A catch up and what’s gonna happen now

So here I am.

Finally getting the guts to actually write something for this here blog. After months of burying myself into a mound of Webtoon comics, manga, and anime series. And subconsciously forgetting about my art, my blog, and the rest of my creative life.

Sure, I’ve put out a few great artworks the past few months, but even the dopamine hit of posting them into my art insta and being praised for them was short-term.

Work has ultimately taken up much of my daylight hours. Which is weird because, honestly, I have not done a lot at work these past three months. The “busy” moments happen every start of the month but even those days don’t exactly feel exhilarating. Plus, there were other things happening in my personal life, like my grandma’s passing, that I don’t exactly want to talk about too much.

At the end of the day, only one thing mattered:

I felt deeply depressed and completely unsatisfied.

Allowing myself to be buried underneath all that, I did not do anything. At least, nothing actionable or noteworthy.

I simply made myself be carried away by the flow of life. Wake up early, ride the bus, get to work and clock out by 5:30pm, ride the bus home while probably reading a manga or watching an episode.

And it really hit me: how utterly boring and glum that is. How you basically have zero agency on the one thing you should hold influence the most:

Your own fucking life.

Excuse my French but, really, there was no sugar-coating this.

My art is suffering. I’ve been consuming great masterpieces — on Instagram and Webtoons and various anime — and yet have not taken what inspiration I got from them and mold them into my own creation.

My blog is suffering. I’ve been having doubts with writing in the personal development niche recently. I did not want to read any “Simple Tips to Live Your Best Life” kinds of blog posts because I started to find them empty and repetitive.

Consequently, my life is suffering.

…Buuut that’s too complicated a topic and too long to tackle in even a 1000-word post. So let’s focus for now on what’s next in line up there. Which is also what is, quite frankly, the most important points I should be discussing.

On blogging and the personal growth niche

I’m not gonna deny it — I LOVE the personal growth niche. The community built around this like-minded desire to grow and improve is a fascinating one. I’m so happy to be a part of it, no matter how small my contribution may be.

But there’s a huge difference in writing about the truth you discovered to live a happier life and listing down “6 easy tips” to be happier.

I’ve read the same kind of posts, given the same kind of advice over and over again. (“Take a long walk” is one of those advice that, as of writing, is currently fueling up a massive discourse over in MH Twitter, by the way.) And the thing is, for me right now, these kinds of advice just feel… lackluster. Empty. They aren’t enough.

I’m sure there are people out there who just wanted the quick reminder or that tiny push. And maybe, for them, these posts are exactly what they need. Heck, there have been plenty of times when they were exactly what I needed too. But right now, it’s not what I’m looking for. It is not what I need. And in effect, these kinds of posts are not what I want to write about.

It took me a long time to come to terms with this. Because continuing felt like an obligation – and in effect, quitting felt like a self-condemnation. This “duty” I think I have for the readers of this blog. But then, I realize:

Wait a sec. Forcing myself to write a topic I don’t like is a disservice to myself AND to my readers.

And this is an advice I often give to fellow bloggers too.

Like, gee, Kate. At least follow the advice you made, yeah?

With that said, here’s what’s going to happen with All the Trinkets moving forward.

No empty listicles.

I’m not going to totally abandon listicles. Besides, it’s the kind of blog post that’s very easy to write. But I vow never to create those empty, repetitive listicles in my blog from now on. No more “6 easy steps for a happier life”.

Life, I found, is much more complicated to go through. But at the same time, life is simple – but no, it is never easy.

Instead, I just want to write about the truth. My truth, anyway. The truth I learned along the way. The small ones, and the ohmigosh-this-is-a-huge-eureka-moment ones.

Outside of these blog posts that borders on “life” and “personal development,” I also want to write more about art and creative living. And, like, no more of those general, all-around, free-for-all creativity topics. Starting today, I want to write only about my own creative experiences. My creative truths. (Which is kinda fancy-schmancy but, whattayouknow, it fits.)

This all may seem selfish but…

To be honest, for a long time, I write with you, my readers, heavily on my mind. Sure, I think about myself too. And it so happens that, for the past couple years, what people enjoyed reading and what I enjoyed writing aligned.

