As I write this, I’m actually behind on my deadline– posts I write for IFB go live on Mondays and Fridays and it’s Monday morning. Yesterday I had to send Jennine an email that said, “I’m sorry, I’m behind.” I’m behind because I opened a new show this weekend, hosted an opening night party, and while I have a hefty draft of this post already completed, it wasn’t finished & ready for publication.
It’s all too appropriately timed, as in my last post, Busting through Blogger Plateaus, both Vahni and Sandra D both commented about working full time and how much harder it makes to break down those plateaus when 40+ hours of your week are taken up by that pesky job. Vahni said, Also, lately I’m just damn tired of sitting in front of my computer 90 hours a day.
In the 4 years I’ve run Dramatis Personae, I’ve worked a full-time job. I write 2 posts per week for IFB. I have a live in partner. I have 2 cats, who are like my children. And I feel stretched thin more than ever. When I think of the tasks and challenges I want–and need to do– in order to grow my blog, I ask myself, “When will I have time on top of everything else I have to do?“
I don’t believe that a blogger can grow their site to infinity when they have a full-time job (or are committed to school full-time–or both). From the many bloggers I’ve talked to, I’m not alone in thinking that. In a conversation with some fabulous gals on Twitter, TokyoFound said it best: People I know who have a super blog or run a business blogging or writing have made it their full time job and those who didn’t have burned out & quit after 2-3yrs.
So to start with, here are the words of some wonderful women, who have been blogging full-time and holding full-time jobs for a very long time.
Sandra D, Debutante Clothing
I work full-time at a school. I am no longer a classroom teacher, but I do work with kids. One good thing about working school hours is that I can leave work most of the time at 3:30pm which leaves me lots of time to do my side hustle – blogging about and selling vintage fashion. But the amount of mental energy my job requires is still pretty high. Trying to balance my blog and my full-time job has been more of a challenge recently. At first, I’d get all my writing done over the weekend and early mornings. I started realizing that the amount of work I was spending on my blog and site were really taking time away from my husband and family, so I have had to get really strategic about my schedule.
I had a very powerful consultation with a prominent lifestyle blogger who has created a whole brand around her blog and design work. She flat out told me that if you only put part time effort into your business, it will take much longer to get it going. She was so direct and right on. I appreciated that.
I’m to the point now where if I can blog 3 times per week, I don’t beat myself up. I have to remember that blogging is not my full-time business, it’s just one part of the breadth of work I do, but it leads to other fun partnerships that can lead to income. It’s very easy to get caught up in stats, comments, visibility and feel bad about how little time you are putting in compared to other bloggers. I also have to keep in mind that vintage is a very specialized niche and won’t necessarily follow the same dynamics as a modern fashion blogger.
However, if I could start all over again, I would have approached my business and the business of blogging in a much more strategic way – business plan, branding, marketing plan, etc.
Sally, Already Pretty
I post twice daily to Already Pretty, sometimes more if I’ve got a giveaway going on, and I also work a full-time day job. That means I blog, answer reader mail, read and comment on other blogs in virtually every spare moment – breaks, over my lunch hour, and for hours after work. And yes, I do sometimes sneak in a few quick comments while I’m on the clock. (You do, too, so don’t judge!) I do my best to keep my weekends work-free, but usually end up writing for at least three or four hours each weekend, sometimes more. I’m in a pretty much constant state of writing, brainstorming, reacting, outlining, negotiating, and planning.
All of this means that I’m exhausted. ALWAYS exhausted. Many people have asked, “How do you do it all?” and the answer is that I just never stop working. Writing posts ahead of time helps keep me from being in a blind panic, as does soliciting the occasional guest post and planning out my editorial calendar. Yet I know that if I had more time to dedicate to the blog it would be better written, more in-depth, more valuable and insightful. I often wish that there were more hours in the day, that I could read and process blogs quicker, that my posts would mate and procreate on their own.
And yet my day job is for paying the bills while the blog is my true passion. My goal has always been to make blogging, freelancing, and consulting my career, and working on Already Pretty furthers that goal. So the time, energy, and effort put into maintaining and improving the blog is always, always worth it to me.
Kristina, Pretty Shiny Sparkly
Working full time and blogging is a two-sided coin. On the one hand, sometimes you can barely remember to comb your teeth or brush your hair (or is it the other way around? I forget) let alone come up with a visually stunning, compelling blog post. Other times, you feel like life is all work-work-work, and you need that something to pull you out of your daily drudgery. An excuse to get dressed, feel great, and act out that excuse in the first place (like even a little dinner date), can sometimes be just the thing you needed!
Frustrations associated with working full time and maintaining a professional fashion blog are mainly internally directed, for me. I’m frustrated that I can’t always post every single day of the work week. But it pretty much ends there. I don’t experience frustrated readers, really, they all understand that my professional life is pretty demanding, and really they’re quite sweet about it.
A real challenge to working full time and blogging, especially for me since my two fields are polar opposites (medicine and fashion), is what to do when they overlap. Yes, sometimes I show up to the hospital Monday morning ready to scrub in on a surgery with electric blue nail polish I forgot to take off Sunday night. Yes, I don’t shout that I’m a fashion blogger from the rooftops of my medical school building, because, well…it’s intensely private, fashion is. And people who just don’t “get it” tend to think that taking pictures of oneself is superficial, a time-waster, self-absorbed…you name it. Of course, I’ve never been told these things to my face, but I can imagine what it must look like from an outsider’s perspective. Or maybe I’m just overreacting? I don’t know, you guys tell me!
