Perhaps a controversial subject, but one I’ve found myself pondering a fair bit lately. I really love my blog, the people I now know through it and the opportunities and doors it has opened in the past year. I had staple blogs that were the reason I started writing my own in the first place and the majority remain firm favourites to this day. However, I can’t help but feel that in this saturated market more and more bloggers aren’t staying true to themselves. I absolutely have no problem with anyone taking full advantage of any blogging opportunities that arise, hell I do it, and I don’t think there are many out there who would turn down gifted items of clothing or beauty products in return for a review. But isn’t there a line?
I’m not going to fabricate the truth and say it wouldn’t be lovely to work from home and have my blog be my job. But I tend to find more often than not that I am looking to ‘newer’ bloggers for honest reviews (not that new is bad, but you’ll see what I’m getting at) rather than the bloggers that first had me inspired. I find it quite difficult to trust a blog (be it fashion or beauty) when every single item in a post is a PR sample, taking away any natural inspiration from the writer. Yes, we do pick the items that are sent to us and they will only be things we would want, but when you started your blog, what did you have to write about? You had to find things and that’s when discovering a new website or product was inspiring. Don’t get me wrong guys, I know it’s awesome when a PR contacts you and it’s a website/brand you haven’t heard of and it’s you down to a T and you can’t believe you’ve found your style soul mate. But when it happens every day? Not so much.
It’s especially frustrating when every blogger and her dog gets sent the exact same product and everyone thinks it’s a groundbreaker, surely there must be one person it’s skin-type doesn’t suit?!
I know some may think I’m somewhat hypocritical because yes I do receive gifted items of clothing, but what I do make sure I do is always incorporate them in to my existing wardrobe – instead of adapting my style to suit ‘trends’.What I really want to get across is that surely there can’t be a steady future for these bloggers that are just going along with everything that is thrown their way? We read blogs for recommendations and inspiration, but when you get to the ‘top’ who is really staying true to their style? I really don't want this to come across as some form of jealousy either - I completely admire what loads of bloggers have achieved and of course envy a teensy bit some amazing opportunities they work hard to get, but that's not what this is about. It would just be so lovely if there could be a little more focus on why it started rather than what it's growing in to - which of course, is still an amazing achievement and I also understand we all change over time. Writing a blog is bloody hard work and I appreciate the amount of effort that must go in to writing one full-time; but hey if we didn't have opinions it would be a pretty mundane life, right? And I'm certainly not tarring everyone with the same brush, I know this doesn't apply to heaps of bloggers out there, but it's something that niggles me and I would love to know if any of you guys feel the same?
What I really want to say is let's help keep each other grounded and on the right path, keep the readers we have and entice new ones to say hello. Let's all get to where we want to be in a positive and honest way! There's competition in anything you choose to do and there's always going to be nasties trying to bring you down, but it's possible to achieve anything you want in this life it's just discovering the best way to do it.
