Out of the Notebook and into the blog: Breaking Rules + Is a "LifeStyle" blog the biggest rebel to blog rules of all?

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Breaking Rules + Is a "LifeStyle" blog the biggest rebel to blog rules of all?


Photo by Elizabeth Messina 

I come from a family that likes to break the - ahem - normal rules that our society neatly and sneakily pressures us to follow.


My brother and I were homeschooled and every winter our family (I mean - they were in their 30's and my brother and I where very young - this started in 4th grade) would pack up our camper and ditch Minnesota for warmer climates - Texas, Florida, and California kept us warm for many winters.


I mean - this wasn't a "trip."  This was full out living in a camper.  Our family would sit down on our little camper table every night with our tiny purple plastic bowls we ate out of every day filled with green salad leaves and fruit.


My brother and I learned to hate those purple bowls with a passion - we still grimace when we see them.


We lived in our camper at state parks and 75+ (AKA elderly) campgrounds.


When we stayed (which always was SUPER exciting) at 75+ campgrounds we made friends with the elderly and played shuffleboard, alligator hunted, and bingo for hours.  They loved us. Those where some of the most fun hours spent in my life.


::The Weirdness of the whole thing ended up Paying Off::

My Mom - she was also so patient with the small living spaces and desolate places with no humanity for miles.  - She taught me how to be patient and understanding even in the oddest situations.


My Dad - Always striving and pushing for more than the basic - more than what's given to us easily.  He always believes there is more to life than what is handed to us easily.  He taught me that there is more to life than what we are led to believe by society.


Most of all though?  They taught me that rules are made to be broken.  That our culture has expectations and rules that they form on their own - but that doesn't mean they are always the right road to travel down.  I learned that the best things come from breaking these "rules" and "expectations" that culture tells us is right.


::What Guidelines Define a Successful Blog?::

When you look into the guidelines for becoming a successful blogger - one of the first things you'll no doubt stumble upon in almost every tutorial and resource is that you should find a topic and stick to that.

Maybe it's photography.

Maybe it's fashion.

Maybe it's your favorite Uncles car repair journeys.

And following this results in some truly amazing results.  Alex Beadon for example, or Alexandra Franzen - both beautiful ladies that inspire me to know ends with beautiful blogs and businesses to boot.

::Where do Lifestyle Blogs Fit in?::

However - that has gotten me thinking about LifeStyle Blogs which is what I feel is the category my blog fits most naturally into.

Some of the most famous LifeStyle Bloggers (AKA some of my favorites) that come to mind include:

My Cup of Jo

A Pioneer Women 

The Skinny Confidential 

All of these lovely ladies write about many different things.  All on the same blog.

*Note - all on the same blog! 


But what exactly is a lifestyle blog?  I typed "Lifestyle" into trusty google in hopes of a clearer answer.

This is what Google Whispered into my ear:


life·style
ˈlīfˌstīl/
noun
  1. 1.
    the way in which a person or group lives.
    "the benefits of a healthy lifestyle"
    synonyms:way of life, way of living,


::Lifestyle Blogs are just Straight up Bad Asses I guess::


Lifestyle blogs focus on just that - day to day life happenings.  The things that make us tick and want to live another day.  The struggles that make us want to turn the clock back.  The hopes and dreams that make us pursue different options.


Lifestyle blogs are truly rebels.  They break every rule in the book for being a successful blogger - but they work.  They are one of the most successful genres of blogging there is.  Lifestyle blogs have a niche yes - the niche is everyday life.  And what fits into everyday life?  Everything!  Lifestyle blogs are the most unfocused - focused type of blogging to exist.


How can breaking a rule result in being so successful and popular?  It's simple:



It's easy to be caught up in the rules and the guidelines - the step by steps that have worked for everyone else.  


But if we only confine (Hint: this is in red because it's a bad idea to confine yourself!) ourselves to whats already been done and worked in the past - how can we make a bigger difference?  How can we improve upon what's already been done if we don't take chances and break the rules?

Steve Jobs broke the rules.

Mozart Broke Rules.

The Guy that solved the Rosetta Stone mystery did some epic rule breaking of the status quo.  

You must break the Rules - whether it be the rules you place on yourself or society's rules as a whole - to become next better you.




3 comments:

  1. Wow get outta my head with this post! was so wondering this.
    constantsouffle.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. Isn't it interesting though?!! It drives me crazy thinking about this - I can debate on it for hours in my head. Do you think lifestyle blogs "work?"

    ReplyDelete
  3. I think it can be challenging to make them work, but obviously very rewarding for those that do! For some of us lifestyle is more our niche than a smaller, more specific topic…good questions to think about!
    Marie @
    In Our Happy Place

    ReplyDelete

Hi Pretties - leave a comment and you'll forever have a place in my heart <3