What Has Two Years Of Blogging Taught Me?

This month marks two years since I published my first post on High Street Beauty Junkie. Little did I know then how much I would actually gain from it! I'm not talking about financial gain - I've done a couple of sponsored posts but that was never my blogging goal. I've gained confidence in myself, in my writing, in my photography and so much more. This week I wanted to share a few things that I've learnt through blogging over the last 24 months.

1. Progress is important, but it isn't the be-all and end-all. I feel like I've progressed really well in the last two years - I've gained followers and opportunities that I never really thought I would. It's been slow in comparison to other bloggers who perhaps have more time and determination than me. I love seeing my blog grow but at the end of the day it is a hobby, not a full-time job, which I've managed alongside uni and work. Any progress and growth in my eyes is great, no matter what speed it's achieved at. 

2. When blogging starts to feel like a chore, it's time to take a break - and that's okay! Blogging is a great hobby to have, but it's tough work to keep up all the time. Sometimes I'm just not inspired to write or I have no new content to upload and so I'll take a couple of weeks away from blogging until I get my mojo back. I used to feel guilty when I did this, as if I was neglecting my little space and my followers. Now I know that my wellbeing needs to come first, and if I'm not up to it then that's fine. Plus it means I come back full of new ideas and inspiration!

3. Hard work pays off and has opened up lots of exciting opportunities for me. Despite it only being a hobby on the side, I do put a lot of time and effort into my blog. I work hard to maintain it and try to post every week. From the hard work I've put in, I've been offered many great opportunities. From sponsored posts with clients such as Panasonic and Loccitane, to attending events in London, to reviewing a 4* hotel, it sometimes seems a little unreal that little old me earned these opportunities! I've also been featured in The Guardian, The Tab and in multiple listicles of top student bloggers, all of which have been very exciting and surreal.

4. Blogging has allowed me to meet some amazing people over the last two years. This goes hand in hand with the last point but along with events I've attended, I've also met some incredible people along the way. There are way too many to name all of them but I'll leave some of my favourite photos below! I'd be lost without our little Whatsapp group now and I'm so happy I've met bloggers that I can go to local events with.