Mistakes I've Made Blogging

1. Not watermarking from the beginning. I wrote about this last year. Actually it's almost been two years. But when I started out blogging, I didn't even know what watermarking was. I also didn't know that people actually stole images. Furthermore, I didn't know that people liked to pose as other people. Well, lesson learned. After my images were stolen and a lady pretended she was pregnant and had the baby {my baby}, I realized how sacred these images were to me. So watermarking it is. I did a tutorial on watermarking using paint and lightroom.

2. Oversharing. I cringe, truly, when I read back some of my posts. I also remind myself that I need to actually go back and delete many posts, yet have not had the time nor desire to do so. I know that this place has taught me a lot, and I know that one day I will look back and be able to compare myself throughout the years. Really see the changes right before my eyes through my writing. Regardless, I have cut back on what I share with the public, and really try to keep my loved ones in mind. Will I always know what I should or shouldn't share? No. But I hope that I write with caution.

3. Looking for validation. I think all bloggers tend to like that validation from others. I mean, it sure doesn't hurt to hear nice things said by complete strangers. But it's when you need and look for that validation from those complete strangers that you realize that you are losing yourself. When you throw stuff out there so that people will think you have money. Or when you share only the pretty pictures so that people will comment on how pretty you look. Or when you talk about all the good stuff so that people will think that you are perfect. Whatever the reason, when we write for the public, validation and acceptance tends to always be on the back of our minds. I have now learned that I need neither

4. Worrying about what others think

What will they think about sponsored posts?
What if people don't agree with me?
Why do they think that way?
Why cannot I get inside their head?
Why do they not like me?
Should I not talk about this?
What if I talked about that?
Will they think I do too many giveaways?
Will I get hateful comments?
Who will agree with me?

Who is they anyway. Remember that if people don't like what they read, they are welcome to move along. The people who care about you, know you through your writing, and understand you as a person can look past the things they don't like or agree with.

Because like I said... always blog for you. If you want to do giveaways and sponsored post? Go at it. If you want to pour your heart out? Pour away. If you want to get controversial and stir the pot? Even better.

The great part about it is it's your blog. And this took me a long time to figure that out.

5. Spending too much time on social media. I wrote my social media posts last week. About taking them out of your life. It feels good. Very good to be able to say that. But I remember the days where I would stay up late to catch up on what other people were doing. Through Facebook. Through Twitter. Through Instagram. And of course through blogging. The thing is you get sucked into these things and it takes a lot of strength to get yourself out. Not to mention that if you go on for 5 minutes, you end up clicking through 10 different links and hours later find yourself wondering how you wound up where you did.

Social media is a curse.

6. Writing about family members. Big no no. Huge. This was in my first year of blogging, and I quickly realized that family members actually read, and I realized even quicker how much words can hurt {even if I didn't mean it a certain way}. It doesn't matter how you mean it, it just matters how they read it.

And lastly,

7. Judging myself and others . For what I was or wasn't doing with my kids. For thinking that maybe I may not equate to another person's talent. For thinking that I knew how a mom was to her kids based on something I read. For judging in situations that need not be judged. For making assumptions when assumptions need not be made. I remember one specific post that I wrote about extended breastfeeding on the Time magazine covered, and I am still embarrassed by it to this day. Funny, because I plan on extended breastfeeding myself.

I've just learned to quit seeking perfection. Out of myself and out of others. And to quit putting myself or anyone else above others.

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I know I've made many more mistakes out of blogging. Some things I may not even view as mistakes, while others see them as just that. Maybe one day I'll think that blogging was a big mistake period. I hope not. I don't believe so. But you just never know where your thoughts and heart will be at two years from now, five years from now, or ten years from now.

Mistakes happen for a reason.
They give us opportunity to learn and do better.

This can be applied to blogging as well.