Where do I go from here? // Changing things, moving forward, looking at the future

Posted on by ilsa

I’m not really sure how to start this post without seeming overdramatic but…here goes.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my blog. I’ve been thinking about how i’m not really that…passionate about it anymore. no, i don’t find blogging boring. not in the least. but i don’t squeal every time i get comments, i don’t silently clap for myself whenever i look at my blog, and i don’t settle in excitedly every time i write a blog post. and the thing is, i used to. blogging was such an exciting, fresh amazing opportunity for me and i loved it.

right now, it doesn’t feel like i’m unique. it feels like i’m publishing reviews that are overdue, i’m hitting publish last minute and i have so many comments i haven’t replied to from last year and i will never catch up. right now, i’m very calm. not stressed in the least…and that is kind of what’s worrying me. i look at these comments and don’t even feel an ounce of panic that i haven’t replied to them and then i get worried that i’m not even making PLANS to reply to these. i look at my blog and i don’t feel the spark to write a blog post and i’m NOT stressed about that. and this scares me.

since when have i STOPPED caring about my blog? i’m starting to drift away slowly. i’m more focused on Twitter and Instagram and getting free books and being a rep for certain companies but when it all comes down to it, i feel so neutral about blogging. i don’t want to leave, i want to stay but it’s no longer the forefront of what i want to do.

what excites me then? receiving book mail. opening it up an then sitting down to read. writing funny updates on Goodreads and interacting with you all on twitter. watching booktube. filming booktube videos of myself even though i don’t have a channel. taking pictures and editing them. editing random videos. re-organising my bookshelf all over again. writing for magazines. talking to internet friends. and i think of all these things, and that’s what i love doing. when i think of what excites me, blogging doesn’t really come to mind.

it seems right now something that i can do in my free-time. not specifically something i WANT to do in my free-time. i barely even think about blog hopping anymore. and for a while, i felt guilty about this. but now, i realise, i’m changing, so is my blog, and so is my online presence.

and that’s okay.

i know all of you are like “never stop posting!!” and i don’t think i will leave my blog. and the thought of doing so, makes me want to rip my heart out because blogging is still something i treasure. it’s why i’m here in the first place. i’m just starting to value other things more. and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

i’m on a two-week break from school and i want to spend it wisely. and some of that will be blogging, but most of it will be doing things that i find fun. being silly, messing around, making horrible baked goods, going places, snapping pictures, talking to friends, making plans this sounds like i have a life but i really don’t

i want to write, i want to read and i want to rant and i want to speak out and i want to do all those things and make a difference. i don’t want to blog for the sake of it. i don’t want to blog just because i always have. i want to blog because i have inspiration; because i have something to SHARE with the world.

so is this farewell? no. this is just to say that i’m going to spread myself more evenly across…my life?? i’m not going to just purely blog. i’m going to live in my physical, in real life world. i’m going to dabble in things across the internet. and i’m going to socialise with all of you and i’m going to do whatever the heck makes me happy.

this will still be my place. i’m not going to abandon it for months on end. and i will post at least twice every month. but it won’t be a chore that i have to do every week, post because that’s what I do. i’m gonna change things up, see what happens. life’s short and i want to treasure every moment. and blogging doesn’t seem like i’m making the most of my time.

thinking about this makes me a little sad inside. but this is for the best, right? who knows i might become a blog maniac or “queen” again but for now i’m just going to live my life and think about the future for a whisper of ink. and it’s going to be messy figuring out how to navigate everything but do i care?? no.

so what will happen with a whisper of ink? i’m not leaving! i’m still posting. i’m just not gonna stress about it anymore. i’m not going to make it a massive priority anymore. i realised everything is getting so repetitive. same design, same featured image, same boring dividers, same colour palette and so you might see some changes in an appearance here. i’m starting to find my own style, what I want to do with my blog, and not what everyone else wants for my blog.

i’m leaving tags and awards in the dust. i’m going to take comments slowly. and i’m just going to enjoy everything i have and come back to why i’m really here, in the blogosphere. that means more writing, more reading and more magic.

stay awesome.

Ilsa - Edited

36 thoughts on “Where do I go from here? // Changing things, moving forward, looking at the future”

  1. I feel you, I really do. I haven’t been actively blogging for a month (I’ve still been posting but I haven’t really put my energy and enthusiasm in it), and though I still love blogging, I also miss that excitement from when I first published posts or how much I loved to make my posts look pretty and all that. And I would never stop blogging but I am starting to think about whether I should change my format or do something different. Also… comments, the horror. I’m too good at procrastinating replying to comments, it sometimes takes me weeks to get myself to catch up on them and then I feel bad about waiting too long. Anyway, I hope you find a way to keep loving what you do because that’s what’s most important!

