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Tales of Belle

Lifestyle Blog

July 4, 2021

Reflections on the Past Year as a Blogger

Updated on August 23rd, 2024

AD – Sponsored | With Denmark slowly returning back to normal, I wanted to share my reflections on how the last year and a half has been regarding my blogging journey.

To Quit or Continue?

Back in March 2020 when Denmark first went into lockdown, I thought about quitting blogging indefinitely. I was unsure if it was appropriate to continue publishing posts as normal and if I did continue, I was unsure if anyone would even read them. On Twitter, I talked to other bloggers to see what they were doing, and some were continuing as normal while others were taking a break. I received a lot of good advice including that many people would continue to read blogs as a distraction from the news and also blogging is a good distraction for me. After this conservation, I decided to continue blogging as I hoped my blog could be a distraction for others if they wanted a break from everything going on.

Took Long + Shorter Breaks

After writing 5 posts I had planned for March and April 2020, I found it difficult to have the motivation to keep up with blogging and I ended up taking a month-long break. The break was definitely needed, and since then I have been posting once a week, but I have taken a week break here and there when life has gotten too busy and stressful. I learned that it is okay to take breaks from my blog, and I do not have to be constantly writing a new post or promoting my older posts.

Content Became Broader

I would consider myself a lifestyle blogger because I do blog about a range of topics, but before 2020, I mainly wrote about beauty and books. I know the pandemic has affected many bloggers’ content, especially travel bloggers, but my content has more or less stayed the same, but I have expanded the topics that I write about. Since then, I have written quite a few posts on what I have been doing while home, lockdown activities, Netflix, gaming, recipes, and long-distance relationships along with my usual makeup looks and book reviews. I enjoy not restricting myself to certain topics and writing about whatever I want to, and I will continue having broader content in the future.

More Brand Collaborations

Before 2020, I had the opportunity to write a sponsored or gifted post every now and then, but the number of opportunities has surprisingly increased for me. There was a period when everyone was going into lockdown and the blogging community was adjusting, but since May 2020 I have been consistently writing brand collab posts. August was a surprisingly busy month as well as November with the lead-up to Christmas. This month is going to be busy as well as I have 3 sponsored posts planned including this one. It is reassuring to know that brands are still looking for influencers to work with.

The Blogging Community has Grown Closer

One thing I have noticed is that it seems the blogging community has grown closer during the past year and a half. We are all going through the same thing, and we have grown more supportive of each other. Whether it is commenting and sharing each other’s posts or doing collabs together. I have also opened up my blog to guest posts, which is not something I have done until last December (if you would like to guest post on my blog, just let me know). I love being a part of the blogging community and seeing us come together.


What has blogging been like for you during the past year?

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Posted In: Lifestyle · Tagged: blog, blogger, blogging, blogging community, brand collaborations, collaborations, collabs, content, Lifestyle, lockdown, reflecting, reflections

Comments

  1. Emma Dean says

    August 13, 2021 at 8:47 pm

    I love this! I used to blog on a different account and I ended up starting a different one, breaks are so necessary within this community. I’ve just started my new blog so it’d mean a lot if you checked it out 🙂 x

    Reply
    • talesofbelle says

      September 19, 2021 at 1:48 pm

      Thank you! I agree breaks are necessary & will do!

      Reply
  2. Lisa's Notebook says

    July 21, 2021 at 2:56 pm

    Yes, the last 12 months have been a strange time but I completely agree with you, the blogging community has grown even more supportive and caring. I’m sad some bloggers have stopped writing but we’re still here, if they decide to come back again. Blogging has to fit in with our lives, not the other way around. Taking a break for whatever reason is important too.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      August 8, 2021 at 4:32 pm

      Yes I completely agree. I am in a bloggers collab and the lady who started the collab decided to quit blogging because she had her son and now has no time. We’ll still be here for her though

