Q & A Part Two
Hi friends! I'm particularly excited about this post because I'll be answering some questions you asked on Instagram, specifically about my blogging experience. I hope y'all enjoy it!!
Q: Why did you start your blog?
A: Simply put, I wanted to share Jesus with more girls.
My senior year of college, I felt specifically called to teach, speak or write in some capacity. I've also just always been into all the girly things like fashion and makeup. I saw other bloggers like Dani Austin using their platform to share their faith, and I saw how blogging could really be an intersection of some of my biggest passions.
I knew I wanted to try it. I consumed content from bloggers very regularly, and I always thought it was so fun, but it took me a long time to actually get around to doing it myself because I had several hesitations. One: I struggled with the materialism in it. I still do. Two: I was afraid I would only be mass feeding my insecurity.
It was important for me to approach blogging only when I let go of the, "I want to be known" mentality. I already have a Heavenly Father who thinks the world of me. And while there are still days it can be easy to get caught up in wanting to be liked, literally "liked," but also to be seen as beautiful and likable by my peers, I can always rest back on knowing I really don't need material things or approval from my peers to be satisfied.
So, back in October of last year, I really started to consider and pray about transitioning my personal IG into a fashion and lifestyle account. I had to push past all the "I'm not good enough for this" fears and step out with boldness. Like I said, I really wrestle with insecurity so I kept thinking, "What will my friends think? Will people make fun of me? What makes me think I can just up and decide I want to be an "influencer"???" But, man, am I so glad I didn't let that keep me from doing it because it's really been an absolute blast! I'm getting to encourage and share Scripture with people I would've never been able to otherwise. My hope is that people might follow along for fashion or lifestyle content, but then stick around to see encouraging messages along the way.
Jesus Christ has completely and drastically changed my life, and I seriously believe that through Him, life is infinitely better - not easier, but better - full of unshakeable joy. I'm SO thankful for this opportunity to share that with more people!
Q: How do you post consistent content?!
A: Well, first of all, I'm really flattered that you think it's consistent! (Just don't scroll too far down, LOL). For a feed that feels a bit more cohesive, I use Lightroom to edit my photos. Right now, I'm really using some more warm and rosy tones, so I play with the color balance for temperature and tint. I also just brighten all my pics too. I use the app "Preview" to test out how each image will look next to the others I already have posted. As far as just posting consistently, I have my husband to thank for that. He shoots all my pics and he gets a good variety of angles/ poses and puts up with outfit changes so we're usually able to knock out about two week's worth of content in one day. I try to set aside time each afternoon to get a post up. I'm mostly just posting 4-5 times per week right now, usually resting on the weekends so I don't get too overwhelmed.
Q: What is your favorite thing about blogging and the most challenging?
A: My favorite thing is the community in it. It's been so fun to find other girls who have a very similar style or personality to me, and I absolutely love how much "girls supporting girls" I see. Before jumping into it, I thought that blogging would be one big comparison tank, but what I've found is that most bloggers really don't think, "I'm the only one that can shine on this platform." There are so many bloggers who have been so supportive and encouraging to me. It feels like I've found dozens of soul sisters around the globe!
Blogging is also WAY more challenging than I thought it would be. It takes serious commitment and a TON of time. Early on, it was a little frustrating to get content because by the time Zach got home, the sun would already be set and it'd be too dark to get an outfit pic. I quickly realized, in order to get ahead on content creation, we'd have to shoot several different looks over the weekend. So about once or twice a month I'm lugging around my giant tote bag full of clothes to various locations. I'm fully aware how silly we look sometimes, so it really pushes you out of your comfort zone. But, I have an extremely patient and supportive husband, so we end up having a ton of fun! Coming up with captions and editing photos can take a long time too, so all in all - it's a lot of work, but I don't regret it because the community and connections are totally worth it!
Well, that wraps up Part Two of this Q & A - thank you SO much for sending questions and for wanting to get to know me better. YOU make this endeavor so much more fun!
With so much love,
Selena