Why Blogging Isn't a Joke

If you're a blogger, you'll have most likely heard about all of that White Moose Cafe drama. If not, check out the lovely Elle Darby's youtube video which explains all about how she was wrongfully shamed for trying to run a business by doing what she loves. While the original point of drama was awful, and I felt so sorry for Elle to be put in that position, what came next angered me even more. As I went onto Facebook to see the post for myself, some of the comments caught my eye. And then more comments.

While Elle was being called things like a free loader, scruffy and many more awful and totally wrong names, a lot of people decided to then jump on the bandwagon and start name calling ALL bloggers! I was seeing comments saying some of the beauty bloggers aren't pretty enough to be a beauty blogger, calling us lazy, saying we're greedy, who gave us the right to announce ourselves as pretty? and 'I'd love to get overpaid for writing bullshit too.' Not only is this hugely stereotyping and small minded, it's also making fun of something that for most people is their biggest passion, something that makes them happy and in a lot of cases an escape.

For me I started blogging because I loved beauty and wanted to share that love with like minded people, and I still do! But it's also become a huge part of my life. Blogging has been a constant, positive source in my life for the past few years through some difficult times, and I've met friends through it, I've worked with some amazing brands through it and I've built up something that I'm truly proud of that I've worked on and I can say, this is me. I created this little space on the internet.

When I started blogging, there was only a select few beauty bloggers (Zoella, Tanya Burr etc) that I knew of that had turned their passion into a job. Since then the blogging industry has massively snowballed, and granted there are some people who want to blog just for the 'free stuff'. But if you're a real blogger, a blogger who actually has a huge passion for it, then you'll know that it's not about the free stuff, and that anything that comes along with collaborations is a huge, humbling bonus, and is something to be proud of to show that your hard work is paying off.

It frustrates me so much that a lot of people view bloggers this way. Do they see the work that goes in behind creating content? Do they see the hours and hours of work that goes in taking pictures, editing pictures, writing posts, coming up with ideas, creating yourself as a brand, creating posts on social media that will engage and build an authentic audience? No. They see amazing content but assume it's easy, and that couldn't be further from the truth. It's pretty much a second job if you take it seriously.

If someone said to me today that for my career I could blog, I'd jump at the opportunity! Turning my hobby and passion into a job that could actually pay my bills and provide a steady, happy life? Yes please! I run Just Lucy's Life as a hobby, but who knows, someday it could turn into a job! Blogging gives me a voice. It's a creative outlet. It's something that I love. It's the only hobby I've ever stuck to for more than a few months. It's an opportunity, not a joke.

After all of this drama I just had to stick up for the blogging community and the lovely, hard working people in it! Did you enjoy this post? I'm hoping to write more personal posts this year as they come straight from the heart and I feel like they let me connect more with all my readers! Let me know your thoughts on this subject in the comments!

Lucy x

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