UNLEASH THE BLOGGER
MY 2 MONTHS OVERVIEW

I realise now that something rarely comes off great on the first try. It often starts as being messy, until you build up on it

IT'S BEEN TWO MONTHS!

Hey guys! I can’t believe it’s actually been two months – almost three – since I’ve started Patch & Works! I feel like I’ve learned so much in this short timeframe it’s incredible (and I’m not only talking about WordPress)!!

I initially wrote this 2 months milestone overview as a personal note but thought I’d share with you. 

Good read!

How I feel in the big bloggers'world

How I feel in the immensity of the bloggers’ world

1 • To make something you have to start

Sounds obvious, I know. But this is actually far easier said than done. I’m the kind of person who likes to brainstorm like crazy. However, I realised over time that few of my ideas actually pass the “reality test”… I never understood why until recently. I “fail”, mainly because I never get to that testing point. Or to any other for that matter. You guessed right. As I wrote it in my description: I procrastinate. A LOT. And it’s not because I don’t want to do something, but rather because I’m afraid it won’t look perfect on the first try. So, to avoid being disappointed – in myself or the project -, I don’t bother acting on my ideas. 

Back in preparatory class, I used to take ages in our english translation-class. Not because I rocked – I wasn’t that good. But I wanted all my sentences to sound beautiful. The teacher repeatedly told me: “it isn’t about being witty. All that matters for now is efficiency”. I didn’t really listen. I couldn’t see the worth of it all if it didn’t sound perfectly well.

I am starting to see now how favoring prettiness over everything else can slow me down. 

What about now? Well, I am still this procrastinating human being with an affect for details. I just force myself harder. I realise now that something rarely comes off great on the first try. It often starts as being messy, until you build up on it. And little by little, it grows stronger.

2 • Self-development is a long journey

When you’re on your own, it’s easy to think of your work as your identity. Of course people will tell you it’s branding. I get it, the image you project is inevitably biased. 

I’m a huge “You’re not your work” / “Feedback is a gift” advocate. But I’ve had a hard time actually asking for some regarding the site. I think mainly because I fear that judging the site will be like judging me. Which is irrational! I’m learning to differentiate my work from my person. I think people who achieve to fully dissociate their brand from themselves are the ones who success the most. Not because the brand doesn’t represent them. But because objectifying their own brand allows you to promote it without thinking twice about it.

I’m not used to promote myself, somehow I don’t feel legit to. Maybe it’s the fact that I’m young and still struggling, maybe it’s because as a woman I don’t dare as much… but the fact is that I progress.

One of my first steps in my journey was to join blogger clusters. The support is amazing, everybody is quite straightforward, I can’t help but admire them all. However, no matter how hard I try, I still can’t figure out how they gained so much confidence. Maybe it’s all about hustling #fakeituntilyoumakeit

Fake it until you make it – blogging life by Apolline Rigaut

2 • Having your own website is f*cking exhilarating

I N D E P E N D AN C E, sweet, sweet independence!

In a classic job, starting something new always takes ages. You have to go to your superior to validate the idea, who will eventually also go to his superior to validate the idea…etc. 

I have to admit that my skills rarely allow me to find projects I can develop from A to Z on my own (sometimes even going from A to B is a struggle). However with Patch & Works, I don’t depend on people to create as I am my own redactor / graphist (may be why it sucks) / marketer. I choose my topics as they come and all I have to do to make them come alive is to write them! I then have to build visuals accordingly and promote my work online (and offline). All this with with my masters degree courses on the side. It does get long, but gosh am I learning more than ever! This feeling of acquiring new skills adds to the fun. You can never get bored whilst feeling free!

I try to publish everything I write, even if it doesn’t perfectly fit  my initial statement. I think that for now I should see where my inspiration goes before cutting. 

The joys of bureaucracy

3 • YOU DO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY

As I said earlier, having a site sometimes feels to me like following a therapy session for self-confidence. Writing about myself is hard – let alone promoting my work. 

In its debuts, Patch & Works was only meant to stand as a working vitrine because I didn’t feel entitled to speak about me, or my realisations. Since I love listening to others’ stories to guide me, I  figured that no matter how little my experience is, maybe it inspire others in ways I didn’t think of (the good old “if she did it so can I”).

At first, finding the topics were hard. But the more I write, the more ideas come. Blogging is like a habit, once you get the rhythm, you’re (almost) good to go. Hopefully it will stick over time (not like running…)

5 • I still can’t explain to people what I do in life….

After all, this is why I created Patch & Works in the first place!

What are your key learnings of the moment?

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