Self-Confidence & The Blogging World

To start this off, I was 100% inspired to write this after reading this blog post by Jenny Rose – definitely go read it.  Like now (or at least when you’re done with mine).  I’ve read so many blog posts lately, but none of them have resonated with me the way that one has.  Without going into too much detail, Jenny delves into the struggle of being “unphotogenic” in the blogging world.  As I was reading, I was amazed at the fact that I could relate to it so much, because I, too, feel like I am in no way photogenic.  In a world where so much of other people’s faces are plastered all over the internet, it’s very easy for one’s self-confidence to waiver (despite how much I love reading into other people’s lives because hello #nosey).

Since rejoining the blogging world, I have felt what I’m sure are the first of many pangs of jealousy and insecurity.  My self-confidence drastically dips as I scroll through the posts and feeds of other bloggers with their perfect photos showing off their amazing hair, makeup, fashion sense, etc.  You’ll notice that I very rarely post pictures of myself on my blog, because I am genuinely terrified of how I look in photos lately.  I hardly ever leave the house because I work from home and my go-to uniform is a loose tee, yoga pants, and unbrushed hair that likely hasn’t been washed in 3+ days.  It’s not like I don’t want to be able to just post a photo and not care what I look like, because I do.  It’s just so hard when you don’t like what you see.  So I genuinely get where Jenny is coming from when she says she feels that way about herself.

She also mentioned something that I actually touched on the other day when talking to my husband about my blog:

Will my blog ever be successful if I don’t start posting pictures of myself?  

It’s actually something I’ve been thinking of so much lately, but too afraid to talk about because it means acknowledging my shitty self-confidence.  My husband and I were on the train, and I was moaning a bit about how I wasn’t getting enough traffic, blah blah blah, etc.  As we were talking, he asked me what was it that these other bloggers do that I don’t do?  What I wanted to say was that they have the time to take proper photos; or the means to go out and buy makeup, hair styling tools, and cute clothes to take the *perfect* photo.  But I knew the real answer right away (as did he – as usual he’s right on point with everything).  It was that they post pictures of themselves.  You see their faces, in one way or another, all over their blogs and social media.

And I totally get why that works.  It adds a personal touch that readers love.  I’ll be the first to admit that I enjoy a post so much more when I see someone in it – again, I’m so nosey.  But to let readers of my blog have that same privilege?  For some reason, I am having such a hard time letting that happen.  Yea, I’m a baby.  I know that, if I put myself out there more in that way, I’d probably have a more successful following.

Reading Jenny’s post made me feel better – because, for the first time, I felt like I wasn’t the ONLY blogger that felt that way.  There’s strength in numbers – it’s so refreshing to know that there are other bloggers that feel the way I do, and who struggle with self-confidence when it comes to posting pictures of themselves on their blogs.

I would like to get over the fear of seeing my face plastered everywhere.  I’m hoping that it happens one day, so that maybe I’ll become a more successful blogger.  But until then, I’ll accept the small victories, like having the courage to hit “enter” on this post.

xx Lauren