Blogging is my passion. Or, maybe writing is my passion. No. Let me just say it like this. I love blogging and I love writing (in general), but the combination of writing on my blog gives me two loves in one setting. That’s a match-up I can’t afford to pass up.
So, I’m doing what I love.
I blog about what I’m passionate about, what I know, and about living life in general. Always have and hopefully always will. And the great thing about blogging on subject matter that interests me is just that. I write about subject matter that interests me. Stuff I won’t get tired of . . . that won’t exhaust itself or wear out its welcome at Degrees of Maternity.
And with writing about living life, it’s hard to run out of content. Life is a continuum for each one of us until we come to the end of it. In other words, we’ll always have life to live, until we don’t. And here’s some of my thinking on the subject of “life”: while we’re living it, we might as well be sharing our thoughts, perspectives, and experiences with others.
I guarantee you won’t be the only one who shares those thoughts, perspectives, and similar experiences you hold onto exclusively as your own. You just might find that you share them with someone else out there. And that someone probably will snowball to multiple “someones”. I call this the connection of the like-minded. It’s a pretty neat phenomenon to witness first-hand.
I’m experiencing it right now with blogging at Degrees of Maternity. I’ve met and continue to meet and connect with like-minded people every week. And that’s the draw. There is someone for everyone. We just need to find each other in this great big world of the blogosphere.
So, when I hear people say to niche down to gain the attention of others, I can’t totally subscribe to that theory. I don’t think this method of reaching others necessarily works for everyone or in all cases. As a matter of fact, I know it doesn’t.
Take me, myself, and I for an example. I can only speak to my personal experiences in my unique content creative journey, because I own it. Anybody else’s journey is second-hand knowledge to me. So, I’ll keep it simple and just stick to my own learning curve.
What I’ve come to learn is that I put out my best content when I write what I’m naturally drawn to, which can be a myriad of different subjects, depending on the day, the mood, the schedule, and life. Without fail (even on my down days), I can always find something to write about when I stay in the lane that’s on my natural course to take.
I don’t play very well with the “super nichey” stuff and the temporarily trending hot topics. I choose not to cater to a niche, because I’m not an expert at any one subject matter, not enough to create a whole blog about it anyway. And, I certainly don’t have just one area of interest that totally outweighs all the others. I like a little about a lot of things and I chose to offer variety in my blog.
Furthermore, I’m not at all willing to succumb to the pressure of writing to a fleeting trend, because many trends could fall into a category of subjects that I have absolutely no interest in.
Anyone who’s followed this blog for any length of time knows that I share information on writing, parenting, personal and professional development, healthy choices, education, family life, productivity, goal-setting, and content creation journeys. And I’m not an expert in any of them. I don’t have to be. But, I share what I know in hopes that it will help myself and others grow. That right there is what I do in a nutshell. And I love it.
I can’t imagine being limited to picking only one or two of the above topics and being told that this is all I can create content about. And, I certainly couldn’t imagine being told that I have to write about more trendy topics that I know nothing about and don’t want to know anything about. Then, I’d essentially be spinning my wheels doing two things in one that I don’t particularly care for — researching and researching on topics of no interest to me. Nonsense! I don’t believe that I have to be trendy to reach others. Not for one moment. I’m living proof that doing what works for oneself will lead to positive results if given time.
Wouldn’t this Degrees of Maternity blog be more successful and more sustainable by sharing what is most natural to me, what is most enjoyable, what I have knowledge about, and what I can create content on without fail (day-in and day-out)?
And while I’m busy doing what works for me, you make sure to do what works for you. If your thing is to be “nichey”, then you do you. I never want it stated that I’m trying to discourage you on this front, especially if you’re passionate about a certain niche. If you are “nichey”, proclaim it and be proud and expound the knowledge that you have to others so they can learn and grow from your expertise.
Do what you’re passionate about (that’s what I’m doing), and don’t let anyone persuade you to be someone you’re not or do something you know you’re not meant to do in order to be successful. Be your authentic self. It’s easy to get lost in the rhetoric to conform for popularity’s sake, but what’s more sustainable . . .
Being yourself, which will come naturally and effortlessly and will be appreciated by other like-minded individuals who value you for who you are and what you do?
OR
Bending toward the will of others, following trends and fads (which are usually temporary), and being someone you’re not (which is too exhausting to keep up for any extensive length of time)?
I have a feeling that you know the answer all too well.
Anyway, this blog post is a prelude to the other posts about blogging that are soon to follow on the next few “Productivity Tuesdays” coming up. On Tuesdays, I’ll be discussing the art form of blogging and provide helpful tips, strategies, and insights that are hopefully beneficial to you in your blogging/writing journey.
Tip of the Week: Stay the course, don’t succumb to pressure, and remain true to yourself and the purpose you’re meant to fulfill. Now, if you’re not sure who you are and what your purpose is just yet, don’t be discouraged. Take time to figure it out. Start by identifying what makes you smile, brings you joy, preoccupies your thoughts, and drives your actions.
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