Oh, what a winding road it has been, in this blogging journey!
If anyone would have told me five years ago that I would have discovered a new “addiction” or “obsession,” if you will, I would have laughed. I thought that I had plenty of those, with my various collections, including my book collections.
My first blog was created in 2008, and it was on Blogger. I entitled that one Creations by Laurel-Rain Snow, and my intention was to use the blog as a way of connecting with readers, for marketing purposes. This was a plan developed with my publishing consultant. (That blog is now Story Corner).
But not much happened that first year. It was in 2009, when I accidentally connected with other bloggers, that I learned of a much bigger picture. A community. A network of other bloggers.
Then I sort of went nuts, creating several other blogs, some of which I have since deleted and merged with others. I still have too many, for most people’s tastes.
But this site was my first on Word Press. Initially, I called it Explorations…then I merged others with it, and it went through still another name change. Finally I settled on An Interior Journey...and that works for me.
When I decided to put a Bloglovin’ button on this site (and a few others), I realized that blog name changes can have complex consequences. I’ve been “claiming” my various blogs, and then officially changing the names. Whoa! What was I thinking back when I thought it was as simple as changing it on the blog?
On this particular site, I have regularly changed the headers and backgrounds…and even the tag line of the blog. With my newest tag line changes came a new blog button…and a header with the button in the center.
Looking back over what I’ve written, I am tempted to chuck this whole post. It was obviously written by someone addicted/obsessed with various aspects of blogging. But no….my hard and fast rule for myself is being “true.” So this is who I am, on this, my Interior Journey.
I hope to connect with some of you along the way. What has your blogging journey been like?
AN INTERIOR JOURNEY 
Love your journeys…I still remember my shock and awe when I found out you had more than one blog…I think I started very tentatively…that’s my nature…but I feel bolder through my blogging…I remember when I used to envy everyone for being sent so many books! That seems so funny and so long ago! Now there are too many books and not enough time!
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Oh, definitely, Patty…I remember those feelings, too. How others got books, and I wanted to know how they did it….
As for starting tentatively, that was what my whole first year was like, and then I started watching others and asking questions.
Thanks for stopping by!
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I think I started my blogging journey in 2006 or 2007. A young teen-ager (she is 22 now) then set me up with my first blog “Ann’s Quotes And Things” which I kept active until today. Just today I closed it to the public. Since 2007 I have created 9 blogs. My last blog was “Book Lover’s Journal” which on January 1, 2014, it is going to be the one that I will be posting on. I am retiring “Ann’s Reading Corner” come January 1, 2014, and merging it with “Book Lover’s Journal”. It’s just to much work keeping 2 reading blogs updated each week. Especially since it cuts into my reading time. I enjoy blogging but it does take a lot of work and time to keep them all updated. I use to try to update them all at least once a week, however that felt like work, not fun so retired the other seven. I’ve rambled on quite enough say good night Gracie!
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I’m at that point, too, Gigi Ann; I’m thinking that maintaining eleven blogs is a lot of work.
But some of my blogs don’t get a lot of attention. Four or five core blogs are where I place my focus.
Since I put reviews on most of my blogs, and then link to them on my blog where I document my reading, deleting any of them would be a major headache, because then those links would be dead! Yes, my mind goes to that place because that happened when I deleted some of my blogs along the way (I once had 20!) and had to change the links.
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Oh! I don’t delete my blogs, I just close them to the public.
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Oh, that makes sense. Thanks, Gigi Ann.
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I admire your ability to manage several blogs at once, I know I would struggle with that unless they had entirely different purposes. Several of yours seem to merge into one another.. Perhaps you could merge your reading and reviewing blogs?
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I actually did that at one point, Shelleyrae, but it’s like they have different personalities…lol. Thanks for stopping by.
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You know most of my journey Laurel, you have been right there with me. 🙂 I think the biggest thing I learned was branding. When you read a blog often it has a look to it and I could tell whos blog I was on my that look and feel. When someone changed their background or header often (as I did….) I would find myself confused – whose blog is this again? Now I change the background color way less often than I used to and it needs to be pretty important for me to do so now. 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by, Sheila…I have four main blogs that have distinctive “voices,” and I do enjoy the variety. The fun of playing with them.
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I’ve been blogging for a long time too, since 2009 and I did have another blog which I eventually deleted. It served its purpose at that time and I learned a lot. I love the blogging community, and I’m glad to have met you. Your motto of staying true to yourself is a good one!
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Thanks, Laura…I know that not everyone enjoys juggling so many blogs, but I have been having a lot of fun…and I like what each one offers. Glad you could stop by.
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