Like many of you, I’ve always visualized the life of a top blogger to be near perfect. We all know life isn’t perfect, but a blogger’s gotta be like 99.9% close. But almost always what you see on the front end of your computer is the corollary of long hours harboring creative energies and letting it flow into labor intensive work only to output a few minutes of inspiration (but hopefully life long) for you all - something we as readers are often blind to. It’s been a little over 6 weeks on the job and I’m still learning the ins and outs of fashion blogging - still fascinated by what these super bloggers can achieve day after day. And I know it’s easy to graze the feed of the said bloggers to think they’re not really bloggers, but instead models, spokes people, brand ambassadors - whatever you want to call them - because the work they’ve conceded is no longer relatable, their cynicism is merely a means of generating income. But as a genuine blog enthusiast and now laborer of the industry, I’ve developed a newfound respect for them and have discovered a few eye-opening truths myself in that process.
- There are no days off.
Not feeling well? Caught a cold? Nope, doesn’t exist, still working. Gotta get across the world by X day, but the weather sucks ass…nope, find a way. There are no sick days, no inclement weather policies. The barrier between work and life is so blurry.
- Fashion is only a fraction of what they do.
Though freebies, sponsored content, and designer frocks seem like a dream come true, it’s only a small portion of what they do. The prep work required to make it all come to life is so real and it’s unfortunate if the fashion piece is all that you can see.
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- They’re not ignoring you, they’re just really busy.
The tremendous influx of e-mails, comments, and questions they receive is no joke. Top on the endless shoots they’re conceptualizing, business strategies they’re mulling over, writing blog posts, and pausing to enjoy life, there’s just no possible way to get through every single person’s inquiry. I promise you’re not being ignored and it’s not that they’re too good to respond, it’s just a lot.
- They’re actually business-minded.
Who do you think is forging their relationships and growth? Themselves. They are constantly challenging themselves and the evolution of their blogs by setting goals, pitching ideas, evaluating the metrics, and recruiting talent to help them make good things happen. It’s a real business, not some kind of sham.
- They’re human.
They have feelings too. The next time you want to drop an offensive comment about how they’ve changed, how they’ve gotten too skinny, et al, think about what you’re saying. They may not be responding to you, but they’re sure as hell reading every single remark.
xo,
Susan
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Image Source Credits - Fairfax Journal, Stockholm Streetstyle