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    1. I’m months late to this but thank you ❤ I feel happy that SOMEONE relates but also sad that this is the reality for a lot of bloggers! I think I just miss that initial spark I had about blogging. At the time of replying to this comment, I'm deffo more relaxed about blogging and therefore also more motivated about it too. But I don't think I'll ever gain that original happiness I used to love about blogging and the awe I used to have for my blog. Thank you so much for this comment!! I love your blog and you are amazing, just a reminder ❤

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  2. I fee like I literally wrote this post myself. I’ve been feeling the same way about mine but i’m pinning it on life stress. So I decided to take a hiatus until summer break to focus on studying and see how i feel about it then, if I still don’t feel *as* passionate i’ll need to figure out a new way of going about it (maybe a more relaxed schedule) because it’s definitely not something i want to give up.

    Glad you made this decision for yourself 💜💜

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I feel so much less alone with all these wonderful comments so thank you, Fadwa. I miss your posts but I’m so glad you are taking a break and figuring you and your blog out !! Thank you for being so supportive!!

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  4. oh my god it‘s like you speak from my soul. can you read minds or something because you literally summed up all of my feelings about blogging in this singular post. i‘m very thankful that you wrote and shared this post because it makes me feel less alone and less guilty?? i‘ve been feeling this way for MONTHS now and i always blamed it on my mental health or life stress but i think i‘ve finally realised that i‘m simply not as passionate about blogging as i used to be! i really need to figure things out for myself and also balance living in the real world and spending (read: wasting) so much of my time online.

    thank you for being so honest and i‘m glad you realised these things about yourself and your blog and i‘m here to support you no matter what you do ❤️

    (also wow that filming booktube videos thing is SO ME hdkdfk i wanna start a booktube channel tbh)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. slxh gsdxkjhusufdxnmbhsgdfx khjndfbhgh YES SAMEEEE. idk if i can read minds but a lot of other bloggers feel the same way and literally i just feel less alone and like “YES SOMEONE ELSE FEELS MY PAAAAAIIIN!” And pls try not to feel guilty about not blogging and feeling ehhh about your blog because its totally okay to feel that wayy!! i hope u figure things out.

      im so glad im being honest about blogging too bc i’ve been denying things for way too long, thank u for being here ❤

      OMG PLS START A BOOKTUBE!!! I WOULD WATCH AND SUBSCRIBE AND HDHDHDHDH FANGIRLLL

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Aww I do understand! I think blogging can easily lose it’s spark (like the honeymoon stage ends a bit?!) and it’s a LOT of work too. We totally deserve way more cake than we get for it. I do miss reading your delightful posts (you have a really good writing voice btw 😉 ) but you should definitely turn blogging into something that works for you, not what’s “expected” or whatever!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Yeah hahah. A LOT OF WORK and suddenly it’s all catching up to you and there is not enough cake or icecream to make it feel like you are feeling appreciated? (AND OMG A COMPLIMENT FROM LE BLOGGING QUEEN *cries*) Thank you so much ❤

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  6. I totally understand you! Sometimes blogging loses its spark and after that it always feels like a chore. It’s good that you’ve decided to take it easy because self-love is VERY important! Go do your thing because as you said life is short. And experiment as much as you want to because it’s YOUR life and blog. I’m gonna miss you but I know it’s for the best. ❤

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  10. This is pretty darn inspiring. I think you’re making a great decision. 😊 I wish you the best of luck with wherever life will take you next!

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  12. this is such a wonderful post ❤ i took most of this month off having similar feelings, and just decided that i'm only going to blog what i want when i want to do it. it's so silly to force myself to post something i'm not passionate about – blogging is something i supposedly do for fun??

    anyway i v much respect you for doing this. i hope all your endeavors are lit as hell

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  13. I totally get what you’re saying. sometimes I think the same way too! and I totally respect what you want to do with your blog. you do you. ❤

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  14. I totally get you. Sometimes blogging is so hard and all I want to do is just read books and right short little squeals about it. Thinking of meaningful and inspirational and unique blog discussions every week is so. hard. All I want to do is just review books but people don’t like reading those as much. I’m slowly growing into my twitter presence although I haven’t completely mastered it yet, and I like reviewing and giving status updates on goodreads. I just think there is so much more pressure when blogging and that’s why people are starting to burn out.

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  15. This kind of came up during one of the recent Bloggiesta Twitter chats, and everyone was all “No! Keep your blog!” And though that’s my first reaction, I get that I’m just sort of biased because I like blogging. Lots of people have tons of success talking about books on only other platforms, so why not do that if it’s what interests you?

