blogging

The Artyologist Turns Two

It is my blog’s second anniversary, woohoo! Although does that mean I am entering the “terrible twos” now? I hope not! (Actually, the anniversary is tomorrow, Jan. 27, but as I wanted to post this on Friday instead. . .  here I am a day early!)

I can’t believe that it’s been two years since I started this blog, or for that matter that it’s been an entire year since the first anniversary. I feel like all I ever say lately, is “I can’t believe how fast the time is going by”, but really what else is there to say? It does go by quickly 🙂 When I started this blog, two years ago, I really had no idea what I was doing. Actually I still don’t. Pressing that “publish” button was the scariest thing! I had no idea if anyone would ever read my blog, and I wondered if I had made a big mistake in thinking that I should be a blogger. But, it turned out that starting this blog was one of the best things I’ve ever done- not only has it proven to be fun, and a great creative outlet, but I’ve also met so many lovely people through it. (Either because they are readers, or because I discovered their blogs, since I was no longer intimidated by “putting myself out there” so to speak). Two years in, I have no intention of stopping any time soon!

Last year, I marked the 1 year anniversary by doing a blog makeover. As I still quite like the blog format, I am not planning any sort of changes on that front.* I thought that, since I didn’t do any sort of 2017 year end recap or the like, I would today re-share some of my favourite posts from the past year, as well as posts which have proven to be the most popular with readers. I kind of like to look back at old blog posts from time to time. 

I feel like sometimes in this digital age, we always have to have “more”. New posts, all the time. Fast and disposable like the rest of our culture is. We look at something for a minute, and then immediately move onto the next. We quickly scroll through our readers and feeds, trying to get through the list, without taking the time to enjoy. Social media in it’s very essence is always about the “new”. But, even though it is web based, it is ironic that amidst all that, there are still our blogs. A digital scrapbook of sorts, which capture the memories of a year gone by. I don’t know if I would notice the passage of time so much, if I didn’t have this blog. The very act of taking photos, and creating posts is a way to capture a memory, and then it gives you something to look back on (which makes you realize it was so long ago! And also how many phases my hair has gone through). I’m just rambling now, but all that to say, it’s nice to, instead of always looking forward, take a moment to look back as well.

Thanks so much to all my lovely readers who follow this blog. You are the ones who make this so worthwhile and fun. I mean, I could still blog if I had no readers, but that would be super boring. So, thank-you!

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The 5 Most Popular Posts

Well, the number one most popular post I ever wrote was my history of harem pants- it was still the top post for 2017, and I wrote it in the summer of 2016! But, since it is from two years ago, I will share the top posts of 2017 instead.

bringing back coupon busters, one pair of shoeclips at a time, the artyologist

Bringing back “Coupon Busters” One Pair of Shoeclips at a Time

a sentimental history of lockets, the artyologist

A Sentimental History of Lockets

shopping ethically for vintage repro

Shopping Ethically for Vintage Repro

vintage-blogger-meetup-2016_edmonton the artyologist, Blogger Meetup with Jessica of Chronically Vintage

My First Blogger Meet Up with Jessica of Chronically Vintage

Operation Save the Petticoat (Or a Simple Petticoat Alteration), the artyologist

Operation: Save the Petticoat! (Or, a Simple Petticoat Alteration)

Apparently my tutorials are popular. I shall endeavour to do more things this year, so I can turn them into posts 😉

My Personal Favourite Outfit Posts

Lilacs and Love letters, the artyologist, portrait feature

Lilacs and Love Letters. This is the post that almost didn’t happen! And it is one of my favourites.

Modern Girl Goes Vintage, the artyologist, navy blue and tan skirt

Modern Girl Goes Vintage.

Wearing Vintage (Or Other Alternative Styles) vs. Wearing a Costume, the artyologist outfit

Wearing Vintage (Or Alternative Style) vs. Wearing a Costume. Discussing the differences between dressing up in a different style and dressing up in a costume.

A Feather in My Cap. The first “public” photoshoot!

Fashion Revolution Love Story: An Ode to a Humble T-Shirt. This was a fun post to write.

