Hi guys,
What a week this one was! It was literally a dream come true. You may have seen on my social media I was flown to Paris with Armani to launch their new Si perfume – Si Passione. You can see my full vlog of the trip here! I’m still getting my head around it. I just can’t believe I got such an amazing opportunity.
I was a part of a really cool shoot with 15 other amazing bloggers from around the world including @songofstyle, @queenofjetlags and @marianna_hewitt. I love their photos, blogs, and YouTube videos so much so it was just amazing to meet them. Every time I meet people I look up to, or get cool opportunities I always leave feeling so inspired. I was the same after the Dorothy Perkins shoot in London last week, and honestly I’ve never needed some inspiration and motivation more.
It’s no secret that the blogging industry has been under a lot of scrutiny in Ireland over the past few months. It left me feeling like I was a part of an industry I wasn’t proud of anymore, and quite honestly, it made me feel like what bloggers are sharing online is a bad thing. Now it’s all calmed down I know that’s not the case, I know the anger and frustration wasn’t really directed at everyone. As always though, you have to decide what you want to take from criticism, and for me it made me sit back and really think about what I’m doing here with my blog. I haven’t felt this motivated in a long time, and whatever comes from it at least I know I’ll be doing something I really believe in.
So I have some new promises for my blog in 2018, some were a part of my new years resolutions anyway, and some are new ones that will hopefully help my blog and content become better this year
1. Better Photography
I am going to get back to shooting outfits every week. I am going to invest in a better camera so I can get better photos when I’m out and about and when I’m travelling. When I started my blog I was really into getting the best photos I could, the best quality I could, I stuck rigidly to a theme. I think over the last year I’ve let the quality slip a little bit. I’m looking at the bloggers I look up to (for example @lydiaemillen, @inthefrow, @xeniaoverdose) and their photos are just insane. So I’m going to invest in better equipment, I’m going to teach myself better shooting and editing skills and I’m going to do it more consistently than I have been (not allowed be lazy anymore Louise, soz).
2. Keep it real
Amazing photos are great – but if you can’t relate to them then there isn’t much point at all really, is there? I want to inspire people with my fashion and travels, but I also want everyone to understand that it is real life and its not all as perfect as it might seem sometimes on Instagram. I think I’ll do this by writing more on the blog, and doing more YouTube vlogs – so you can see the struggles, the work that goes into everything and the sometimes hard times. I’m not going to change the way I do things completely, in other words, I’m not going to turn into a moan, and I am someone who focuses on the positive so that won’t change but I do promise to never be fake and always to be honest and genuine.
3. Put More Emphasis on What’s Important
This is kind of related to my last point, and it’s a tricky one. I am a fashion and travel blogger – so when I start talking about other things, does that make me something else? No. Well I don’t think so anyway.
I’ve added the On My Mind section on my blog so that I’ll have a section where I can talk about things that are important to me, and to other people when I feel like it. I’ll never be the kind of person to force my opinions on anyone, and I won’t be talking about everything.
I do think with the way social media has gone, it’s important to remind people (and myself) what’s actually important. Real life things!
4. Only Do Things I 100% Believe In
This has always been my motto with my blog. I have to say it’s not always easy. The bigger the blogger industry gets, the more companies want to get involved in it, the more control they want over the content that’s being created. I mean it makes sense, if they’re paying to promote their brand they want to make sure it’s done in the way they want it done. But I value my blog, my social media and my integrity more than any collab (I wouldn’t be where I am if I didn’t). I’m always quite strict about keeping control over what I’m posting (ask my agent haha) if I ever collaborate with a brand it will only be with a brand I genuinely like and use. If it’s a clothing brand I will always have a say over what I wear. I will always write my own captions. I will always give an honest review. There’s nothing more annoying that going on Instagram and seeing an obvious #AD that just doesn’t fit. I think these kind of ad’s have led to everyone being a bit skeptical when the word #AD is used at all. I will definitely be collaborating with brands this year (I have rent to pay haha) but I promise to work hard at keeping my content real and true to what I believe in.
5. Always listen
If you’re reading this – thank you!!! Thanks for taking the time and thanks for supporting my blog. I really appreciate and love the people that follow me, that read my posts and watch my videos. I just want to create content for you to enjoy that’s my number one goal
If there’s anything you’d like to see me cover – let me know. I’m always listening. I’m always making lists of ideas and plans and I’m always open to changing things up, so keep the feedback coming.
Anyway that was a longer blog post than I had planned on writing today haha,
Hopefully it will give you a better, clearer idea of what you can expect from my blog this year. Blogging is such a new industry it’s scary sometimes, it’s my full time job now so if it doesn’t work out I’d rather know sooner than later so I can get planning my Plan B haha. I think it’s so important to be doing something you believe in though, and to have integrity, and to work hard. If you’re doing all those things, it should work out, shouldn’t it? Believing in yourself helps too
Anyway only time will tell where the blogging is going, but that’s what I promise you can expect from me this year,
Hopefully 2018 continues to bring exciting opportunities and challenges, I’m looking forward to looking back on it already,
Lou x
