Exactly one year ago today, I was curating my very first blog post. Nervous, anxious and unaware of the journey ahead of me, I’ve come along way to get to my blog anniversary.
Not once did it occur to my enthusiastic mind, that typing on a blog was going to take me on the wildest ride. So much self-discovery, confidence and lessons gained. Here are my most proudest moments on the journey thus far:
Opening up about sexual assault
Long before the Harvey Weinstein scandal broke the news, I shared a post about my experience of being sexually assaulted. I asked – why do we not accept that all sexual assault is wrong?
I remember as soon as I published, I rang my best friend and said can you read this. Then I asked if I should take it down. It became one of my top 10 most viewed articles and it was a huge relief to share what I had barely told anyone.
Transitioning to lifestyle
Despite that my first post was on accepting your scars, I quickly realised that the only views I received were for beauty and health articles.
So I focused mainly on them until I gained an audience to branch out further. It’s great to be able to share such a diverse range of topics.
Summarising my blog has been super tough, but I came up with this:
The Style of Laura Jane is a lifestyle blog combining the relatable thoughts that women have in their daily lives with the inspiration to seek self-love and exploration.
Lipstick, heels and love = strutting to what you adore with a perfect coloured lip.
Photography: Shehan FernandoGoing self-hosted
I decided that my 1 year blog anniversary was the moment to consider self-hosted. I couldn’t wait however.
Once I knew exactly how I wanted my blog to look, I had to take the plunge. Lauzie’s lifestyle because The Style of Laura Jane.
Although a stressful transition and regrettably I lost people I used to connect to, I have absolutely no regrets.
Collaborating with great brands
I can hold my head up high and say that everything I’m recommending on the The Style of Laura Jane, is what I’m using and loving myself.
I feel really privileged to review what has always interested me.
The best was when I received an email recently from a major high-street brand. It just reminds me of the amazing connections a blogger can make. Specifically with friends all over the world.
Online friendships; a few drift away and some are short-lasting. The meaningful though, they are so significant.
Reaching my 1 year blog anniversary
There’s definitely been a period of confusion where I’ve wondered what am I doing or am I wasting too much valuable time blogging.
But this has saved me. It felt as though I was drowning before. I wasn’t 100% sure of what I was doing in life or what woke me up in the morning. And now since blogging, I’ve forged a career in writing; I get to wake up everyday and do what I love.
And when I think about giving up blogging now, it’s like asking me to give up writing. Which would be giving up one of the single things I love most.
Blogging is super tough and there is question continually over whether you are doing enough. And you wonder if people will get bored or if your work is terrible compared to everyone else’s. And secretly sometimes, you look at a successful, thriving blog, and question if you should adapt your’s to their standards.
When the doubt is gone nevertheless, I wouldn’t change a thing. My blog anniversary is a photo album of my mind and my life.
My favourite posts:
Why every person I become close to is a soulmate
My fitness and health transformation
Why you should love using the word no
Women wearing men’s clothes: A feminist act or a sexy trend?
What else is there to say about Marilyn Monroe?
Do you have a favourite post of mine? What is your proudest blog moment?
Congrats for your one year old blog yay! I am so happy for all the things you have achieved already especially going self hosted! I have been blogging for over a year and half now and still can’t just get it done.. maybe one day! xx
Thank you!!
Self-hosted has a lot of pros and cons and I don’t think it necessarily makes a blog ‘better’. So I would say to keep doing what you’re doing and only if you REALLY want to, move to self-hosted. xx
I think most bloggers I talk to on here, all started around January. It’s been great seeing us all progress and get use to WordPress.
Thank you on the congrats! I cannot believe it’s been a year. I still feel like a brand new blogger sometimes. Life is just whizzing by right now.
I’ll look out for your anniversary post if you fancy doing one. Thank goodness wordpress tells me otherwise I would have had no clue on the days. xx
Wow! Only ONE YEAR! It honestly feels like you have been blogging for years – your writing is incredibly mature and it can only get better. 🙂 Congratulations though – and I think it is beyond amazing that you talked about sexual assault already within the first year. It is a big step towards something. Sexual assault is actually one of the topics that I’d like to talk about at some point soon, and just how easy it can come about at no instigation or fault of your own. It’s definitely a topic that needs to be discussed more, because for one, there’s still lots of stigma surround it, like the dark alley you speak of.
