To blog or not to blog?

I am feeling somewhat inspired to write a post so I thought I would make the most of it and get writing :)

Ironically this blog post is actually about not blogging and was born from a brief conversation I had with my friend yesterday about..you guessed it...blogging! (he also writes a blog) and the 2 things that I said and the 2 things that he said really helped me to see things a lot clearer when it comes to my own little bit of cyperspace:

What I said:
1. I only set up my blog in the first place as a marketing tool for my photography.
2. Nobody really reads it as I don't post regularly and I find it a chore to keep it updated.

What he said:
1. I don't care how many people read my blog.
2. My only hope is that what I write may resonate with someone else when they read it.

OK, so this was helpful on 2 levels..number 1: I was surprised how bluntly honest I was about my feelings about my blog at the moment (and honesty is always a good thing in the long run!) and number 2: I realised that I was getting too concerned making comparisons against other photographer's blogs and about how often I SHOULD be blogging and the impact this has on readerships etc etc when really I should just be blogging because I WANT TO and not when I think other people would want me to...and the people who do read might really enjoy the photos I post and the words I write even if it isn't every day.

I appreciate that this issue may seem a little trivial but my (lack of) blogging was starting to become something that I was starting to internally giving myself a hard time about. I wrote a while back about the anxieties I was having about finding a more specific path when it comes to my work. I can honestly say since then I have made massive steps in my heart and mind I feel a lot more liberated and secure (that may seem like an oxymoron but they are the words that come to mind!) about my approach to working and finally I am on a path thats feels...natural. I wrote the original post back in April with the full intention of documenting this little adventure and I've put out a few posts but actually held back somewhat from writing openly about my experiences and have instead been making very unhelpful demands on myself that I need to 'get my act together' when it comes to updating my blog.

My friend's rather more open approach to his writing has really helped me to see things for what they are..I've kept this blog now for coming onto 3 years which is actually something I should be proud of..no I don't post every day, but when I look back, the times I have posted it's been because I've felt inspired in some way and because I've wanted to write so why beat myself up because I'm getting caught up in some kind of mysterious industry standard that prescribes when and what I should be blogging?

So...in the spirit of the coming new year I aim to make one change to the way I think I about my blogging:

If I blog that's fine. If I don't blog, that's also fine.

I need to remember that sometimes all it takes is a small mind shift to reclaim the enjoyment in an activity that has somehow become a chore when we place unnecessary expectations and demands on ourselves to please others - when they would probably be pleased anyway :)

Here's a few photos from a recent fashion shoot modelled by the very beautiful and captivating Charlotte...