Good morning and welcome back to another edition of our Wise Words Wednesday. Today we are welcoming Janet from Falcondale Life to share her blogging journey with us.
Janet’s blog is full of inspirational travel posts but also photography tips. I’ve bookmarked a few to come back and read as I would love to get a better knowledge of using my camera this summer.
For now, though I am going to pass over to Janet to share her blogging journey.
Tell us a little bit about you & your blog:
My name is Janet, I’m a keen photographer and I’m married with two teenage daughters. We live in Yorkshire and my blog is called Falcondale Life. My blog aims to inspire families with older children to take better photos on beautiful adventures and get more out of life at home or away.
I write regular photography tips and travel ideas and also some posts are about parenting teens. Often these subjects link together really well.
What inspired you to start blogging?
I discovered blogging through Pinterest. I became a fan of Pinterest from the earliest days and I’ve been hooked ever since. You can follow me here.
I blogged briefly in 2013 to support my photography work but then in 2016, I launched Falcondale Life as a standalone lifestyle blog. After the first few months, I developed a clearer focus for my writing.
What has been your highlight of blogging?
The best part is the nice things that people say. Last year as we travelled around the USA I was really touched at the responses I got to my Instagram grid posts and stories. People really enjoyed watching our trip unfold online.
My most popular blog post has also generated some really interesting comments on a contentious issue, and I know I touched a chord with this one.
Is there anything you have learnt about blogging which you wish you knew when you started out?
Although it’s possible to run a WordPress website without knowing any coding and little tech, it does get really hard to fix problems when they go wrong. I’ve been lucky so far that friendly bloggers in Facebook groups have helped me out with problems.
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?
I trained in media but I live in a rural North Yorkshire town where there’s little relevant industry. That means I’ve never been able to get a part-time job to fit around my family commitments. By running a website I can use my skills and work anywhere to my own schedule. Without blogging I would feel like I was on the scrapheap, so it’s a real blessing.
What would be your 1 tip you would give all new bloggers starting out?
Clear your diary. You need a heck of a lot of time to blog! I work on it 20 hours per week for little financial return and it has to be a passion.
Who do you find inspiring to read/watch in the blogging world?
There are too many to name! Most bloggers I follow are parent bloggers as this is a really supportive community. I try to read the fashion bloggers too because many of them write the most engaging and challenging comment and current affairs pieces. You might think that fashion is a flimsy subject but these bloggers have the most stimulating things to say about life.
For me, the original inspiring blogger is Glennon Doyle Melton, who is an American Christian Liberal with a chequered personal story. She once wrote a blog post which said I should write. Just start writing. I felt as if she had addressed it to me personally.
Lastly – do you have any big plans/dreams for your blog in the next 12 months?
I need to make some more videos! I know I am going to enjoy doing this but I want to make a good job of it. The first step is to learn my way around my new editing software. I’d also love to connect with more people on Twitter and Facebook.
