I've been thinking since New Year about what I want to do on/for/with the blog this year. Because of my mental health I don't want to put too much pressure in by giving myself direct targets as such. I want to gently grow the blog, but only at the rate that I can get to know everyone as they come along. I don't want numbers for the sake of them.
I've come up with a kind of mission statement about things to do with the blog this year.
1. Do a nail of the day and face of the day post once a week. Because I've been in months of Fibromyalgia flare up I've neglected the beauty side of things, but I'm coming out of it now (phew!) and also the light is getting better so it means I can do more things. All the things!
2. Get through my enormous 'to swatch' pile, which is really shameful in size, and show you the goodies.
3. Get some umbrella type lights for taking better blog photos. We have dodgy light for about half the year in the UK so it's well worth making an investment so I can bring better photos to the blog all year round.
4. Do more outfit photos outside, because they look 1000 times better than ones taken indoors.
5. Get a new camera with auto focus on the video so I can do regular videos for the blog. (It sounds really petty but at the moment because our camera doesn't have auto focus on the video I have to get hubs to set me up recording or else the whole thing is out of focus. It's a massive ball ache because he's never ready when I am, meh.) I REALLY want to do videos to talk about Love EVERY Body (and for other things like make up.) I want to lay out my ideas for the monthly assignments on video each month as it's so much easier to impart meanings to words when you can see the hand gestures and facial expressions to go with them. Words on a screen can only do so much.
I need to raise almost £600 for the camera bundle I want (this massive bundle is as much money as some places are charging for the camera alone!) and will be thinking about how I can raise money towards it, be it offering blog advertising or taking on more sponsored posts (as long as they're in keeping with the blog.) Orrrr winning the lotto, or offering 100 of you sexual favours if you give me a donation of £6 each, hahaha. (They'll be very small sexual favours for £6!) Or selling my kidney. Does anyone want a kidney?! No? :)
Seriously, any suggestions for ways to raise money legally and quickly would be wonderful. I want to avoid getting it on credit, but am dying to get cracking with videos to explain the thoughts behind Love EVERY Body every month. It's my birthday in 3 months so if I'm lucky I'll get some money to put towards a new camera. Every little helps, as they say!
6. Take on more guest posts, especially from the Love EVERY Body
7. Spread the body positivity message far and wide, even if I have to stand on a chair and yell. ;)
8. Meet more of my fellow bloggers and blog readers, too.
9. I want to dig out buried treasure from the back of my wardrobe and chests of drawers to make 'new' outfits out of old, with ideas about how to inject some life into those older items. It's silly to have a ton of clothes and not wear them because they're not new, yet I do feel a pressure (possibly self made) to have loads of shiny new things. I also want to accessorise more. I'm really quite rubbish at accessorising considering I have tons of jewellery, hats, scarves & gloves.
10. It sounds really cheesy, but I want my blog to be the kind of place where someone can come when they're having a shit day and find a bit of solace. You know me, I'm just a big ol' hippy who wants everyone to feel the luuuurve, maaan. ;) I know some of the people doing Love EVERY Body have started following each other's blogs and I'm so happy about them making friends with each other like that. All I had in mind when I started LEB was trying to make people happier with themselves just as they are, and seeing a little community coming together is wonderful. It happens rarely, but when I see one of my readers talking to another reader in the comments on my blog I have a little 'YES!!!' moment and I like to think if someone was having a crappy day and said so in a comment on my blog* that other people might jump in and offer them a virtual hug as well. I used to go to a pub which had a sign outside which said something about there being no strangers inside, just friends you haven't yet met and if we can cultivate that vibe on my blog, I think I'll be as proud as punch.
*By all means, if you're having a crappy day feel free to make contact - say so a blog comment, even if it has sod all to do with my post. Or email me, as some of you already do.
Ooh, I've just had another idea.
11. If you have a problem you can't sort out or need answers to (I sound like the A-Team!) you could email me and I could make it a blog post (keeping your name totally anonymous of course) and post them like an 'agony aunt' format so myself and other readers can come up with suggestions to help. Sometimes I think it helps just to put a problem out there, to be heard. You might need tips about what to wear for an upcoming event, advice on how to deal with critical family members/colleagues, or anything else at all. If the questions come, then I'll post them and we can all offer advice/support. Let me know what you think.
What are your plans for this year, if you blog?
Readers, what do you want out of 2014? What do you think about my mission statement? What kind of posts/videos would to like me to do? And do you know anyone who wants to buy a kidney?! ;)
Thanks for reading.
