I can’t believe it…it’s been a whole year! Well, to be more accurate, tomorrow will officially make it a year since I made my first post, but still. It’s crazy how time flies! Who would’ve known that The Black Princess Diaries would’ve started with just a spontaneous post and went to what it is today. We’re almost 400 supporters strong and I’m so grateful for each and every person who stuck around. There’s still so much more to do and I have a long journey ahead to get where I want to go, but I’m excited about it and I hope you all will continue to stick by me.

In honor of it being 1 year of blogging, I decided to just share a few quick things that I’ve learned.

1.Be Authentic. I’ve given blogging tips before and this will always and forever be and important lesson to learn. It’s so easy to fall into the “typical blogger” persona, but you have to be yourself. Write how you write and about what you love..even if it’s out of the “norm”.

2.You’re gonna have some similar ideas as others…it’s ok. A lot of times, I’ve seen other people write about what I’ve written about or what I want to write about and it can be intimidating sometimes, especially when it’s a bigger blogger. If you write similar content as another blogger, you’re going to have some similar posts. Doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It’s not a competition and everyone can learn from you both.

3.Google is your friend. I’ve had a moment or two where I had no idea what to write, so you know what I did? I googled some ideas. At first I was a little ashamed, but it’s ok. I understand if you’re trying to steal ideas, but googling for inspiration is totally fine. Everyone has a road block at some point and needs some inspiration.

4.It’s ok to take a break. I had to take a little break once (literally just a week) just to work on updating the look of my blog. I hated it at first because I wanted to stay consistent, but eventually, I began to like it. Everyone needs a break at some point. Whether a short one just to upgrade your blog or a longer one to get yourself together. A break is totally fine and well deserved.

5.Be careful of content stealers. I haven’t had it happened to me (to my knowledge) but I’ve seen where there has been someone stealing others content. It’s definitely to be aware of that. You can’t prevent what’s already been put out, but if someone is stealing your content, hopefully you can put an end to it.

6.Being active goes a long way. Commenting on others blog posts and being social can really go a long way. I’m still working on that, but I’ve also seen the benefits of it. Of course don’t just do it to get more followers, but be genuine. Make real connections because they can go a long way. Follow blogs you’re interested in. Eventually, you’ll make blogger friends, you guys will be collaborating together, and you’ll be two great friends helping each other come up.

7.Patience is key. My final lesson is that patience is key. Blogging can get really frustrating. From feeling like everyone’s blog is better than yours, to running out of ideas, to not getting any sponsorships. It can all really make you feel insecure about yourself as a blogger, but you have to be patient. You’ll start to get deals, those ideas will come when you least expect it, and you make your blog a representation of you…not a representation of others. Be patient and keep working. Things will fall into place.

I’m curious, how long have you guys been blogging? A few months? A year? Years? Comment and let me know!