MinsMash is 1 year old today!

Blogging

By minsmash on September 19, 2013 • ( 33 Comments )

Well can you believe it?  Today it is one year since I first took the plunge and created MinsMash.

At the time of my very first post (which you can see here *cringe*), I was actually quite a misery guts – in a place of pain, struggle and of non-acceptance.  To help me manage this difficult time, I did what is authentically me … I created a blog so I could ‘express myself’.  I have always been a ‘heart on sleeve’ type of girl.  I tend to like analysing my thoughts and expressing them.  I have always loved to learn.

I started MinsMash without any plan.  I knew that if I waited until I had a plan in place that fear would take over and I would never start a blog at all.  I am a perfectionist.  The plan, the purpose, the look – it would all have to be perfect before I would take the plunge.  I am quite proud of myself that I jumped in, putting my perfectionism to the side, with no plan, no fancy graphics, no particular look in mind, no real purpose in mind.  I just knew that I had to do this…to help me get through the difficult period I was experiencing in my life.  And….I am so glad I did!

My starting point was my 365 Grateful Project.  I also thought I might focus on my local area.  Photographing and writing about the Wynnum Manly area and sharing across the globe … BUT … turns out there was not very much interest.  So began my posts on varying subjects trying to find a purpose for MinsMash and something that got some reader interest.

I’ve tried out all types of different kinds of posts and topics.  I started out blogging every day, sometimes twice a day!  As you can see, that has not lasted for the whole year!! lol  I played around with having a blogging schedule (certain kinds of posts on certain days).  That lasted awhile, but I felt too locked in.  I wanted to be free’er and more spontaneous.  At a certain point during the past year, posting a grateful photo every day all became too much.  I tried a series of grateful photo’s posted just twice a week.  I’m still trying different things.  I’m disappointed that I couldn’t keep up posting a grateful photo daily but I have to be realistic.  I havent failed!  I’m still doing the project and I WILL complete it! 🙂

It took me awhile, but I eventually opened up FAR more than I had ever anticipated I would by sharing my ‘unplugged series’ (part 1 is here).  I’ve discovered that bloggers tend to be over-sharers.  That is what makes them unique.  It does require some very careful thought and consideration though – as to what is OK to share and what is not!

I’m far from perfect at this blogging thing, but it is by doing and trying different things that we learn what works for us and what doesn’t.

I recently had a LIGHTBULB MOMENT!  I know now what the purpose of MinsMash has been.

MinsMash was my gift to me.
It has been a tool to help me navigate through my pain,
accept the present, remember who Min is, and to discover who Min will be.

The past year hasn’t all been easy.  There have been ups and downs.  Some of what I have learnt is this:

• I have learnt a lot about blogging and the blogosphere but I am also very aware that there is so much I have yet to learn (especially the technical stuff!).
• There are some beautiful people out there in the bloggy world!
• Social Media – some of it I like – some of it I don’t so much.  It’s a balancing act and a matter of finding out what you like and what you don’t like so much.  It can be SO time consuming!
• I opened a Twitter account soon after starting my blog.  I could never ‘get’ Twitter.  I get it more now … but I’m crap at it!  I announce new posts on there, but really can’t get into having conversations on there.  I mean … who has the time (well I don’t)!  I thought that meant I was a bloggy failure … but really it’s just a realisation that Twitter isn’t really my thing!
• Meanwhile …. I love Instagram!
• Pinterest is fun but I could do it better.  It is also a bit of a time consumer!
• Facebook works for me but I hate that it’s now asking for $$$’s so that people who have ‘liked’ your page actually see what you post there!!
• Min is not bad at all.  She is an emotional soul.  She is very caring.  She loves creativity.  She has big dreams but must learn to stop expecting too much of herself.  Baby step by baby step remember!  Stop thinking you need to take huge leaps!  Min is much too hard on herself but she is learning to ease off and be kinder to herself.
• I’m much more of an introvert than I had realised … and that is ok.  I like who I am.
• Through my 365 Grateful Project came the realization of how much I enjoy photography.  The rest of the world and all its problems seem to melt away when I am focussed on taking a great photograph.  Regular readers of my blog would know that I am now doing an on-line photography course.  Thank you MinsMash for the gift of showing me that I love Photography!
• I do love to write.  There is something so cathartic about thinking things through, tapping away on the keyboard, rejigging thoughts and words, finding photographs or images to enhance the message, and then finally hitting publish!
• Through all the analysing and reflecting I have done over the last year I have a deeper spiritual side to me now.  I’ve realised the importance of self-care.  I’m learning to be more mindful and attending mindful meditation classes.  I’ve started yoga and am loving it.  It’s made me realise how much neglect I have endured over many years, by my own hands.  That is changing now.

The biggest and most wonderful thing that I am very happy to be able to say at this one year birthday point, is that after 12 months of soul searching, I am now being flooded with visions!!  Visions of a blog with a certain look, a certain name, a definite purpose and with many further opportunities to unlock as time goes on.  I cannot say when this blog will go live at this point, but it will be a self hosted blog and I will be allowing a little bit of my perfectionism to run free on this one 😉  I will also be getting a professional to help me this time with all the ‘techy’ stuff!!  When the new blog goes live, MinsMash will still be here in cyberspace but it will no longer be active.  If my 365 Grateful Project is not yet complete – it will remain active until the completion of the project.  I will make sure that is well known when MinsMash is no longer active.  I really hope that my MinsMash followers will come on over to the new blog and follow me there when the time comes.  I promise it will be an awesome place!

The past year has been one of HUGE growth and learning for me.  I will forever be grateful and thankful to MinsMash for providing that opportunity to me and I will be forever grateful and thankful to my followers, likers and commenters for your kind words and support!

Happy 1st Birthday to MinsMash!  Hip Hip Hooray! 🙂

Today (Thursday) I’m linking up with Francesca Writes Here for Thankful Thursday and Slapdash Mama at The Lounge.

and today (Friday) I’m joining the With Some Grace link up over at #FYBF

Categories: Blogging, General Mish Mash

Tagged as: #blog, #blogger, #blogging, #blogosphere, #happy1stbirthday, #happybirthday, #happyfirstbirthday, #learnings, #oneyearanniversary, #oneyearbirthday