So you guys may have notice that I've been mysteriously absent in the past couple of weeks. I've been feeling crazy guilty about it, which in and of itself has also been bothering me. Every so often I think I go through a bout of beauty blogger burnout. I think we all go through phases where we need to escape or change up our routine, but perhaps on different intervals. Maybe it takes a year, or six months, or maybe you're on extra crazy mode and have been feeling out of sorts every couple of weeks. Ultimately my point is that we're all human, and we all get overwhelmed. For me I think it just took one week of getting out of the groove, and I've been having a really hard time getting back into it.
My allergies this fall were out of control, and then I got sick on top of things, and I was just too tired and sneezy and drippy and gross to want to wear much makeup let alone spend hours researching and writing about it. I read a couple of books, I spent time with my family, I napped, played games. I relaxed. And I'm not going to lie, it felt good. For a large chunk of the last six months I've basically felt like every hour of free time I've spent not blogging is wasted time. Which has left me little room or energy for enjoying other hobbies of mine. And in a way, it's true. If you're trying to run and promote a successful website you've got to stay consistently present for your readers, which in today's day and age involves continual management of your social media, e-mail newsletters, etc. in addition to actually creating new content. It's not to say that I haven't enjoyed the process of doing and maintaining all of those things, but it definitely has a way of consuming your life.
Another things I've spent some of my free time doing lately is getting areas of my home organized and doing a bit of decluttering. I got a new vanity table (which I am excited to show you guys), and as I was putting things away and setting up all of my makeup and brushes I was left with the overwhelming realization that I totally don't even come close to utilizing my current stash. I love beauty products, but I'm so constantly bombarded by new things that I feel like I barely get to use a product before I'm on to something else. Not only does it amount to massive amounts of clutter, but I also feel like I'm cheating myself out of the experience of appreciating products I really like, and my readers out of the best and most honest reviews. Sure, first impressions aren't worthless by any means, but I think you've got to consistently use a product for at least a few weeks if not months to fully appreciate how well it works (or doesn't work).
I think when we're in a funk it's important to listen to what our bodies and minds are trying to tell us. For me right now, on top of being physically and mentally exhausted, I think I'm also recognizing that blogging has felt more like a burden than a joy for me as per late, and I need to explore ways to get myself excited to create and share content again. One of the big changes I think I need to make is scaling back on the number of sub boxes I get on a regular basis. I think I've invested time and energy towards subscription box reviews that feel like a chore when I have other posts I'm way more interested in writing purely because I've gotten in the habit of reviewing "X" every month. Moreso, because I feel compelled to review my boxes, I ultimately end up rushing to try all the products, even if I really don't want to open another eyeliner or mascara because I've got one that I'm currently using and liking.
Ultimately, I'm coming to realize that in trying to build some consistency for my site I've locked myself down into writing content that I'm not totally in love with. I want to provide you guys with awesome tutorials, to share products that I'm totally crazy in love with, and help you steer clear of the ones that really didn't work. Sure, we all may have days where we need to push ourselves to be productive, but if you're riding the strugglebus on the daily, odds are that something needs to change.
Hopefully you guys will be on board with the new direction that I plan on taking Little Blushing Birdie in, and also will be able to forgive me for being so absent over the past couple of weeks. I've got some really great holiday shopping guides in the works, and I'd also really like to do a dedicated skincare week in the near future. Also, if you haven't noticed or subscribed to my YouTube channel, I've also been really enjoying filming videos to partner with my written content here. I don't think I'll ever abandon my written blog, but I think there's some serious value to being able to physically show you how a product looks and applies versus just taking a picture.
On a final note, I also want to say thank you to my awesome readers for all the support you've given me over the years, and for always being understanding when I've needed to take some time off to decompress. I really appreciate your feedback and comments and all the love that you often send my way. If you guys have any specific requests for types of posts or videos you would like to see, definitely let me know!
