To Blog or Not To Blog?

Judging by some of your comments left on my “gone fishing” posts, I know that many of you had started to wonder if I would ever be returning from my “vacation” and/or writing a new post. If so, I must share with you that recently I have found myself wondering if I had allowed my life to become too much of an open book. So I took the holidays to ponder today’s post – “To blog or not to blog, that is the question.”

I must admit when I first decided to create Cut, Sew and Blog I seriously believed that it would be this great little marketing tool which would allow me to virtually connect to my brand’s growing customer base. I thought I would spend most days waxing about daily fabric choices, sharing continuous inspirations for upcoming collections and/or simply giving you all little sneak peaks into my daily life as a fashion designer. Simple – Right? Of course not, this is fashion.

From the moment CS&B began a strange relationship between me and my readers began to happen. I started to receive emails and comments from people that wanted to know the “real deal” with being a fashion designer living and working in New York City. The comments on the blog itself were usually very generic and somewhat benign. What intrigued me most were the cloaked emails received via our CS&B email link. These emails would organically change the course of CS&B forever. The one thing which really resonated with me was the sense of hurt and rejection that most of these emails contained from aspiring designers, stylists, models, and creatives-at-large. Even when someone would ask a simple question like, “How do I get my foot in the door?” it was usually followed by a heart felt story of rejection and/or despair. These stories were often so detailed and vivid that I could physically feel the emotionally scarred author‘s pain. This pain was beyond anything I believed I could sooth with one of my witty one liners and/or an anecdote passed down from my wise old 94 year old grandma. Therefore most of my posts were actually inspired by comments as well as emails that begged me to share my “actual journey” and not the PC or media driven version. A few times, I was even called out by a few of my readers for not giving the backstory to several posts in particular – but I simply soothed their ruffled feathers by assuring them that all will be revealed in due time.

To be quite honest, there were even those days when I knew for a fact that I was using Cut, Sew and Blog for my own selfish and therapeutic reasons. I knew that at times CS&B felt like a stretching out on a therapist’s cheap leather chaise lounge without ever having to expect a bill at the end of the month. I can still remember initially going to GoogleAnalytics to check out how many people had logged on to CS&B per day. At the onset we had approximately 200 to 250 people stopping by and we actually thought we were doing good – if not great. Then I started to court my fellow bloggers for their assistance in increasing our readership (i.e. Fashionbomb, ShakeYourBeauty, The Business of Fashion Blog, Styleaholics, FashionIndie, etc.) believe it or not, I have actually formed real friendships with most of the editors of each of these blogs. I eventually watched our readership slowly increase by leaps and bounds in a matter of weeks.

Then we started receiving attention from the international press, nothing big, but a mention here and there (The New York Times, or The Herald Tribune or The Washington Post, etc.) would allow CS&B a tremendous spike in readership. Some days I’d have to pinch myself at the increased volume. The pinch was to assure myself that I was still alive and that there hadn’t been an inadvertent obituary released announcing my early departure for the afterlife. (I read somewhere once that most people’s deaths get more press coverage than any single thing they could have ever possibly accomplished in their lifetime – sad but true)...

Oh yes, I would be remised if I didn’t give the lovely folks over at The New York Post’s Page Six their due in increasing our readership dramatically every single time they printed my name associated in some exaggerated scandal and/or made-up rumor. I have recently learned that as long as they get the spelling of my name correct - all of the rest of that crap really doesn’t matter. And in all honesty, I don’t find myself analyzing the stats that often these days. I simply follow my heart and hope that the universe will bring the right set of eyes to a particular post that resonates for the reader. It is as simple as that…

So now I find myself in a new year and faced with the burning question – “To Blog or Not To Blog???” I also now look to all of you to help me decide. Please leave your vote via comment or email...

VOTE:

1) To Blog

2) Not To Blog

Also, if there are things in particular that you would like for me to blog about, please let me know… I am sure this open invitation will be a double-edged sword, especially as it seems I have successfully organized a following of “emerging leaders” that aren’t shy with their comments and/or advice – even when not solicited… I implore you to never stop giving me your feedback. “CS&B belongs to you my liege…”


P.S. As far as the “Gone Fishing” messages are concerned… Now you all should know me well enough to know by now that I wouldn’t be caught dead fishing… Well that is not completely true… If Hermes were to create a fabulous fly-rod, tackle box and fishing vest – I might consider it…