There are so many things I love about blogging, and differing opinions is one of them. I don’t agree with everything I read on the internet and I’m sure not everyone agrees with me. And that’s okay. We are all entitled to our own opinions and feel strongly about certain things. And as long as we are respectful of others, it’s normal… it’s life. It’s so interesting to see how people interpret a certain event or situation or how they feel about it. Bloggers are SO passionate about their blogs; most are writers first and foremost and it truly emanates in their writing. In fact that’s one of the reasons why I started blogging. Some of us blog as a hobby, some of us blog to make a living, and some of us do both.
But the other day I read a comment that didn’t sit right with me. And whether or not it was meant to be hurtful, I don’t know how it couldn’t be taken that way:
“I can’t imagine blogging to make a living, I have a real job for that.”
Now let that sink in for a minute. Because there are a few things about this statement that bug me.
“I can’t imagine blogging to make a living.” Well, good for you. Because a lot of people DO make a living from their blogs and that’s an amazing thing. To take what use to be considered an online diary and turn it into a substantial income? Bravo! Let’s congratulate those people! While I don’t make a living from my blog, I do help supplement our income significantly. And as a military family, that’s important to us.
Going along with that point, there are a lot of people who can’t afford to work. Afford to work? Yes. Childcare is SO expensive and a lot of people can’t find jobs to cover daycare. Not even break even! So maybe blogging is their only option. Maybe they’re a military family and move around a lot or have a spouse that isn’t home regularly. Maybe they’re a one car household. Maybe they have a special needs child. I don’t know. But maybe the person who said this comment can’t imagine blogging to make a living, but some people do. Because they don’t have any another choice.
Or maybe they just love what they do! My degree is in Strategic Communication and I wanted to work in PR. Well life had a different path for me. But with blogging, I feel like I’m doing something I was meant to be doing. I’m writing, working with brands, marketing products, joining communities, meeting other women, and being creative. And ultimately, that’s what makes me happiest. I’m sure a lot of other blogger have similar reasons for blogging or they wouldn’t do it.
“I have a real job for that.” This is what really gets under my skin. A real job. What makes a job real? A job in Corporate America? A Starbucks Barista? A McDonald’s employee? Are those real jobs? I’m not sure what type of career this person has but since her job is “real”, she gets to say what’s a real job and what’s not? Blogging is a job. To some people anyway. Bloggers spend hours upon hours thinking of ideas for posts, writing said posts, taking pictures, editing said pictures, responding to emails, responding to comments, interacting on social media, learning and educating themselves… I could go on forever with this one. But it takes a lot of time and for someone to just brush it off as not being “real” because we don’t leave the house everyday to go to work, upsets me. It doesn’t just upset me because I’m a blogger but it upsets me for every other blogger out there who works their ass off.
This is my opinion. And just like this person who commented had her opinion, I can have mine. Blogging may not have been a way of making a living in the past but it is now. And just because it’s a fairly new way to make a living, doesn’t mean it’s not a real job.
There are so many different types of jobs out there and instead of downplaying someone’s job, let’s just praise them for having one. As long as they’re working, making money, being ethical, paying taxes, and doing their part to support the economy, WHO CARES! The person who said this said it in response to a post someone wrote about sponsored posts and how so many bloggers are taking them now and days. I have my thoughts about this… read it, or don’t. No one is forcing you to read a sponsored post. If you don’t like it, move past it. Most bloggers have a balance between sponsored and non-sponsored posts but even if they didn’t, it’s their blog and it’s their place to write what they want. And if they can make a living doing it, let them. Be apart of it or don’t.
I’m not perfect and I’ve said things before, even publicly, that I regretted after the fact or thought “yikes I didn’t really think that through”. Maybe this person would feel regretful if she knew how ignorant her comment was. Maybe she wouldn’t. But for all you bloggers out there who work your tails off, making a living or not, you keep doing you. Write sponsored posts. Write non-sponsored posts. Write because you want to. Write because you have to. Do whatever you want. And just know that any other blogger, including me, knows how much time, energy, and “real” work goes into your “real job'”, if that’s what it is to you and what you’ve made it. And you should be damn proud of it and yourself.