All in all though the real joys come when I get validation from the “real people” in my life–my classmates, colleagues, and mentors. When they reference a recent outfit post, or show off the site to their friends, I’m immensely touched. I feel like I’m not doing such a silly thing after all, and isn’t that what we all want as bloggers, in the end? Just a little validation?
Do you blog and work full-time? How do you feel about the process? Has blogging & working full-time ever made you want to give up?
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This is so true! I used to try to post fives days a week, but this year work and life have made that goal nearly impossible. Trying to find a work/life/blog balance can be difficult, so it is encouraging to hear thoughts from other bloggers.
Thanks so much for this post. It totally hits home for me right now. I have a few post worth of pictures and ideas that I have been sitting on because I just have not been able to steal enough time away from the day job to blog. It is great to hear how other people are managing in similar situations
I work full time (60+ hours) and then blog plus have 2 small children – to be honest I view the blog as a hobby that I try and find time for (and for which I sneak in time around other things)
Without an iphone and a commute I’d never get anything done – but yes, I can see a glass ceiling that I will not have as much time as others to devote to it and so its going to be constrained by that
That said, I reckon I do better than the average on my limited time!
What a great post! As an auditor/business fashion blogger and workwear streetstyle photographer I found myself nodding and smiling throughout!
I had been blogging daily for a year when I went part-time to a 9 day fortnight. However I’ve realised that with the freelance work I’m now getting, well daily is no longer sustainable for me. And since I’m only one person I’ve got to slow things down and look after numero uno. And I like to think my content has gotten better as a result… It’s not easy balancing everything but the great friendships and opportunities sure make it worthwhile learning how to juggle! All the best to everyone!
Wow! I identify so much with the feelings of being overwhelmed, overworked and out of control that come through in this post. I have a full-time job and run a small business on the side and try to keep up a blog to go along with that. It’s downright exhausting to think about, let alone to get everything done that needs to be done to make it grow. If people are finding it hard to post 3 times a week, why am I feeling guilty for not doing the same when I also have a business to run? We do need validation, and you just gave it to me. Thank you!
Man, this is really good to hear— I thought I was just getting overwhelmed at not being able to do it all. I work 50ish hours a week as an Art Director for a local magazine and try to update my blog 3-4 times a week AND run an etsy shop. I’ve been discouraged that I can’t tackle everything as much as someone who devotes the bulk of their time to a blog/creative shop but now I just feel that’s how it goes! This post is just plain old comforting! Thank you!
You are doing an absolutely brilliant job, lady! I salute you. Don’t be too hard on yourself, you’re excelling under far more pressing conditions than I.
I was thinking about this the other day! Thank you for posting and to all the bloggers for their insight.
This post really spoke to me. I am still trying to figure out how to balance blogging for myself and other sites, as well as going to school, working and doing all the other things I want to do. I’m certainly a work in progress.
Blogging in itself encompasses a whole new community, type of people and new friendships I never knew existed. I find it very hard to want to write, create and express oneself through blogging while not just maintaining but being successful at a full time job.
It’s even harder when your boss discovers your blog then makes sure you’re not posting on the clock or worse, confronts you about your blog.
I wish I had more time to devote to my blog, but with a full time job, a husband, a cat and dog (who are like my children) that all seem to need my pattention too I see my blog not reaching it’s full potential…
Thank you for this post!!
I absolutely hold my hand up to those who have full time jobs and blog. I’m mum to a 6 year old daughter, fashion blogger, writer for Upper Street and trend correspondent for a fashion PR company and still don’t get time to fit in all the blogging I want to. I know I don’t spend as much time with my husband and daughter as I want to and feel like I’m eternally juggling. But still something drives me on. What age do fashion bloggers retire… I’m 42 now and not yet counting! Great post. xx
I haven’t updated my blog since May for these exact reasons. I got so in my head that I lost sight of what I wanted for my blog. Two months later I still don’t feel connected enough to start it up again. It’s crazy how life just got in the way and hasn’t let up! Hopefully I’ll be able to blog again and do it on my terms and without looming guilt from some part of my life that’s getting neglected.
I feel you! Once you leave it for a while, it’s so hard to start posting again; it feels like a continually broken & renewed New Year’s resolution – ‘post regularly’!
I work a very physically and mentally demanding job 4 days a week, which means either 8hr or 10hr days. I go to work & it’s dark, & I return when the sun sets. Opportunities for outfit posts on these days are non-existent; I find its also harder to summon the motivation to get out of the house let alone plan a well written, visually stimulating post with quality photos and a coherent structure on my days off as all I want to do is sleep in and eat.
That being said, I do think I can be pretty lazy; I’ve never exactly been a workaholic and really value ‘me’ time. I feel bad when I compare myself to the people who are so committed they manage to run a quality, regularly updated blog whilst working full time, but I don’t think I could do it.
I really envy those lucky enough to have the time and resources to blog full-time.
I just finished college.
While I was in it, I worked really hard. I used reading art and fashion blogs as an outlet – I needed something creative to look at while going through mountains of obligations.
After a while, I was inspired to start my own blog – I wanted to further share all those great things I have seen!
But it’s only now that I have the time to really plan for that blog – school was really exhausting.
… And yet, now I’m looking for a job and a master’s degree.
New obligations, how will that work with a new blog?
Part time jobs tend to be interesting and rewarding. Of course, these works offer a high flexibility in terms of hours worked by the employee. There are many Full Time Jobs in different sectors, which offer high income. People always prefer to choose a work of high-income, and therefore the companies offering high-income to get a part-time job. Many companies need a part-time to include in its work to reduce the heavy workload.