      Reply
  3. lynnmumbingmejia says

    July 15, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Aw, this is a great post! I didn’t start blogging until the fall season of 2021 so I didn’t quite experience it in the beginning of the pandemic! I love the blogging community and how supportive they are! I’m glad you took a break and got to spend more time with your family too! I spent a lot of time with my husband and I loved it. Happy you had a handful of gifted collabs too! Thanks for sharing x

    Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 10:03 pm

      Thank you! I love the blogging community too & meeting amazing bloggers like you! Yes it’s nice to take a break every now & then & I’m excited to go on vacation at the beginning of August (I’ll have posts scheduled, but I won’t be active)
      Thanks!

      Reply
  4. Merry says

    July 13, 2021 at 11:49 am

    Thank you for sharing this! Before 2021, my content only focuses on blogging, but the contents are so complex and needed a lot of research & time. So I decided to add more topics about lifestyle, which includes light topics. I also took a blogging break in May and it’s definitely worth it to come back again 🙂

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:40 pm

      That’s interesting your content changed too & you started blogging about lifestlye as well. It’s always nice to take a break & I always feel more motivated to write when I come back.

      Reply
  5. Hannah Smelter says

    July 12, 2021 at 1:41 pm

    I’m a new blogger, so I didn’t have my blog during the lockdown, but it’s so interesting to hear your perspective on how the blogging community has changed during the lockdown. It really makes me excited to see what the blogging community is going to be like in the next year😊

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:38 pm

      Welcome to the blogging community! I hope we’ll stay close as we transition to the new normal.

      Reply
      • Hannah says

        July 19, 2021 at 8:42 pm

        Thank you so much Karalee! I hope so too!☺️

        Reply
  6. Sakshi Raina says

    July 10, 2021 at 9:50 am

    I have thought about quitting blogging for a long time now, partly because of low views. I took a hiatus and came back but i’m slowly getting there. When you talk about being in a tightly knit blogging community, any advice on how to get into one? 🙂

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      August 8, 2021 at 10:33 pm

      It can be very discouraging having low views, but I’m glad to hear that you’re slowly coming back.
      I would recommend supporting other bloggers (commenting on their posts, retweeting them, etc.) & they’ll often return the favor & slowly you’ll start having regulars visiting your blog. I became good friends with several bloggers by starting out with supporting their blog & now we talk on Facebook/Twitter/Snapchat. Collabs are a great way to get to know other bloggers too. If you see another blogger looking for guest posts or asking for input on a post they’re working on, feel free to reach out to them if you can contribute. I’ve gotten to know other bloggers by doing collabs with them.

      Reply
  7. simplyalexjean says

    July 8, 2021 at 10:31 pm

    Thanks for sharing your reflections over the past year – it’s great to hear the blogging community gave some great advice and support when you weren’t sure last March. As things begin to open – I do worry if I’ll have as much time to blog as during the pandemic when being home was the normal.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:35 pm

      I think many of us will have to make adjustments as we transition to the new normal since we will not have as much time at home. I have been going to in person Danish classes for a little while now & I had to change my blogging schedule to give me more time during the week & on the weekends to work on everything

      Reply
  8. Sarah says

    July 8, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    I just started blogging in the past year (3 months ago) and I’m honestly pretty frustrated with it. This post gave me some hope!

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      August 8, 2021 at 10:41 pm

      I’m sorry to hear you’ve been frustrated with blogging. What about blogging has made you frustrated?

      Reply
  9. watercolourmarksblog says

    July 8, 2021 at 2:12 pm

    I just celebrated my first year as a blogger a little while ago. It was during the pandemic that I started because it’s something I have wanted to do for the longest time. I suddenly had so much more time on my hands and I remember thinking that if I don’t go for it now, when will I? I no longer can use the excuse that I don’t have enough time because all I did was have time.

    Everyone goes through slumps once in a while but I’m glad you pushed through

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:31 pm

      Happy 1 year blogiversary! That’s great you used the time you had to start your blog especially since you have been wanting to do so for a while!

