Three Pieces Of Advice For Introverted Bloggers
I'm a huge introvert, I love my own space and I tend to find my energy alone or through close one-on-one friendships and relationships. A big reason I started this blog back in 2013 was because I was struggling to connect with the people I was surrounded by at university, and I was aching to find the right people for me. I've spoken in more depth in the past about Finding Your Creative Tribe (And Why It's Okay If It Takes Time) and I today I wanted to touch on some advice for any other introverted bloggers who can feel a little overwhelmed and isolated at times online.
Something I've been asked a few times recently is how to find and build authentic and supportive relationships in the online community, and it reminded me how that was such a big thing for me too when I first started out on this journey. I'm terrible in group situations; I'm lucky to still be best friends with the people I was ten years ago but I can still struggle in bigger groups with my introverted ways. The friendships I've made online, that have now translated into real life as well, have been the most fulfilling part of this whole journey so far and being able to support each other along the way and cheer each other on makes blogging so much more fun.
It’s Okay To Be An Introvert I think the first and most important step is to just accept who you are; it's okay if you're not the loudest person on social media, or attending every event available to you, if you're an introvert you're an introvert and learning to embrace that is a great place to start. The online community is actually an awesome place for introverted souls, it's a great environment for making authentic connections, expressing who you are, and nurturing your creativity. A big thing I've learned along the way is that there doesn't have to be any pressure to be anything other than ourselves.
Be Brave And Reach Out If you want to make some authentic online relationships, my best advice is to be brave and reach out. So many awesome friendships I've made along the way have started with an awkward 'hello' from me, and there's a huge chance they'll be grateful you broke the ice and opened up the connection. Whether it's fellow bloggers or the awesome people who stop by and comment on your blog, if you feel like there's the opportunity for a genuine connection, being brave and reaching out can lead to an awesome friendship. Blogging can feel super lonely sometimes and having awesome people to cheer you on along the way can be the greatest part of this whole community; drop that tweet, send that email, and connect in a way that feels comfortable to you.
Quality Over Quantity I'm a big believer in having just a few close friendships over a room full of acquaintances I don't connect with, and if you're an introverted soul like me don't feel any pressure to line up a bunch of new online friends all in one go. My best advice? Just start with one. If you struggle to connect but are aching to find the people for you, reaching out and grabbing coffee with someone you've connected with online (maybe their tweets make you howl with laugher, or a recent post brought a tear to your eye) can lead to amazing things along the way. We'll always connect more with certain people in life and that's a-okay. Even as an introvert I can feel super lonely sometimes and building friendships along the way and having people I can reach out to and connect with has made the world of difference.
I'd love to know any advice you have for any fellow introverts?
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