Top Tips for starting a blog

The story of how my blog ‘HELEN’S JOURNEY’ was started and why:

In this post I will share the story of how I started my own blog and why. As well as my advice for others wanting to start their own blog. Knowing why you want to start a blog and what you want to write about it a strong foundation as a starting point!

Using writing to express emotions, feelings and to communicate easier with others

As shared in one of the first ever blog posts I wrote when I started my blog entitled My ‘Why’ for Blogging” you’d know that writing was always a hobby of mine from a very early age. Even when I was around eight years old if I had to apologise to my Mom for being “defiant” I usually wrote her a sorry note to start off the whole apology conversation. It was just the form of expression that suited me and felt easier to communicate in.

When I went through emotional situations in life my outlet was writing poetry and this is still something I do.  For example, after growing my hair for charity for three years, I finally had the 12 inches of hair cut off to donate and be made into a wig for a child with cancer hair loss. My way of processing all the highs of emotions was through poetry and prose in this blog post where I re-wrote the ‘Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air” theme tune to talk about the experience. You can read that here: HELEN’S JOURNEY HAIR  RAP

Actually thinking of starting a blog all began when I started to share on my personal social media about changing things in my everyday life to be more natural, starting with me changing to organic food to try & give better quality to the food I was eating.

My friends showed lots of interest and many asked me to keep them posted on my steps going forward, for going down the more natural lifestyle route. From there, I thought what better way to keep everyone informed than writing a blog to share my journey… and so ‘Helen’s Journey’ was dreamt into being and here it is!

I posted my first blog in October 2017. At that time, I had just got out of a long-term toxic relationship. I was starting over, breaking free, healing and working my way through the fog to rediscover who I was before heartbreaking life experiences and abuse distorted me. So it was fitting that once again writing became my way of expressing myself and talking about the lessons life had thrown at me and sharing my life’s journey with you all.

For more insight into me using writing as therapy, I encourage you to read the following two posts of mine:

1. My ‘Why’ for Blogging – The powerful tool that is the written word & how it can be used for good!
2. Using CREATIVE WRITING / POETRY / PROSE & SONG LYRICS, to express yourself & your inner emotions towards different experiences in life!

“One of my reasons for wanting to set up a blog is the freedom to choose and write about real issues that I face without a limit on expressing my own personal opinions, in order to report in an unbiased way.”

– Helen’s Journey Quote from the blog post My ‘Why’ for Blogging – The powerful tool that is the written word & how it can be used for good!

 

Top Tips for starting a blog

1: You can only get to your destination, by actually starting the journey!

If you are thinking of starting a blog let me tell you – there is never a perfect time, there is always something else you want to change or tweak or learn etc. So my advice is – JUST DO IT!!!

So that’s exactly what I did, I just started it and thought I’ll learn and change things along the way… (I’m very happy I stopped putting it off and didn’t waste any more time!) I read others blog posts with blogging advice as I went along and ‘learnt on the job’ rather than getting fully qualified with information first before I put my hands into action.

Read more of my advice and experience of setting up my blog here: Thinking of starting a blog? JUST DO IT! WELCOME to HELEN’S JOURNEY – Here is how it all began…

2: Your unique selling point, is yourself! 

Try not to compare yourself to other bloggers and how the more successful bloggers to things. It is okay to do things in your own way and in your own time. It is your journey, so be inspired and learn from other bloggers sure! But I’d say choose your own priorities rather than trying to do it all. This is what I wrote in my first blog post & I stick by it now no matter how long I have been blogging for:

I should do a disclaimer from now: I’m far from perfect so things around here won’t be done in the ‘best way to have a successful blog’ way, but more like ‘my way of having a blog’ way! 😉

 

Get to know the lady behind the keyboard better:

What to read more of my blog interviews where I answer personal questions about myself and my life for my readers to get to know me better? Here are some blogger interview posts below or go to the ‘AWARDS’ section in the blog menu:

• My 1st ‘MYSTERY BLOGGER AWARD’ Nomination & my answers for you to get to know me better
• Helen’s Journey blog wins ‘Sunshine Blogger Award’ #1 Read the interview to get to know me more
• “WHO IS THE PERSON BEHIND THE KEYBOARD?” Interviewing Helen’s Journey as she is nominated for the ‘Liebster Award 2018’
• My 1st Versatile Blogger Award & Interview sharing ‘7 FACTS ABOUT ME’ sharing 7 life experiences

Enjoy reading my posts and poems?

Then don’t miss out when new stuff is posted –Please click here to join my Email Mailing List to receive an email notification when a new blog is posted!

Why not come & follow my blogging footsteps on my other Social Media Platforms (click on names below to take you to the different media profiles):

Bloglovin / Facebook Page / Instagram / Twitter / Pinterest / YouTube /  Tumblr

Facebook: Fibromyalgia Awareness & Chronic Illness Support Group

The Blogger Recognition Award

I was nominated firstly by Nicole over at ‘Cool N Creative’ and then more recently by ‘The Invisible Vision Project’ and Karen Bradshaw over at ‘The Mommy Lady’ (Click on their individual names to open up their award post’s where they nominated me) – Thanks guys for the nomination and appreciated recognition!

Other Bloggers, I want to nominate:

Sophie at ‘Something so true’ / Jen over at ‘The Frozen Mind’ / Sheryl at ‘A Chronic Voice’ / Char at ‘Chronically Hopeful’ / Lloyd Stevens over at ‘My Food and Drink Lifestyle’

Enjoy writing your posts guys, remember to link them back to me so I can have a read. All the rules for the award are below, Helen x

Blogger Recognition Award Rules:

1. Thank the blogger that nominated you & link to their award post where they nominate you.
2. Write a blog post to show your award.
3. Give a brief story of how your blog started.
4. Give two pieces of advice to new bloggers.
5. Nominate some bloggers you want to give this award to.
6. Comment on each blog and let them know you’ve nominated them, and provide the link to the post you’ve created.