      Reply
  10. Harsha says

    July 8, 2021 at 4:17 am

    I don’t have much experience in blogging because I have just started my journey but this was inspired by the pandemic period. there were so many ups and downs from which I wanted to distract myself and so that’s how my blog was born. I am loving blogging so far and I am glad to be a part of this amazing blogging community!

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:27 pm

      Welcome to the community! Yes there have been so many ups & downs & I’m glad that blogging could be distraction for you.

      Reply
  11. CristinaR says

    July 7, 2021 at 3:19 pm

    Definitely helped a lot having so much time on hand both for the blog and personally. I had more time to focus on different things and mostly at an uncertain time I felt I needed a break, so I took two weeks of just watching movies before heading in. I am so glad to be in the blogging community and see how tight-knit it isx

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:26 pm

      I agree! That’s great you took a break & just watched movies instead & I love the blogging community!

      Reply
  12. Nyxinked says

    July 7, 2021 at 2:26 pm

    The longer and more frequent my breaks are, the more inspired I am. Especially when I take time from social media. Yes its time I could be spending builting traffic etc but at the same time I also want to be more productive too.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:25 pm

      Yes I feel the same & it’s always great having a day or so off from social media!

      Reply
  13. Stralthy says

    July 7, 2021 at 11:32 am

    Felt the same…I thought about quitting a million times and even stop paying for my domain. Between uni and life, I really forgot about my blog and took a way longer break than I intended…

    Anna // http://www.stralthy.com

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      & that’s okay! I do think it’s good to take a break even if it was longer than you intended. It’s nice seeing you published a post recently though!

      Reply
      • Stralthy says

        July 19, 2021 at 8:38 pm

        Thank you! I did my best to write something even though my mood for writing was low..

        Reply
        • Karalee says

          July 19, 2021 at 8:46 pm

          Aw I’m sorry to hear that. If you ever want to talk about anything, you can DM on me twitter

          Reply
          • Stralthy says

            July 19, 2021 at 8:50 pm

            Thank you!☺️

            Reply
  14. Jenny in Neverland says

    July 7, 2021 at 11:07 am

    I agree with a lot of these! In the UK, when the first lockdown was announced in March I took a week long blogging break and didn’t do anything because everyone was so scared and worried and I just couldn’t get my head around writing posts for the sake of it. But as time has gone on, I really do think bloggers and this industry has made the most of the situation!

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 19, 2021 at 3:16 pm

      I couldn’t write any posts at first either & I didn’t have any already scheduled so I did nothing on my blog
      I agree!!!

      Reply
  15. Headphonesthoughts says

    July 7, 2021 at 3:59 am

    Last year I started blogging again and I am so happy that I did. It has been a wonderful distraction from the pandemic. I hope to continue to blog. It’s great how close the blogging community is. I have met so many great people.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 7:44 pm

      That’s wonderful you started blogging again & I agree blogging has been a good distraction. Yes there so many amazing bloggers!

      Reply
  16. Charity says

    July 7, 2021 at 1:57 am

    Sounds like you definitely learned a lot from this past year blogging! It was nice to have more time to work on my blog during COVID but I have been back to work for over a year now so I am still trying to balance working full time and blogging so it hasnt changed too much for me.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 7:36 pm

      I don’t know how I was able to balance my uni classes & blogging because I’m having trouble just managing my danish classes that are 3 days a week…

      Reply
  17. Jordanne | Ofaglasgowgirl says

    July 6, 2021 at 10:56 pm

    Lockdown has been both a blessing and a curse. It gave me more time to focus on my blog but it also made me demotivated and I lost sight of my goals. Thankfully I over it now. Well done on the brand collaborations, so happy for you! And I agree, the blogging community has gotten closer which is nice, feels like it was when I started out all those years ago.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:37 pm

      I completely agree with you! I had plenty of time on my hands, but at times I had no motivation to do anything & I didn’t publish anything for a month. Yes thankfully!
      & thank you!
      That’s nice to hear the blogigng community is going back to how it was when you first started!

