Good morning and welcome back to our latest Wise Words Wednesday, this week we are joined by Ross from Isablog.
Ross’s blog was founded after his daughter was born and it was going through postnatal depression. It was a place he could share his journey and help other who may be in a similar position. From there it has grown into a place where they share they life and adventures.
So, let me hand you over to Ross to share more on his journey.
Tell us a little bit about you & your blog:
I’m a 26 year old married father of one daughter called Isabelle. She’s the reason behind the name of my blog. I have a daughter called Isabelle and this is a blog. IS A BLOG. It’s a play on words and it’s also hilarious, I know. In all seriousness, it’s not the best name. But I’m sticking with it. Oh, back to your actual question. It’s a parenting blog from the view of a father who suffers with depression. I try to keep thing honest, even when I’m going through patches where I regret having a baby. It’s not nice, but life isn’t always nice.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I started writing as I suffered with postnatal depression shortly after having my first daughter in April of last year. I hadn’t really heard all that much about fathers getting it, so I wanted a place to write my story. That single post kick started an entire blog as I quickly realised that a place with one post is hardly a very good place to visit, so I kept writing and never looked back.
What has been your highlight of blogging?
That single post got posted in news sites online. Everywhere from the Wales Online to the Sun reported on it, and in the end, we ended up on This Morning to talk about it. It was surreal. One minute my story was something a handful of people had read, the next thing I know I’m in London sitting opposite Ben Sheppard and Amanda Holden. Youtube video of that day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYIll5hCqk
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
Possibly. But part of the fun is learning all of this on the way. I thought blogging was mostly about writing, and don’t get me wrong, writing is a big part. But it’s hardly the only part. And it’s not even always the most time consuming. A lot more goes into a blog than merely the words you read. But it all depends how much work you want to do. Some put hours upon hours of work in behind the scene, I try not to overextend myself and focus mostly on the writing side. I understand that less people might read what I write, but I’m in no rush to grow this blog.
Bloggers sometimes get a lot of stick however many work really hard and are reaping the rewards, what has been the most rewarding part of blogging for you?
Hearing that people love what I do. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have many people reach out, but since I talk quite openly about my struggles with loving my daughter I’ve had a lot of people connect and say they like the honesty and watching or reading the journey I’m going on. I know it’s only a very small impact, but still, I guess I’m doing something good, which is nice.
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Write for you and you alone. Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, how someone is getting sponsored posts and you aren’t, how another blogger has X amount of likes on Facebook and you don’t. It shouldn’t be about chasing others. If you write for your own enjoyment, and sitting there getting all of this out gives you some sort of pleasure, then everything else that comes is a bonus. If you’re constantly comparing and chasing other bloggers, you’re never going to enjoy this world.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
I’ll be honest, when I first started blogging, for a good few months I paid very little attention to the blogging world and merely just did my thing. These days I’ve started doing quite a few linky’s and as such, read a lot more blogs. Perhaps inspiring is the wrong word, but I always try and read a bit from the other dad bloggers out there. DadvWorld & Dadtastic Voyage are two that I read quite often, but there are plenty of great writers out there.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I should, but not really. My aim is simply to let most things come quite naturally. I’m not going to over pursue anything, not worry about the numbers or care about whether or not I’m earning any money. I’m just going to let it happen. It’ll be a lot less stressful and much more enjoyable, and that’s the main for me. A parenting blog should help enhance family life, not hinder it.
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