Profession: Blogging

Experience: 3 Years

Location: Athens, Greece

 

Generally, taking into consideration my whole life, I already have a quite big experience in writing various kinds of blogs, when I’ve made my first steps in the blogosphere I was 11 or 12 years old, so it’s already really big amount of the time. But I’m dealing with blogging very seriously for over three years.

 

How many blogs do you have?

The long time ago I had three, however, it was just a normal infantile fun. Now I have fourth, and I can’t imagine myself without it.

 

What was your first blog about?

Hmm, from a perspective of the time I’m able to say that about nothing specific or special, mainly mythical-paranormal subjects, which years ago interested me very much. Since then I had a few other blogs, however, all were closed after the quite short time of their existence.

 

Why did you close those blogs?

Most probably simply I wasn’t aware enough of what I want to do, I didn’t feel that it was for me, I was burning myself out in my actions very quickly. I wrote in order to fulfil my time with something, but I didn’t actually become committed to it at all. I think that it had to develop in me. I had to become mature enough to discover what attracts me, and what is so neutral, that better not to deal with it at all.

 

How much time did it take you to discover that blogging is something that you like?

As I mentioned before, becoming aware, that writing, running the blog is something that really attracts me, took me over three years. So long time the total silence has lasted, the break between deleting the last, and creating the current blog.

 

So why did you decide to create another blog?

To be honest, it was the impulse of the hot, summer evening, when I got back home exhausted after the boiling hot day and I was wondering, whom generally speaking I was and what will be next. And suddenly one moment the strange thought came to my mind, that it would be great to have a blog again and that actually I miss blogging, I’m lacking it. So in a moment I opened the laptop, created the blog and the same evening the first post on my new work was done.

 

With the creation of this new blog what is your main objective?

I never thought about it. It was an impulse. I just created this blog wanting it to be a kind of the box with the baggage of my thoughts, in order to whether I’m sad, angry or happy, could put my emotions there and feel better, not having to keep it in myself. Generally, it was supposed to be something for me, such a personal corner on the Internet, I didn’t suppose somebody generally speaking would ever read it.

 

You really didn’t suppose that people will read it?

Yes, exactly. I didn’t suppose, I didn’t expect and even I didn’t think that anybody at any time would encounter my blog, because creating it, I did it in the secret saying nothing to nobody and for a long time I also informed nobody of its being, I uploaded links nowhere etc. Because this blog by idea was supposed to be my “locker” of thoughts. However one day I was surprised when a traffic started to grow. Then, unfortunately, it turned out that somebody from the circle of friends of mine had found this blog and at the speed of light the message spread to the entire neighbourhood, and then farther…

 

Weren’t you happy when you saw that people are visiting your blog and reading it?

Not. In that time I wasn’t happy even a bit. I was rather maximally scared, ashamed and embarrassed. Now I am grateful for it because if not those events, I wouldn’t be now in the place, I am.

 

Do you feel that you achieved something as the blogger?

Yes, of course. And it’s not exactly about “feelings”, because everyone can feel anything, even if it is far from the reality, but I can see it. It’s visible in statistics, reach, continuous contact with readers, multitude of private messages and emails that I receive from them, in propositions of meetings, reactions to posts and the activity etc. I’m proud of what I achieved, but more I’m proud of these wonderful people who read what I write, follow and support me. However that’s all still nothing, I can’t give up and I must go for more.

 

Did writing the blog influence your life?

Yes, on the huge scale. A lot changed since when I’ve started writing and thanks to writing. Above all, I became different human, besides running the blog led to the real revolution in my life, but about it, I’ll write longer on my blog soon.

 

What is the genesis of your blog’s name?

It’s a long enough and complicated story because the current name and the address weren’t so from the beginning. Whole my blog from the beginning of its being went through the sequence of changes, including exact names and the address. At first it was named “I’m the Patient X” what was also its www address, however, after the year I changed it on the MagdaleneAnne Blog because I wanted it to be more personalized and identified with me.

 

Why the first name was “I’m the Patient X”?

The next point which rose on an impulse, without thinking what will be farther. When I created the blog, my health wasn’t good. I spent a lot of time at doctors, at hospitals, actually the hospital was my home from home. I experienced agonies, and doctors weren’t able to make an unequivocal diagnosis, weren’t actually able to make it at all and quite often told me that I was a riddle, called me the patient X. So that is where the first name of my blog came from. Patient X.

 

Are you also planning to delete this blog?

No, definitely not. I don’t even take such a possibility into consideration. Neither now, neither in 10 years. I have many plans for the future of this blog.

 

Your current blog is only an adventure for the next year or it is something serious?