Five Other Memories

Tea and Tulips on a February Day, the artyologist, teacup and vase

Tea and Tulips on a February Day. I just really liked this photoshoot and wanted to re-share it.

The Artyologist Art Shop. I opened my art shop in July!

Tanith of Tanith Rowan Designs and I hosted our first My Vintage Cover challenge in August, and it was so much fun!

I was Interviewed for Alive Magazine, talking about ethical fashion!

Falltime at the Farm, the artyologist, hanging-apples-with-fence

Photo Journal: Fall Time at the Farm. Some experimenting with my camera and lens at the farm. I was also happy with these pictures and just wanted to reshare.

*I said above that I had no plans to change my blog format, but, that being said, are there any things you wish were different about the format? Any ways I could change it to make it easier to read etc? Thanks!

Thoughts On One Year of Blogging

thoughts on one year of blogging, the artyologist

Wow. It’s already been a year? In some ways it doesn’t seem like it was one year ago that I wrote that small little introductory post and pressed “publish”. And yet, in other ways it seems like forever ago. It feels like sometimes I can’t remember what it was like to not be blogging. In some ways it’s like there is “life before blogging” and “life after blogging”. 🙂 And it’s crazy to think how much has happened in the past year, and how much my blog has grown since the beginning too! Blogging definitely hasn’t turned out to be what I thought it would be like: it has turned out to be even better. I’ve learned a lot in the last year, so I thought that I would share a few of those things I’ve learned along the way.

1. I have become a lot bolder and confident in my style since I started blogging about it. Instead of wondering whether something is too “out there”, I go for it. I know what I like to wear, so I just wear it; instead of fearing the reactions of people around me (who by the way are very nice- I’ve never had a terrible vintage wearing experience like I know some people have!) It’s just my assumptions of what people will think of me, and that they will think I’m strange. Surprise! I am strange, so what am I worried about 😉 I’ve talked a bit about my vintage “journey” before, here and here so you know I haven’t always been so confident in what I wear. I’m still not always confident, but knowing that I am supported by a large vintage community of people who are also wearing the same kind of offbeat style, is so encouraging. I may not see you in my day-to-day life, or ever cross paths in real life with another vintage lover, but I know that you are out there, and I am not alone. And, because I am sharing my outfits here, it encourages me to try new things, sew new pieces, put together new ensembles, and generally keep me out of the rut of wearing the same old thing over and over again.

2. I should have started this blog years ago like I dreamed of, but never had the courage to. I was afraid of whether it would fail. And I haven’t failed. Yet. (haha!) I have all of you lovely readers who faithfully read what I have to say. This blog, and each of you, has given me the courage to try other things that I was afraid to do, like selling and showing my art and other crafts at several Christmas markets and art shows. (And, I am going to be starting up an online shop soon too, so stay tuned for that!)

3. I really enjoy writing and making things and taking pictures and dressing up. This blog has given me a bit of purpose, I suppose, for all of those things. I have a place to share what I’m doing, the photos I’m taking, the things I’m learning and the outfits I’m wearing. I love to write, but I hadn’t done much since leaving high school. Now I can write as much as I want, and I have a purpose for it. (Some of my favourite posts have been the ones where I had to research and really take the time to think it out and write, such as my post on the history of harem pants.) I love to dress up, and now I have a place to share those outfits I’m really proud of. I love photography, and now I have a reason to improve my skills, and somewhere to share the pictures. I love to sew, but am famous for starting and never finishing projects. I am terrible at procrastinating and putting off the things I truly enjoy, but having a blog has given me a reason to do those things that I already love to do, and the accountability to stay with it till the end. This blog has turned out to be a great creative outlet, and I really look forward to coming up with more to share with you all.

Thoughts on One Year of Blogging, the artyologist, line of shoes

4. I’ve made so many new friends since I started blogging. Instead of being on the outside of the internet community, I’m now smack dab in the middle of it. Before I started this blog, I would rarely leave comments or engage in the conversations I saw happening on the internet. But now, I realize how valuable comments and emails and participation actually are. I truly enjoy each comment that you dear readers leave, and I now love leaving comments on other people’s blogs too. Since starting this blog, I’ve met so many interesting people, (both online and in person), have written two guest posts (here and here) for some lovely fellow vintage bloggers, and have established a personal connection with many more. Each of you, my dear readers, I consider to be friends. You are the ones who make this fun for me, and I always look forward to what you have to say, in the comments and on your own blogs too.

