SunTag: The Blogger Recognition Award

I admit it. I avoided this award for a very long time. The first time I was nominated, I was delighted of course, but the blissful feeling was soon replaced by the pressure to give advice. As a baby blogger, I felt there was not much I could share that would be useful to anyone. The Second time I was nominated, I was a teenager blogger. My happiness was overshadowed by my acne lack of confidence. But this time, I am ready! That doesn’t mean I consider my blog to have achieved the adult stage of its life, but let’s say we reached 18. Or 21 depending on where you live.

Many many thanks to Fatima @ Noteablepad Louise @ Geniereads Anushka Anand @ Living In The Pagesz and MRenee @That Wild Soul for nominating me to the Blogger Recognition Award. Each of these blogs is different and deserves some love so go check them!

RULES

• Write a post to show your award
• Give a brief story of how your blog started
• Give two advice to new bloggers
• Thank whoever nominated you and provide a link to their blog
• Select 15 other blogs you want to give the award to

How it all started

The end of the year always put me in a major depressing state. December 2015 was no exception. With all the time in the world and nothing to do, I was going nuts. That was when I had the crazy idea to find something to do. Easier said than done.

Until The Idea appeared. On a cold, rainy day, standing in the middle of the university library, between the giant dictionaries and the Jane Austen special display, I realized the answer was in front of me. *dramatic music*

I loved books. Surely I was not the only one. Why not create a place to talk about books and find people that my fangirling and deep conversations about stories would not scare or bore to death? I mean, we all know how frustrating when no one is here to listen to you babble about your last book!

I really needed something to focus on, something that would help me be happier. What better than waffles, tea, books and people who loves books as much as you to chat away or dissect every part of a story?

It took me a few more days to take the jump, and another one to come up with the right name and finally type that WordPress address that would become a new home to my passion.

The Advice

I did not know anyone in the blogosphere when I started. Everything was new, shiny and scary. I took my first steps and started engaging with other bloggers. Guess what?

Everyone has a first day, a first mistake (and a thousand others waiting for them!), a first mess-up. When I could not figure out why one of my links was not working, I asked around. When I felt swamped with work and had no more time for posts, I asked around. I heard about scheduling, time-managing, all those things people had struggled with and figured out before me.

Don’t hesitate to ask other bloggers for their advice or opinion. We are lucky to be part of a very friendly and warm community. You are sure to find a willing soul able to answer your question.

Pressure kills creativity. Pressure kills your brain and leaves you wiping on your bed. If there is one piece of advice I would have liked to receive when I created my blog, this is the one.

Keep in mind that blogging is a hobby. A hobby is fun. A hobby takes your mind off of your problems, chores, homework. I take my blog very seriously. It is my baby and I want it to grow, look gorgeous just like me, and be interesting.

But sometimes I need a reminder that being too serious about it, pressuring myself into creating more content, writing better reviews, being more active, will only lead me to a burnout. I am particularly hard on myself when writing reviews. I want them to be perfect. But they don’t have to be, as long as I am honest and put my feelings into it. (I should print this and stick it somewhere on my laptop.). Your theme doesn’t not have to be perfect, and you are allowed to change as many times as you want, so don’t worry about not liking your looks in a month. You can’t find a topic for a discussion post? Try again next week!

You don’t HAVE to blog, you don’t have to comment, you don’t have to read a book. You should be happy to do it, or you should not do it at all.
Blog when you want, about what you want. Blog for yourself, and say bye-bye to the pressure.

The class is over! Go have some fun on your blog!

I nominate:

Eve @ Eve’s Bookish Confections
Sumaya @ Sue’s Reading Corner
Lilyn @ Sci-Fi and Scary
Makayla @ Random Reads
Emma @ Well-Thumbed
Diana @ Night Train Books
Helen @ Helspec
Bibliophine Book Club
Brigitte @ The Book and The Bone
Captain’s Quarters
Marie @ Beyond Opinions
Michelle @ The Reading Belle
Kat @ The Impossible Girl
Heather @ The Sassy Book Geek
Floriane @ Flowlessbooks
As usual, no pressure! Ignore this if you want 🙂

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