As I wrote, I have a plan for the future towards it. I don’t treat this blog as the adventure, I intend to run it as long as possible because I love to do this and writing is something that makes me happy.

 

You said that you are proud of your readers, what do you mean?

I am grateful for them for the fact that they are. They give me huge power and motivation to continue my work and I’m happy that they are with me so long time.

 

What are the greatest advantages and disadvantages of blogging in your opinion?

Hmmm… It doesn’t actually have disadvantages almost at all, apart from that, that as more you achieve, there are more haters. And you are often the talk of other people. However, there is a lot of its huge advantages and it’s difficult to say a few because there’s really a lot of them.

Above all, from my experience, I can tell a self-realization, development and fulfilment are one of the most important advantages. Getting to know own passions, thoughts, mind, maturation and the possibility of observation of own metamorphosis throughout the years. Apart from that, this is an excellent souvenir for the future. Even now, when I read my posts from before two or three years, sometimes tears are coming to my eyes. About such an advantage as amazing readers and in some cases recognizability I think I don’t have to mention.

 

Whether since when you started writing, have people changed their behaviour towards you?

Yes and no. There were both positive, and negative reactions, like sudden hate from the part of persons earlier perceived as friends, but the positive ones, as greater interest, for example, are definitely exceeding the negative ones. However, the majority of friends still treats me like just a normal person.

 

Have you ever wanted to have a fashion blog?

No. It is one of this kind of blogs that I never wanted and I don’t want to have. Two years ago I tried to break into running the beauty blog, but I resigned after writing the first post. Because it’s not for me, I don’t like it, and it doesn’t make sense for me to do something that I don’t feel.

 

What is your inspiration behind creating new posts?

My own life. I write only about the things I went through, what I personally experienced, what I had a contact with.

 

Can you imagine yourself without writing?

It can sound funny, but no. I’m not able to imagine myself as a person who suddenly stops writing. I would feel the huge emptiness if it happened and I hope that it won’t ever happen.

 

There are many bloggers who get demotivated just because they are not able to get enough audience for their blog. What you would like to suggest to these bloggers?

First of all – you can’t give up. If the blog has only been existing for a few months, it’s no wonder that there are no crowds of readers and huge traffic on it. This is a normal process and one should not get depressed because it is difficult to get readers and big traffic on the website, it needs time, patience and a lot of blogger motivation to give it all and with their work encourage people to visit, return and recommend a given blog to friends etc., this is how a natural advertisement works, the advertisement which later brings immeasurable benefits. So if this is the beginning of blogging, and the number of readers is not satisfactory, the key to improving the results is giving yourself time (about a year) and adding posts regularly so that people know that there is always something interesting to come back to. However, if we have a blog, which exists three, four years or even longer and records only a minimal traffic and a very little of readers, despite the author’s aspirations, then we should consider what is wrong, what doesn’t encourage or even push people away from the blog.

There may be many reasons, but most often the major mistakes made by bloggers, which bring deplorable results that are directly opposite to those intended, are:

– Running a blog only for commercial purposes, focused mainly on earnings, and passion (if it is at all) and interesting content go down to the second or the last plan.

– Lack of authenticity of the author, the artificial atmosphere on the blog, forced posts, written without willingness and commitment, dry topics, which the blogger doesn’t feel at all, and writes only to write or the owner of the blog pretends to be someone who is not.

Readers are also people and unfortunately, but they sense such things “from a distance of a kilometer” and usually just don’t want to read blogs from which negative energy beats. So if someone has a problem with small traffic after a long time of running a blog, they should seriously consider checking this problem from their end.

However, if none of these things occurs, you can’t give up, and you have to try to bring something new and fresh to the blog and give yourself time, and the improvement should take place. Believing in yourself and your possibilities is key, remember that.

 

How big is the traffic on your blog?

Currently, about 18-23 thousand per day, depends on how big is my activity there and how many new posts are written.

Are you earning money from blog and planning to earn from your blog?

I’d rather not to talk about it. I think that earning and the number of earnings on the blog is a controversial subject, often arousing many emotions, often negative, so I’m sorry, but I prefer to keep this information to myself.

 

What motivates you to write? 

Mainly the awareness that by doing this I share with the world a part of myself, I help some people to find strength and hope, show that even the most difficult situations in life can be dealt with and turned into something positive for the future. Every time when one of my readers writes to me that they are grateful to me because thanks to me they felt better and rebuilt their self-esteem, coped with problems, it’s a priceless feeling that is worth every effort and every written word.

 

Magdalene Anne: For 3 years author of the bilingual English/Polish blog about life, dreams and motivation.
BLOG: www.magdaleneanne.com