Thank you so much! This comment has made my day.
I didn’t have any intention to share some intimate details about my life but I think just having such a great community on here, made it that much easier.
I think this whole news outbreak has been good in a way, but I also worry that it will eventually die down and then issues are not solved. There’s definitely still stigma.
I definitely think with the likes of social media, particular Twitter, it has made it that much easier for women to speak out although it is still tough. I think it’s important to talk about these issues though that happen outside of a dark alley or are mild incidents but still have an impact on the person involved because it really could lead to more serious offences. That is how things get serious in the first place. People act and then they go for some more. It is that simple.
That’s exactly it. And I’ve read comments shaming women who discuss their ‘minor offences’ when there are bigger sexual assaults happening.
It’s the ones who commit the minor acts that are most-likely going to try and do the more serious.
The stereotypes need to go and people need to realise that you don’t have to be wearing a mini skirt or a flimsy outfit to be assaulted. And it doesn’t have to be rape to be considered wrong.
Wishes Galore on your continued success! I feel happy that I have read every single of your favorite blogs and never would get bored 🙂
Thank you! That means a lot that you have read them all. I truly appreciate your comment. 🙂
You have achieved so much in a year of blogging and should be immensely proud of yourself – well done for always being so honest and sharing thoughts/experiences many of us can undoubtedly relate to, which is exactly what makes your blog so special and unique. And I can definitely understand what you mean about never being able to give up blogging, regardless how hard it may be, because that is like giving up the platform through which I am able to share and improve my writing. I certainly can’t wait to see everything you bring out in the many more years to come! Xx
Thank you Maria!!
I’m so glad you joined the blogging community. I’m really curious to see where blogging is in the next 5 – 10 years.
It’s really therapeutic sharing my thoughts and having other people being able to relate. Xxx
Congratulations Laura! This is incredible! So proud of you. Keep up the good work ❤️
Thank you!! xx
Thank you Melina! Everything I’ve learnt really has come from practice and watching other bloggers. I think that’s what I love about WordPress so much. People always give advice and help each other.
This comment helped make my day! 🙂 xxx
Congratulations on one year!! You’ve come so far ❤ Your blog is one of my favourites and one of the first I ever followed, definitely going to be recapping on all these posts! xx
Thank you girl! You obviously had good taste in what blogs to follow from the beginning :P. Hope you enjoy recapping and you know how much I love your blog as well. xx
Congratulations on your milestone Laura ✌✌ always love to read your impressive posts ❤ wishing you many more years of blogging ✌
Thank you! I’m so glad you’re a blogger as well. I hope we have many more years ahead of us. 🙂
Congratulations! here’s to many more!
Thank you!! Here’s hoping 🙂
Congrats on your first blogiversary ! I love reading your posts and learnt a lot from you, thanks so much !! Wishing you many more years of blogging !!!
Thank you Megala!! That’s amazing that you’ve learnt something. You really inspire me in cooking. If I cook create recipes like you, I would be posting them. I hope we have many years ahead of us!!
Congrats girl, so proud of you! So glad to have met and become friends with you. You deserve so much recognition for all your accomplishments since you’ve come a long way! Love your content which is always inspiring, keep rocking and wishing you many more years of blogging and achievements <3 <3
Thank you! I consider you one of my genuine, greatest blogging friends.
It’s funny looking at my very first posts now. I used these really small images and they were all over the place.
Love your content too. xx
aw, you’re too sweet! Thanks so much love, means a lot <3
Congrats on one year of blogging!
This is such a great post, I’ll have to check up on some of those posts of yours you have mentioned as I don’t think I’ve read them!
And I totally agree, there are times I ask myself as well if I could be using my time doing something else rather than blogging, but I don’t think I could give up blogging as it’s so important to me now!
I really admire your content and you deserve all the achievements you have gained through your blog! ♥️♥️
Thank you girl!
A few of the posts were quite a few months back. I didn’t want to post all my recent even though they are better edited if that makes sense?
I love your content as well. I think you really stand out as a beauty blogger. x
Congratulation Laura, one year in blogging world is a long time. You definitely had incredible first year in blog world, I hope next one will be even better. xx
Thank you Azra! It doesn’t feel that long but I guess as a blogger you do so much that you don’t really have time to think about time right. xx