      Reply
  18. traveladdictedunicorn says

    July 6, 2021 at 10:45 pm

    Yea, I agree with a lot of the points you made. Covid was def a challenge for all of us but hopefully, we made it through the worse of it. I started writing about more things besides travel as well just to kinda give people more options to read.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:35 pm

      🤞 we made it through the worst!
      Yes I noticed you had some blogging-related posts, which I think it’s great to have more options

      Reply
  19. nattbarletta says

    July 6, 2021 at 9:12 pm

    Wow this is such an interesting post! For me, blogging has changed because I’m posting more frequently and my range of topics has broadened. It was interesting to read about your journey though!

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:30 pm

      Thanks! I ended up sticking to posting once a week, but that’s interesting you’ve been posting more frequently. My topics broadened too!

      Reply
  20. Corinne says

    July 6, 2021 at 9:35 am

    The past few months have been good for me, but I didn’t really blog much before February as I was focusing on my pregnancy and baby 🙂

    Corinne x

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:29 pm

      That’s great the past few months have been good!

      Reply
  21. bournemouthgirl says

    July 6, 2021 at 8:43 am

    Last year I did a lot of blogging and driving my traffic as many more were at home and online. It is good to hear you have more opportunities coming your way! Good luck with everything coming up with your blog.

    Lauren

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:27 pm

      That’s great you stuck with blogging & focused on driving your traffic.
      Thank you & you too!

      Reply
  22. I'm All Booked Up YA says

    July 5, 2021 at 5:55 pm

    It’s cool to read your thoughts on how blogging has changed. For us, our blog views grew a lot one everyone was in lockdown.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Yes the same happened to my blog too & I ended up having my most views ever.

      Reply
  23. kathcake2017 says

    July 4, 2021 at 6:00 pm

    It hasn’t really changed for me that much. Although I did start posting less as my inspiration has dropped somewhat is sad 😞

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      Aw I’m sorry to hear that. I had a period where I had 0 motivation to blog so I didn’t publish anything

      Reply
      • kathcake2017 says

        July 14, 2021 at 5:29 pm

        I don’t think I could write no posts lol 😂 no one would come back haha 😂

        Reply
        • Karalee says

          July 14, 2021 at 7:34 pm

          I actually had a decent amount of views despite not publishing anything haha

          Reply
  24. Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader) says

    July 4, 2021 at 3:43 pm

    My blog has grown significantly since the pandemic. With more time on my hands, I went from posting once or twice a week, to posting 3 times a week. I also had more time to engage with the blogging community which really helped me grow and learn.

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 4:24 pm

      That’s wonderful you’ve been able to grow your blog! I’ve had more time too, but I stuck to posting once a week. I had more time to engage with the community too!

      Reply
  25. Caroline says

    July 4, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    Lockdown gave me more time to write and I’m now blogging consistently due to the many months I had off! Saying that, I am very much looking forward to going out more and meeting up with others x

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 3:41 pm

      I had more time during lockdown too, but for a while I didn’t have the motivation to write. Denmark is slowly returning back to normal & last weekend I went to a museum & coffee shop with two of my friends & it was so nice to go out again!

      Reply
  26. Rayo says

    July 4, 2021 at 11:49 am

    Interesting, last year I took a very long break from blogging. I’m glad to be back. Taking my steps slowly so I don’t burn myself out. Glad to see you have so many opportunities coming your way. Well done 💪🏾

    Reply
    • Karalee says

      July 14, 2021 at 3:38 pm

      I’m glad to hear that you’re back & not burning yourself out!
      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Rayo says

        July 14, 2021 at 11:35 pm

        Thank you so much ☺️, it’s good to be back and taking things at my own pace.

        Reply

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