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  16. ILSAAAAAA I’ll miss your posts, but I also think that it’s great that you’re doing more of what you love if this – and by that I mean blogging – has become kind of a chore for you. You are more important than your blog so I think that it’s so great that you recognise that you need a change for YOU and not for anyone else. If you feel like you’ve lost that unique spark, it’s so worth going out and doing what you want to do, and then you can love what you’re doing and feel happier/more positive about your online presence and spread even more positivity! ❤ ❤

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  17. I RELATE SO MUCH. Ok maybe not entirely but it feels nice to know that there is someone out there that hasn’t been feeling as excited about blogging lately. So like can I give you a big warm hug because yes.
    I think I will also focus on other stuff for a while too. A tiny bit there. It’s better like this and if it feels right you should always go for that. You know you better and you’re doing this because you want to. It doesn’t have the same charm if it doesn’t make you happy.

    Also no pressure to respond to this comment because i’ve been bad at responding to mine too lately and tbh it puts some pressure and stress that I don’t want to put on others as well. Keep on doing you AND DON’T FORGET YOU’RE ONE INCREDIBLY AMAZING PENGUIN!!!

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  18. I totally understand!! It’s important to put yourself first in things like this. I’m happy for you 💞💞

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  20. Blogging definitely shouldn’t feel like a chore, especially one you don’t enjoy! Focussing on things that DO make you happy is a smart idea. Obviously I’ll miss your posts and look forward to the times you do decide to post, but putting yourself first is SO important ❤️ I’m proud of you for making this decision 🙂

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  21. GIRL, YOU DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. honestly sometimes i feel like i miss the days when i just used to read books for myself and i didnt care about the drama that comes with blogs, reading, reviewing etc. and its just like I WANT A RESTART and even tho imma miss you on the blogworld (hah im rarely here) I WILL BE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR WHEN YOU DO WANT TO POST

    you do what you gotta do and we’re here to support you

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  22. There is so much pressure when you’re blogging I can see why you’re feeling the way you are and doing what you’re doing. Right now, if you wanna read a book, go READ IT. Don’t worry about the review that “has” to come afterwards. because that review doesn’t have to come afterwards.
    Blogging can be like packing a suitcase: you begin packing the small things, and you’re at first all excited for your trip to come, and it’s so much fun to pack all those outfits. But after a few days, you get overwhelmed and anxious and it scares you that you could be packing the wrong things and it gets hectic, and hard, and you don’t want to go anywhere at all.
    And sometimes, we have to put down the computer and JUST LIVE. LIVE YOUR BEST LIFE.
    SO go girl!! Do whatever you need to do and have the bestest of fun while doing it. (ps. i know bestest isn’t a word.)

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  23. I honestly don’t know what to add, I feel like everyone in the comments above already said everything that needed to be said. Blogging shouldn’t be a chore and, if you’re not feeling that excitment while posting, getting new comments and everything else, well, breaks and / or focusing on what actually makes you feel this kind of happiness is better for you, obviously. Do what feels right for you. I’ll look forward to your posts if and when you’ll get back to posting ❤ Wishing you all the best and what makes you the happiest 🙂 x

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  24. I hope you continue to do whatever sets your soul on fire and makes you happy! People changes, and interests change, but that doesn’t mean you should settle for something that doesn’t bring you joy anymore. I don’t want to repeat everything everyone else already said in the comments above, just wanted to comment to support you❤️

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  25. Lovely post, and I hope you find your passion and not feel like it is a chore! Would be very excited to see your videos, if you ever want to make a Booktube channel. Don’t be shy! 🙂

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  26. I love this. I think with something like blogging that is continuous, and doesn’t have an aim as such, it is vital to reevaluate how we look at it sometimes. I took quite a long hiatus from my own blog last year and it saved blogging for me, honestly. Taking that time away enabled me to get excited about the whole process again.

    Do what you got to do, I say!

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  28. Sometimes we just need to take a step back, take a deep breath, and reevaluate our priorities. Congratulations to you for doing that! It’s so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of the hype, to forget what’s really important, unless we consciously remind ourselves. It’s good to let ourselves change sometimes. Of course I am glad that you are not leaving us forever, but I think it is excellent that you have figured out a blogging schedule that should work better for you. Best wishes!

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  29. Something I found when I was a younger version of myself blogging was that after a while, it felt like a chore. And because of that, I just didn’t want to do it as often because I’m so freaking stubborn.
    I took a break (and it was long) and I realised in that time that my blog doesn’t need to be a place where I write to impress and please readers, it can be a place where I write and use the platform to voice my opinions and speak out about important issues even if not everyone agrees and so I returned doing that and found that actually I began to feel excitited after I hit post. So what I’m basically saying is, don’t let blogging become a chore and challenge yourself and push the boundaries. Take a risk with it (and take risks in life in general) and you might find a little more passion for it 🙂

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