So much has been said about the blogging world lately - and as if there weren't enough how-to's out there already, I'm going to drop in my two cents in a very unorthodox manner. For the sake of "anonymous" I just want to clarify that my 5 years of blogging, writing, picture-taking and occasionally getting myself into trouble doesn't qualify me as an expert in this matter. All I can do and wish for is to share my own story with you and give you a piece of my mind in a very opinionated fashion.

Let's say (hypothetically, of course) you take an online Blogging lesson that is intended to encourage you and get you pumped up so you can go out there and make jaws drop with your awesomeness but all you get is a sinking feeling that you are not meeting any of the requirements and high standards set by other fellow bloggers who you respect and admire... You wonder how you're going to achieve such standards, where your funds are going to come from and when, if ever, you will get there.

There are so many wonderful tips out there and I read them and feel an incredible amount of respect and admiration for those who write them and share. Let me say in the same breath that I don't really think there's a formula to make it big, especially if all we try to do is to be like someone or pick up everything that another blogger does and apply it to our own blogs.

The truth about blogging is that your blog is a lot like yourself and very much about yourself. I cannot tell you who to be to be liked by people but I can tell you what I do to feel good about the person I am. I apply the same rules that I live by to my blog and it makes me feel good, happy and fulfilled about what I do.

As usual, I've put my thoughts to paper (literally) and created this print to remind me of continuing to be myself even when others push me to be otherwise. Every time I look above my computer I see this. Allow me explain this step by step.

I believe in:

01. Being myself - This is the only true way you know if someone likes you or your work and fortunately, the only way for you to feel fulfilled with what you do.

02. Improving myself - People change and I find that to be a beautiful thing if you change for the better, if you crave to improve yourself and be better for yourself and then for others.

03. Liking myself - I say this and it still seems self-centered to me but it is true. You need to like yourself to be able to be OK with the things you do and with your way of doing them.

04. Freeing myself - I will not say that I've never blogged about something I haven't necessarily loved, because I have in the past... so I find it of utmost importance now to free myself and talk about what I want, share only what I truly need to say.

I try hard not to:

01. Compare myself - This (and I say this with no fear whatsoever) is the most harmful thing you can do to yourself. Putting yourself next to someone else is decaying and it breaks you. Nobody who likes you or loves you expects you to be like anyone else, that's why they like YOU, so be yourself, not anyone else.

02. Sabotage myself - I know this is a very strong word but I believe a lot of us do that. I sometimes make something, a drawing, a design whatever it is and tell myself it's not good enough or that people won't like it. There might be someone out here who will love and embrace it and just for that one person my efforts will be worth something. I need to work on this in every area of my life because I 'm the type to through something in the bin that it's not up to my standards. So bad... so bad...

03. Lose myself - The blogging world is very cosmopolitan and open and it offers so many ways of doing things, so many styles and so many faces that is easy to do things like everyone else except your own way. I try not to lose myself. I crave to be able to give something, to help someone... but I can only do that if I'm openly and gracefully free to share.

04. Stop myself - When someone who is great and big and successful tells you, "This is what I did to get where I'm right now", you inadvertently try to follow in their footsteps. I understand this is natural but I try not to do that. I don't want to stop myself or deprive myself from communing and making bonds with people who see things the way I see them and who crave for the things I crave.

In a nutshell... I believe blogging can be what you want it to be: It can be a business, it can be your journal or your catharsis, your book and so on ... Whatever it is that you want it to be. Work hard at it, be yourself and don't make any apologies for giving what you can give and working only with only what you have.

Feel free to give your two cents too. Be kind, yes?

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