1 Month of Blogging

Dive into my journey as a new blogger, where I'll discuss everything from setting up a website to honing valuable skills and envisioning the future of my online presence.

It has officially been just over 1 month of blogging for me, and I wanted to put together some things that I have learned along the way. I am going to talk about the process I went through setting up a blog, any new skills I have learned, as well as where I am heading in the future! This experience has been so worthwhile for me so hopefully, I can provide some insight and motivation for others to start their blog!

How I Set Up a Blog

Setting up a blog and a website seems daunting; however, it is super simple. There are tons of videos on YouTube and other platforms as well with all the ins and outs of how to do it. I am a really big fan of Ali Abdaal, who suggests Ghost (the publishing platform I am currently using). I'll link Ali's video on setting up a website here:

To just gloss over the basics: you pick a website builder (such as Ghost or Squarespace), select a domain name, and register it, then simply use a free template the services provide, and BOOM! You have a fully operational blog. Your very own place on the internet to write about whatever you desire. It is like having real estate, just virtual!

I am a firm believer everyone should have a blog. They are so beneficial in a multitude of ways. You can write about anything, gathering and expanding your knowledge across topics along the way (like building your very own research database), or it could even be a place for you to find stress relief and just get some thoughts out of your head. Either way, it is something everyone should consider and is very easy to do and set up.

Skills I've Learned

I can not express how much I have already learned in just a month! I have dabbled in coding for my website, how to write better, and just a variety of topics I got to research and understand more thoroughly.

Coding is something I did not know of but saw many articles and tutorials that I just had to try out. These adjustments made my website look so much better and more personal. I have learned basic level coding and achieved things like a comment section, table of contents, and altering fonts and layouts all over my website. This took some time out of my life, and many others will probably see these changes as tiny and irrelevant. But to me, they are everything! Every little change and adjustment I make reflects the hours of work I put in, and I am in love with always improving and learning.

I have begun reading more, and naturally been wanting to see how to develop my writing skills. This is something that will benefit my in many areas outside of my blog and has changed the way I see writing. I am nowhere near mastery, but it is a journey that I find very enjoyable and comforting.

Researching topics has allowed me to develop my own opinions on matters. Instead of just believing what others have to say, I have done the research and can come to my conclusion and interpretation of subjects. I love that! In addition, I have found myself coming across information that just intrigues me, stuff I would have never seen if not for this research. I can not see any negatives to expanding your knowledge, and anything you choose to write about should be seen as an opportunity to expand your knowledge and understanding of the world we live in.

What the Future Holds

Now that I have been writing for just over a month, I have begun to set my eyes on some goals and milestones. I want to keep to my schedule of posting once a week as a minimum. I also want to start a section where I post about projects and new skills I am learning in my life. I believe that I can offer a unique view as I try to learn all these new skills, and was inspired to do this by the book Show Your Work! One of my biggest goals in life is to help others, and with this platform, I want to create a community for people to feel safe, discuss topics, and support one another. I have set up a Facebook page and a group to achieve this, but need to work on marketing and getting my name out there. As well, I want to keep refining my website and its appearance, learning more code and skills to do that. Recently, I have been thinking about starting a podcast, similar to the blog, discussing a variety of topics to attract new members as well as provide a different style of engaging with my content. Overall, I think it is time that I start to work on promoting my blog, getting the name out there, and attracting a community of like-minded people. That is my ultimate goal, and in the first month, my priority was strictly posting content. So, over the next few months, I will try to build up the community and acquire more members!

Inspired to start your own blog? Take the first step by researching website builders like Ghost or Squarespace, and consider joining communities or following creators like Ali Abdaal for valuable insights and tips. Your virtual space for self-expression awaits!