One Year Anniversary Blogging Bonanza
That’s a wrap, folks! Can you believe it’s been a whole year since we kicked off this blogging journey at Capturing Your Confidence? It hardly seems real. And yet in some aspects, it feels like it has been much longer.
This year has truly been a blessing.
This year has truly been a blessing, and I owe most of that to you lovely readers who show up week after week and prove to me that what we do here is as important as I’ve felt since that initial thought.
Enough of that mushy stuff for now!
I have collected some highlights and favorites, but I’d love it if you would tell me yours! Comment here, find me on social media, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com. I very highly value your feedback - that’s how we make things better.
Onto the fun!
Highlights
These are some of our accomplishments this year!
57 Blogs
2 Email services
2 Logos
160 Facebook followers
223 Twitter followers
303 Instagram followers
105 Pinterest followers
Countless hours of blood, sweat, hard work, & tears
Room for Improvement
As with most new things, there are always areas that could use some improvement. These are things I've struggled with this year that I've been working on improving.
Image Sizing & Blog Optimization
Figuring out Wordpress and how to be an admin for all the back end tricky things has been a battle and a half. It’s definitely an instance of when you don’t know what you don’t know! Although I am by no means a master, I have become proficient enough to begin fixing all the little things to optimize them not only for the desktop experience, but also for mobile.
This stuff is hard. It’s tedious. And, it’s definitely way less fun than writing about confidence, writing, and teaching!
Guys, this stuff is hard. It’s tedious. And, it’s definitely way less fun than writing about confidence, writing, and teaching! But this is such an important part of what makes the blog beautiful for all of you lovely readers. So I work. And I Google. And Youtube. And ask for help. I’d consider it a work in progress, but overall a victory! It’s definitely something I will continue to work on, too.
Promotion
As you probably read in the How to Know Your Audience blog, finding your audience is a critical exercise for writers because you can be the most prolific writer in the world, but it won’t matter a wink if no one can find your work!
Figuring out where to find you guys has been hard! I used social media & Pinterest before, but it truly is an art to learning the ins and outs - taking the time to figure out not only where to find you, but also how to get to you! While I’ve developed a more focused plan for this year, this is an area I know will continue to demand improvement.
Top 5 Crowd Favorite Blogs
These blogs were the ones that got the most traffic this year.
*** Data collected using Google Analytics & Pinterest Analytics. ***
5 Excuses that Hold Us Back from Our Writing
As writers, we love to create. We love the feeling of putting our words on paper, of inspiring others or drawing out emotion, and that feeling of accomplishment when something feels “complete.” But sometimes what we love doesn’t quite translate into what we do.
Small Progress is Progress
I hear a lot of “the first draft always sucks” and “just get it onto the paper and then fix it.”
While I value the fact that these kinds of comments encourage drafting, I find that almost anything I read about writing a first draft is very focused on how bad it will be and the other potential negatives.
A Brief History of Women in Higher Education
For most of the United States’ history, women were viewed as homemakers and were primarily in charge of all things domestic. Most fulfilled roles within the household, and were the main caregivers of their families, especially children.
How to Know Your Audience
How to Know Your Audience
If you’re a writer who wants to get your ideas out into the big wide world, you need to know your audience!
When we think about writing, an audience is made up of people who are interested in a specific topic or idea, and read about it. They are people who care about what you are writing because it means something to them.
Do the Thing that Scares You
Do the Thing that Scares You
We’re all scared of something. Personally, one of my biggest fears is bees...
Besides these small fears, though, I do have some bigger fears looming that can sometimes seem insurmountable.
What scares the daylights out of you?
My Top 5 Favorite Blogs
These are not in any particular order, as it was hard enough to narrow it down to this few.
Interview with an Author: Kelly MacLellan
Interview with an Author
Ms. Kelly was the first person I collaborated with for the blog, and my very first interview with an author interviewee! We are still friends, and I have enjoyed building a relationship with her over the past year.
13 Things to Do When You’re Worried About Everything
Over the years, I have been more open about my struggle with anxiety, and it has mostly been met with positivity and support. Now that I’m comfortable in my own skin, it’s time to help others in the same position. Unfortunately, the pandemic hit and it became much more critical to share strategies about what to do when you’re worried about everything.
5 Reasons We All Need Gratitude (and Not Just Around the Holidays)
Gratitude is critical for all of us, and that’s something I’ve been very focused on the past couple of years in my personal life. It made sense for the holidays, but gratitude really is much bigger than that, and it changes lives. We all need it, and this is one of the core beliefs of Capturing Your Confidence.
Do the Thing that Scares You
Do the Thing that Scares You
This blog is my favorite because it’s really at the core of my life, and what I envision for you, my readers. Truly, getting out of our comfort zone is so important for growth, and that’s what I want people to come away from my content feeling confident enough to do.
How to Know Your Audience
How to Know Your Audience
Working through how to know your audience is always interesting in writing classes with my students, so it’s not a surprise that this is one of my favorite blogs so far! It also comes with my first interactive writing guide, which I worked my tail off on and love how it turned out!
BONUS
Unlearning the 5 Paragraph Essay
5 Paragraph Essay
It’s so hard to choose my “favorite blogs” because I love what I write about. My favorite teaching blog is Unlearning the 5 Paragraph Essay (with organic student confidence in a close second place) because people don’t realize how much we learn and unlearn in college English!
Suggestions?
We’d love to hear your suggestions on how to make our content and website better! Reach out via social media or email at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com - let’s hear your ideas!