6 Ways my Blog and Me Grew Together

It was a lazy day in May 2004 when idly browsing on my computer I chanced upon the word Blog. From what I understood it meant a free Online Diary for anyone who writes. I was intrigued and began reading up more, and before I knew it, I had signed up with Blogspot for my very own Blog!

I thought I had done the coolest thing, till I began requesting family and friends to ‘read my Blog’ and was met with puzzled expressions and ‘Blog, what’s that?’.

My Blog and I have come a long way since then, and let me share just how;

1)No one knew us when we started: When I started my blog, we both – my blog and me- were strangers to the world. However, we were both keen that people should know us. While Blog and Blogging was an unheard-of term, anyone who claimed to be a Writer wasn’t taken very seriously either! Writing, leave alone Blogging, wasn’t even considered a profession! Fast forward to all these years later to see the world going digital and Blogs and Bloggers both making their presence felt. Yes, me and my Blog, Sirimiri – The Lifestyle Blogazine have made our mark too.

2)There was no inspiration, so we inspired ourselves: Writing is a very lonely business. It is just you, your thoughts and ideas that form words. Every writer needs inspiration, to sustain their thought processes and their writing. When my Blog was mint new, so was the inspiration. New inspiration is almost always at an all-time high, and so was mine. It started slipping after a while, but I was determined to not let my Blog idle and looked around for inspiration to put up a blog post at least once a week. It is safe to say that My blog and I inspired each other to keep going.

3)Curiosity lead me to look for a Community: As I diligently blogged, I found myself wondering if there were more Bloggers like me. Writers who were passionate about blogging their thoughts, and also wondering if there were more like them. Google led us to each other and very soon I was part of a Blogging Community, then another, and yet another. This journey made me realize that while we can do it alone, Blogging is far more enriching when you have a like-minded community backing you!

4)Our voices began to be heard: As the years passed, Blogs and Bloggers were no longer terms unheard of. The curiosity about both leads people’s interest to perk up. This curiosity also led to more people signing up to create their Blogs. I began to have regular readers, and I became a regular visitor to the Blogs I resonated with. Very soon, brands began showing interest in Blogs. Bloggers begin with writing for ourselves and while we continue doing so, eventually we branch out to writing for others. We become the voice of the many people who want to say something but don’t know how to say it. I realized that my blog had become an extension of my thoughts. I blogged extensively and though mindful of not hurting any sentiments, I must admit I did not keep Political Correctness as an important factor while Blogging. I spoke my mind, literally.

5)Trust was being built: Being an honest Blogger had its benefits. My readers turned into regular readers and a lot of them even turned into friends. It brought me immense joy when someone told me that a review of a certain book or product had made them go buy it. Or that they watched a film after my recommendation of it. Honest feedback from people who read my Blog gave me the confidence to write more and write better. It was in 2016 when I finally went self-hosted. Having a Self-hosted blog is like buying your own home, in the blogosphere. It was exciting to finally own mine!

6)We were accepted and recognized: Going self-hosted was the best decision I made. While Blogging continued to be a passion it was slowly turning into a Profession too. Going self-hosted is what made me monetize my Blog.

I have been Blogging since 2004 and so many years down the line I realized that both I and my Blog have changed. We have matured, we have gotten over our self-imposed restrictions and fears. We have learned discipline and commitment. We have learned to use our voices effectively. Forever grateful to the friends and work I have gained via Blogging.

So this was my Blogging journey. Do let me know if as a Blogger you resonate with it.

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