People always ask me how I do it, working full time and Manage blogging? The truth is, you have to be a certain kind of person to fully commit to so many things at once. Not only do I work Monday to Friday but I have a blog, YouTube channel and now an online shop. I wish I could list out some do’s and don’ts or offer you some magic formula. If I tried to do this it wouldn’t help because everyone works differently. So instead I want to share my story and how I manage it all at once.
The structure of my day
I have tried working to a set schedule but this didn’t suit me at all. Even downloading the prettiest of Pinterest to do lists wont help me because I simply can’t work like that. The great thing about working full time in an office is the structure of hours in my day. I wake up early and get home at the same time each day. That base template of working does help me organise my time. Yes, i’d like more time to actually focus on my own content but I work with what I have.
Most evenings are a blur of editing, filming, making and dashing to get content up on my blog. As I collaborate with brands it’s important that I post things quickly to a high standard. It can feel like I am trying to keep up with the big leagues in the blogging world, who do it full time. It’s this pressure to keep up that motivates me but also means I work my butt off all hours of the day.
Weekends are my ‘photo-shoot’ days, where I can plan a handful of shoots if the weather is good. I’ll meet up with a blogging friend or have my boyfriend take photos. In the winter it is so difficult relying on only 2 days a week for pictures, when the weather is bad! This is why I can’t schedule certain days for certain things. Other plans will always crop up, like an event, personal issues or the shitty weather. Keeping on my toes is important if I want to get the work done and in good time.
As an artist restricting your timing is the hardest part about working full time and managing another creative avenue. Learning to adapt quickly is the most important advice I can give anyone trying to maintain several things at once.
Manage Blogging Tips
There is a certain structure to blogging content that can be broken down into easier to manage chunks.
- Planning the content
- Taking photos or filming content
- Editing the images or film
- Writing the copy for the post
- Curating the images into the post
- Correcting SEO and finer details (like alt tags, key words and titles)
- Sharing on Social Media (These can be scheduled)
Everyone will work in a different order to suit their personal needs. I sometimes write my post copy first (like I did with this post) then get images to go with it. As I mentioned above, adapting quickly and working when you feel motivated is so important.
When the going gets tough
There are days when I feel like pulling my hair out, screaming into a pillow, quitting altogether or all at the same time. Of course, I never do! When things aren’t going to ‘plan’ or coming out how you want then drop tools and abandon ship (temporarily). If I get a night like this I give myself a ‘tv night’ to just relax, empty my thoughts and focus on other things. This little break is usually all it takes to rejuvenate my motivation for the next day. I also wrote a blog post a while ago on how to get your creative mojo back.
Live long and prosper
Lastly, you just need to believe in yourself and your own abilities. Managing everything at once isn’t a walk in the park and there will be struggles. If you are passionate and want to continue following your dreams of blogging then you can do it. Those who are lucky enough to make it their full time job are amazing, but the minority. Don’t feel let down and always remember why you started your blog. That initial desire to do it is always the reason I continue.
xxx