But the fact is, I no longer enjoy writing the same topics. In these same perspectives and this same format. Maybe in a few years, I’d go back to loving it. Maybe. But for right now, I need to step away from all these. Explore new ways to write and express myself in this ever-changing blog of mine.

Speaking of my blog changing…

To align with this kinda sorta new way of me blogging, I’ve decided to change the look of my blog. Yes, again. Don’t worry it’s going to be a long project and I’ll tweak some elements here and there gradually. But it’s gonna happen.

The way I think it, my blog changes and reshapes and transforms when I, too, change and reshape and transform.

Before anything else, this is my place in the Interwebs. My small, humble place.

And like with any kind of challenge we face in life, if the way forward for me and this small humble place of mine in the Interwebs is to change things up, then… Challenge accepted.

To all the readers who have followed me up ‘til now, I truly appreciate all of you. I hope you continue with me as I embark in a new chapter with this blog. And if not, well no worries. Thanks for being with me anyway, however long that may be.

Kate xx

Photo by Scott Web via Unsplash

Comments

Lee Bowden says:

I am so. Silly. Excited. For you. and your blog. Right meow.

Change, is so necessary. Almost as necessary as growth or rebirth.

I love you, big hugs from afar. We’ll change together! — I’m giving a remake to my topics and refocusing on it’s importance moving forward.

So true! Change IS necessary and it took a while for me to come to terms with how necessary THIS change in my blog is. I love you too, and I look forward to the little changes that will happen in your own blog! xx

*Sending Hugs* Kate. Condolences too. I hope that everything goes well in your life. 🙂

*hug deeply appreciated* Thank you Lili 🙂 That means so much

Remember my DMs are always open. 🙂

Remember, all my DMs are always open. 🙂

Alex Grace says:

Good for you Kate, we should always be true to ourselves and our passions. Looking forward to your new journey xx

I so agree, Alex! And thank you so much, hope you have enjoy your day! xx

Alex Raizman says:

So glad to hear you’re taking the steps you need to get that passion back. It’s awesome that you’ve found what you need, and I can’t wait to see where this new direction takes you!

Thank you so much Alex! I’m part nervous but definitely also excited for what’s ahead ahh! Have a great day!

Alex Raizman says:

You have a great day too! And I’ll be excited to see where this takes you. Will definitely be watching you on this journey!

Amanda Cade says:

Ultimately, you need to be inspired and invested in what you write. Authenticity is key.

I agree that inspiration is important and being invested, especially emotionally, in what you write is too. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

It’s great you have recognised and going to try and get your passion back! I hope you do it and I look forward to reading more of your content

Thank you Lauren! And I’m part nervous but definitely excited with this new change too!

ignitedmoth says:

Hugs. <3 I'm so sorry about your recent loss and the way you had been feeling. I know my comment comes late, but I do genuinely hope things are getting better. I think it's great that you're doing exactly what it is you want to do with your blog and pushing yourself creatively. I had recently gone through a rut myself and was feeling very similar to what you described and have found that focusing again on my creativity and fitness/mental health has had me feeling much more myself again. I hope you are doing well and feeling inspired and I'm so excited to see what amazing things you put out into the world! 😀

Thank you so much for your kind words <3 I always thought that getting back to the basics and just reminding yourself to do the small things could keep you grounded and it's more relieving. Which is exactly what you need when you're in a rut. Hoping you're doing well yourself and enjoying your week! 🙂

Kate! *squishes in hug* I am so happy you’ve found a way to rekindle your passion for blogging, by adjusting the kind of blog posts you’re writing! I cannot wait to read about your own personal creative experiences/truths! Wishing all the best for you and these new posts, love! <3

Thank you so much Kelly! It’s also very inspiring to get back into blog-hopping (although it’s not as often as I did but it so counts!) and reading and getting inspired by other bloggers’ insights. Like yours hehe <3

Change is good sometimes and I look forward to reading about your journey! It’s great you are back to writing! Xx

Kate Ashley says:

I’m happy to be back to, at my own pace 🙂 Thank you for dropping by, Lauren!

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