5. Blogging is a lot more work than I thought it would be. I look back to my earliest posts, and I am not super proud of them. (So don’t go looking back at them, OK?) I didn’t really know what I was doing back then, but also I just wanted to quickly put a post together and publish it. I posted a lot, but those posts didn’t have much substance; I didn’t take the time to write something interesting or take good photographs. Fortunately, along the way, I made the decision to be more purposeful about what I post. I now take the time to take better photos, and write something useful. It now takes much more of my time, but I am much happier with the look and feel of my blog. I am always seeing areas that need improvement, but overall I am glad to be putting in the extra effort. The posts that I am most proud of, are the ones that took me the longest to write and put together. All things that are worthwhile take time, right?

6. Becoming a famous, full time blogger is probably not something that is going to happen to me. When I first started blogging, I looked at all the other bloggers out there, and thought it would be the same for me. I thought that once I had been doing this for a while, the sponsorships and collab posts would start pouring in. OK, well I didn’t think they’d start “pouring” in, but I did think I would get some notice, and that I would be able to make some money from blogging. As of now, I’ve gotten one email from a company, whose product didn’t fit very well with my style, or this blog, and so I turned it down. For a while I was kind of disappointed, but then I realized that it’s OK if I’m not a professional blogger. I don’t always remember to take pictures every time something noteworthy happens and sometimes those photos don’t turn out how I like, even if I do take them! I don’t dress up perfectly every day and plan the perfect outfit, and then make sure to post it to my social media. I can’t stay in a “niche” to save my life as I end up posting about any and everything I like. And, I realized, I don’t want to post only the things that will get followers and likes. I know there are practices that I could put in place to boost my readership and followers, but I don’t really want to feel boxed in like that. The result is that I don’t have a 100,000 page views and 20k followers on Instagram. That’s OK. Because I actually like my blog, and I look forward to posting. And I’ve realized that it’s OK if it remains a creative outlet, and never turns into a paying job someday.  (And besides, I’ve got all of you lovely followers here and on Instagram. What more could a girl want?)

7. After a year I realized that my blog direction has changed from what I initially thought it would be. I originally thought I would post a lot of artwork, some fashion and a bit of lifestyle thrown in for good measure. That order has changed a lot, as my main focus is now on fashion, and especially vintage. Fashion history, vintage style outfits, thoughts on ethical fashion and vintage “fashion moments” make up the majority of what I post. I haven’t posted a lot of my artwork, or photography, but I do like to dedicate a few posts solely to that creative pursuit. And as far as lifestyle goes, I hardly ever have anything to say about that. As you can see, I have now updated my blog style to reflect the changes. The watercolour header and bright colours didn’t really suit my style, and it had the appearance of being strictly an artwork blog- with no reference to the vintage aspect of the blog. So, I’ve changed a few things to reflect that more vintage focus, while still having a “homemade” and “artistic” look to it. I am not going to be changing what I post- I just think that this design reflects more clearly what I am already posting: the creative expressions of a girl looking at the world through vintage coloured glasses 🙂

old blog style, the artyologist

Whenever people change their blog format, I always think “Wait- what was it like before?!” So, now you can compare.

All in all, I see how much has changed in the past year, and I am very excited about where this next year will lead. I have lots of ideas for posts I am very excited to share with you all, and I am always learning ways in order to make this blog better. On that note: is there any feedback you have for me? What kinds of posts do you enjoy the most? What would you like to see more of?

So, on my one year of blogging anniversary, I thank each and every one of you dear readers who have been following along with my journey here, whether you’ve been here since the first post, or just started reading this week. And, if you’ve never left a comment before: please introduce yourself, I’d love to meet you!

Here’s to the year ahead!

Thoughts on One Year of Blogging, the artyologist, dresser