REBOOT. REDESIGN. RELAUNCH. REALLY.

Can I still call myself a blogger?

I've had this blog for over 8 years but can I still call myself a blogger if it's been 9 months since my last post? Will anyone still read what I have to share if I start up again? We shall see.

One of the first cards I posted on this blog over 8 years ago. 

Over the last 9 months I have loved me some Pinterest. I need to become a contributor not just a curator. I need to spend more time creating. For months I have had ideas for projects, pages, or cards but no plans, dreams but no goals. That changes NOW.

So much of success in life comes down to habits, just ask Gretchen Rubin. Last summer I started the habit of walking my dog a mile every morning, and a half mile after work and another half mile before bed. Those two miles each day helped me shed a few pounds, allowed me to meet more neighbors and improved my mood.

I have recently started the habit of making a card everyday. That quiet creative time after the dog has been walked is a great way to start or end my day and also improves my mood.  Now it's time to add the habit of sharing those cards and the process of making them to my routine.

Redesign

I have made some minor adjustments to the design of the blog space. Lightened it up. Made it a bit more me and a bit less template. It may look rather simple and kind of sparse as craft blogs go because I'm not on any design teams - yet. I haven't had any of my work published - yet. I don't have any sponsors or specific advertisers - yet.

I have developed an editorial calendar that I'm filling up with ideas. I have headers created for special days, like marker Monday and watercolor Wednesday. I have always liked the alliteration used on other blogs, so being the copy cat I am, I am and doing it too.

Relaunch Expectations

I will be posting about paper crafts and using paper crafting materials in various non-paper crafty ways. 

I plan to post relatively short articles Monday-Friday. It will not be like Twitter or War and Peace. More like Instagram with additional back story. I plan to put video tutorials up on the blog from time to time too if my internal perfectionist will get out of my way.

This go around, things will be different. I have an accountability partner who will get on my case if I don't post regularly. Bonus – she's a paper crafter too so she wants to see what I make and learn about how I do what I do. She will not take a lack of mojo as an excuse. She will push me through creative slumps and force me to try new things to find the spark again (at least I hope she will).

One other difference this time is I expect to fail once in a while. I am a single mom of an increasingly active tween in need of taxi service. I know I will take a day off here and there because our lives get busy or someone gets sick. This time around I will be kinder to myself. Forgive myself when distractions steal focus. And most importantly not let months lapse when I miss a day or two because of illness or a kid's scouting schedule, or, or, or…

I realize being successful as a blogger means different things to different people. For some it's all about the number of readers they have, for others it's about how much money they can make. For me it's about how consistent I can be. The readers and money may come but right now I need to develop the blogging habit.

Next week is Makeover Week and I hope you will come back and see how I change things up a bit.