The candy shop dilemma or how to start a blog
Having been active on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter - and most recently - also on TikTok, I have had my doubts about starting a blog. Though I claim to be a blogger, I never really had the courage to post outside of social media and start a blog.
After all, a blog is more demanding than posting on social media, because you commit to content, whereas on social media you can simply post a cute picture whenever you feel like it. But I realized that there are some topics that deserve more in-depth discussion than social media sharing. So I decided to start a blog.
“ A blog allows you to have a voice and be heard as you can share your story with the entire world."
So how to start?
Honestly, I have no clue. I feel like a small child in a candy shop. So many topics to choose from. Should I start with those tempting ones right at the entrance or might the best ones be hidden on the top shelf, locked up safely behind the counter? I guess the best way forward for me is to start with the topics that are most important to me:
Mixed-Cultural family life
Igbo food and culture
Mixed-cultural marriage
Raising mixed-cultured children
Anti-racism and white privilege
The Igbo diaspora
Tourism in Nigeria
Art and cooking
While I am aware that blogs are supposed to be built up like a perfect storyline, I feel more comfortable posting whatever comes to my mind. So rather than setting up a concept and prewriting the next 20 posts in detail, I will get started with whatever is on my mind and feels relevant to me. So bear with me if this gets a bit messy.
Overcoming the fears
“So many topcis to choose from...what if the candy turns out to be sour instead of sweet”
I am not a fearful person, but committing to regular posts with meaningful content scares the crap out of me. In fact, I have reviewed this post already 23 times even though it is not even finished yet. In the past, I have been voicing my mind in the comment sections of other people's posts or using images or videos rather than words to speak my mind. But writing content on a regular basis myself? What if I don't find the right words, or lack the time to write or more simply - what if nobody reads my posts? Does it really matter?
The only failure is not to try
Coming back to the candy shop analogy - I guess I will never know if the candy tastes sweet or sour if I don't try it. And hopefully, in the end, even the sour candy will turn out to be sweet if chewed long enough. So let me start my blog, one Marshmallow at a time!
And how about you?
Do you run a blog or intend to start one? What are your biggest challenges or secret tips when it comes to blogging? Let me know!
