Last month I went to my first ever blog conference. What took me so long? I like to describe myself as a confident introvert. I like meeting people, but big group activities make me want to run for the hills.
What changed? It’s simple – I found a blogging conference that appealed to me. Blogtacular was set up in 2013 by the ever-inspiring Kat Molesworth. It’s a passionate, creative conference – and everything about it felt welcoming and friendly.
In their own words:
“Blogtacular is a celebration of the talent which grows wild on the internet. Many of us feel like outsiders who have somehow broken into an off-limits space, when the truth is we are the trailblazers of new paths of expression, business and advertising.”
Yes, yes and yes! That’s exactly how I feel about blogging. I know you aren’t all bloggers, so I won’t bore you will all the techy details we like to talk about when we get together. However, attending such an amazing conference taught me some really valuable life lessons that I feel we can all learn from, whether we’re bloggers or not.
Online friendships are real
How many of us used to roll our eyes about online friendships? Or feel a little shame-faced. You know, it’s not the real thing, is it? But times change. The online world is here to stay, and why shouldn’t friendships forged through blogs and social media be just as real?
At Blogtacular I finally got to meet lots of people I’ve meet online. I think there’s an assumption that our online selves are inauthentic. But that’s not always true. Every person I met was exactly as I thought they’d be. Which rather suggests that the little parts of ourselves we reveal online are sometimes as authentic and true as it gets. I certainly feel more real in the spaces I’ve curated online than I do in the school playground.
Everyone gets jealous, and that’s ok
Everyone agrees that social media can create impossible images of perfection, that will (in our darker moments) cause feelings of jealousy. But it’s not the done thing to admit the jealousy you feel.
One message that kept cropping up again and again in the talks I attended at Blogtacular, is that it’s totally ok to admit to feelings of jealousy. You may even be able to learn something from it. Don’t be ashamed of your jealous feelings. Own them and make them work for you.
I can’t tell you what a relief it was to hear successful women like Emma Gannon admit that they get jealous, and that people get jealous of them. I’m working on accepting my own jealousy of others – but crucially, making it work for me. I waste far too much energy feeling bad about things, and I bet you do too.
You’re never too old to learn new tricks
My last session of the day was Xanthe Berkley’s video workshop. I’m quite afraid of video, so this was a big leap out of my comfort zone. It was a bit like being at school again and spent most of the workshop feeling rather out of my depth.
However, the tools we were taught to use in workshop was actually very simple. Back in the comfort of my own home I’ve been experimenting with taking little videos and using a simple app on my phone to edit them. I’m surprised by how much I love it. This is just the start of a new skill which I’m planning on learning a lot more about.
Which all goes to show that we’re never too old to learn new tricks. The intensity of the conference gave me that little creative kick I needed. So, why not sign up for that course you think you’re not good enough for? I guarantee it you’ll surprise yourself.
Thanks Blogtacular, see you in 2018!
Ruth says
It’s fantastic to see your progress! Hope today goes well xxxxx