Katie Writes: The 2020 Blog Review

It’s that time of year again! 2020 is almost over. And, despite how challenging this year has been for us all, it’s weirdly been a good year for this blog. At the start of the year, I decided to change tack a little, and it appears to have improved things…

(I really think my diary might’ve got things a bit wrong, don’t you?)

Before we get into the main body of the post, I just wanted to address why I’m only talking about the blog, in case you were wondering (even though you probably weren’t). I didn’t want to tell you all about what I learned this year, because 2020 isn’t about me. I didn’t want to drag up anything negative, or dwell on how difficult this year’s been, as I want this blog to be a more positive corner of the Internet right now. So, I’m just going to babble about the blog instead…

How my relationship with blogging has changed in 2020

I’ve changed how I blog this year. I wrote back in February about how I wanted to focus more on affordable beauty and money instead of lifestyle content, and it’s really changed things for the better.

During the first lockdown in March, the blog started to see more readers than it has since about 2016, which shocked me, to be honest! It’s been a really pleasant surprise to have lots of new readers coming over here and reading my ramblings. Things have continued on that upward trajectory ever since, which I frankly wasn’t expecting. It’s definitely surpassed my expectations.

For the past couple of years, I’d been feeling increasingly uncomfortable writing too much about myself or my life. I’d had a couple of negative experiences, and they honestly really freaked me out.

Back in February I wrote:

“I don’t really feel very comfortable writing about myself anymore. With the rise of ‘gossip sites’ designed to tear anyone and everyone apart, with blog perverts searching through your online knicker drawer for their kicks, and with cyberstalkers creeping about piecing together information on you, I honestly feel less inclined to be open on this little online space than ever before.

This internal tug of war between privacy and relatability has made blogging feel like a chore. A virtual millstone around my neck where I feel like I have to be vaguely open about my life so that I’m a smidge ‘relatable’ to you, but where I don’t really want to share very much because I know how easily that information can fall into the wrong hands, and where it can lead to.

I value my privacy a lot more these days, and while this blog still has a place in my heart, I feel that privacy takes precedence over sharing all of my life online.”

“With the self-imposed pressure off, it’s been so much lovelier.”

Quite overdramatic there, wasn’t I? Anyway, I finished that post by saying that during 2020, my main aim was to enjoy blogging again. And, thankfully, I do.

With the self-imposed pressure off, it’s been so much lovelier. I write when I want to write, about things that I’m passionate about, and more of you than ever are coming along for the ride! What’s to complain about?

I said I’d write more about affordable beauty and also about money too – which I’ve done. And there’ll be more of those posts going forward into 2021. They’re the things that I’m genuinely passionate about nowadays, and they’re also things that I think you’ll get something from too! I feel like I’ve hit upon subjects that don’t require me to overshare (or at least what I consider to be oversharing) but also ones that appeal to more of you than before, which is why there are many more of you reading than there were just twelve months ago.