hit on the bigger, more “deep thinking” topics – I save them for when I have the proper time to devote to reading and responding 🙂
Emily,
Great post!
The great thing about blogging is that there are actually no standardized rules like your blog should be like this or that. It gives us such freedom to share our thoughts responsibly to other people who may relate to us in a way.
Everyone has his/her own voice when it comes to blogging. I just feel that the authenticity of your blog far outweighs the notion of setting up a niche site mainly to monetize it or attract more readership. I’m not saying monetizing it is bad, I guess my point is that straying away from your original purpose could stain the simplicity and the soul of your blog.
Having said that, I hope that you’ll continue to do what you’re doing. It’s your own touch and nobody messes with that! Haha
BTW:
I started blogging using a social network site back in 2007. Since it was my first time, I just posted purely random things. This year, I’ve set-up two, one in English and the other one in Filipino. Both are just like yours.
haha wow yeah that’s exactly how i feel. if people can’t take my writing (or me!) for what it is, then tough. :-p
glad to have found you 🙂
And I’m glad I found you too! 🙂
Hi Emily!
I just stumbled across your blog tonight while searching for other Winnipeg bloggers. Your blog is a wonderful read and I’m looking forward to following you from now on. I’m also not from around these parts, moved here from Australia in 2004, and I’m 26 too. 🙂
I just wanted to say it is such a relief to find someone who is ok with not having a niche! I am told pretty frequently that I could be confusing my readers by being unpredictable and not having set subjects for specific days, but I prefer to be able to write what I want, when I want.
Looking forward to getting to know you better, and congratulations on your marriage!
Amy