From the heart

As the year wraps up, I got to reflecting about why I even keep up with my little blog. It’s easy to get wrapped up on blog stats and numbers, which definitely cause unnecessary stress and feelings of self-doubt. But once I take a step back from it all, I remember - I blog for me.

Here are a few things I’ve learned that allow me to blog from the heart and why I still enjoy it. 

IT’S ABOUT QUALITY, NOT QUANTITY

I’m talking about the numbers here: followers, readers, stats, etc. I sometimes get caught up in the statistics of my blog, but that’s not what will make me happy in the long run. I have a good handful of faithful and wonderful readers and I love the enthusiasm I receive from them. I always enjoy growing my blog and reaching out to new readers and it’s those who keep coming back that make this blogging experience even sweeter.

WRITE WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ

There is a reason I post what I do. This blog is about sharing my life and my thoughts - the ups and the downs. It would be very hard to write for an audience that I didn’t identify with. I write for myself and for those who enjoy a blog like mine. And most of the blogs I read are similar to mine too so I am always finding inspiration in the blogs I read {you all are amazing}.

FIND YOUR INNER VOICE

I tend to write how I think - it’s about the conversation. My blog is where I express myself and where I’ve found my voice. I spend most of my days thinking clinically and speaking in a very professional manner {aka, emotional detachment}. Like a good friend, I can be myself with my blog and it’s wonderful.

ALWAYS KEEP LEARNING

There are so many inspirational bloggers to learn from and it’s amazing! I am often floored by the creativity of my blogging peers and it always inspires me to keep learning. In the past 7-9 months, I’ve learned so much about graphics, photo editing, design, and style - and I’m always learning more. 

BE SOCIAL

Blogging friends are the best! Keeping in touch with my family, friends, and readers through social media has been a huge part of my blogging experience. I am an Instagram fanatic and I’ve recently become more active on Twitter and of course, I’m super excited about the launch of my blog’s official Facebook page. My social media usage has been an extension of my blogging voice.

YOU CANNOT PLEASE EVERYONE

This one is key to blogging mental health. I take blogging breaks when I need to and I post when I want. I write what I love and that’s enough for me. 

I am by no means a blogging expert {in fact I think the concept of an expert blogger is just silly, but that’s for another time} but I think it’s important to keep perspective in any blogging experience. Whether your blog is a personal diary, an extension of a business, or a creative outlet, it’s important to keep blogging from the heart. 

On music

Happy Sunday friends! This weekend has been pretty lazy. I have spent a lot of time resting on the couch. I woke up Saturday morning very achy and moody and I think my body was telling me to relax. It’s so important to listen to our bodies. It is easy to ignore it sometimes, but then we crash and get burnt out. 

For me, relaxation and a good music playlist go hand-in-hand. I have a bunch of different playlists on iTunes for my various moods and my melancholy playlist has worked well for some good old fashioned R & R.

Music is a big part of my life. I turn to music when I’m feeling elated, melancholy, upset, overjoyed, and everything else in between. Music also brings out so many emotions in me. I tend to choose music which allows me to actually feel the music speaking to me while I’m listening. Do you know what I mean? And while radio hits can be catchy, I prefer music with real depth, musicianship, writing, and heart. Just a few of my favorite artists are Ingrid Michaelson, Sara Bareilles, Adele, Mumford & Sons, The Civil Wars, Lana Del Rey, and Michael Bublé. 

This week I’ll be listening to some great playlists and of course, some Christmas music too.

What’s on your playlist this week?

Feeling Social & My New Facebook Page

Happy Friday all you wonderful people! I hope you have fun weekend plans. The husband and I plan to go look at Christmas lights, take a walk around the city, and do a little more Christmas shopping. 

Any who, I am happy to announce the launch of the Substance and Soul official Facebook page! I’ve been thinking of making a blog-specific Facebook for a while and now it’s finally here. I plan to use the page to share blog posts, interesting articles, and photos. 

In the spirit of being social, I wanted to ask my readers a few questions:

What type of posts would you like to see on this blog more often?

How do you find inspiration for your own blog posts?

What is your favorite social media platform and why?

I cannot wait to hear from all of you! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!

As always you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Bloglovin, and now FACEBOOK! 

Please like my new page! :] 

Craving Christmas & A Sponsor Spotlight

I have finals tomorrow and I’ll be pretty busy in clinic until I leave for break. I have been counting the moments until we will be with our families. I am so very much looking forward to celebrating our old Christmas traditions and making new ones! 

What are you looking forward to this Christmas season?

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I wanted to introduce you to my sidebar friend, Lena, over at Root and Blossom. She’s a terrific woman, loving wife, and wonderful mom! Her and I could be serious baking buddies! I also asked her to share some fun facts about herself, enjoy! Stop by her blog to learn more.

image

Christopher, Lena, and Gabriel

Doing cartwheels scares me

It’s hard for me to fall asleep at night because my mind is swimming in DIY ideas

I love reading but it always gets the least priority

Sewing is my current focus of skill development 

Baking brings me crazy joy

The thought of not getting to see the entire world before dying kind of terrifies me

I usually bounce to a new project before finishing the current one

I consider myself an accidental hippy

Thanks Lena!

Take Time

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Mine was quite relaxing. We spent a lot of time indoors because both of us are not feeling well and because it’s über cold outside. Currently I’m bundled up with three blankets, a space heater, and a scarf. Oh the joys of poorly insulated apartment buildings. 

I have an OB/GYN appointment this afternoon and I hope the doc says I’m progressing normally. At my last appointment, I hadn’t gained any weight since the start of my pregnancy {in fact I was still three pounds down from my starting weight}. 

This morning, I was sipping on my Starbucks and even though I was freezing my butt off, I felt serenely happy. Now, I am a generally happy person, but lately I’ve been feeling very stressed and my worries have crept into most of my waking moments.

It got me to thinking about taking the time to find things that make me happy. I have written posts before about finding happiness and I have to remind myself to take my own advice.

What do you do to make your soul happy? 

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I would love to hear from my readers - new and old alike! Please tweet me at @Substance_Soul or comment below. I am feeling really chatty today, so feel free to start up a conversation! Grab your favorite Starbucks drink and stay a while.