And we’re back! I took a couple of weeks off as you may (or may not) have noticed.
Frankly, I’ve been feeling really discouraged when it comes to blogging. All things Internet and social media related really. This blog started as a hobby then grew to the point where it was my “side hustle”. But then growth slowed and slowed and basically plateaued to the point of almost moving backward.
To say it’s frustrating is putting it mildly. I feel like I can take things to the next level but I’m missing some key piece. And that sensation of missing something was a big source of my frustration.
I truly considered bagging it all. But that didn’t feel right either. I’ve wanted to quit blogging several times in the past. Each of those times something happens to tell me to keep going. This time there wasn’t anything propelling me onward so why not just throw in the towel? Well, that didn’t feel right either. In my past experiences, when I come to a decision about something it feels right. Along the lines of a weight being lifted from my shoulders.
Then I stumbled upon Robert Brault’s definition of an optimist “someone who figures out that taking a step backward after a step forwards is not a disaster. It’s more of a cha-cha.”
So what am I getting at with all this?
Well, I’ve decided that Northwest Blonde is going to be much more life focused. So what does that mean? Basically that it will be more lifestyle content versus style content. Sure I’m still going to share my outfits. Yes, I’ll still tell you about sales but it will be much more paired down than in the past. A handful of retailers rather than a giant list and only when it really matters. I want to actually help and inspire you guys rather than just sell to you.
My life is totally different from seven years ago when this blog was started and the content you see needs to be a better reflection of that. So thank you for bearing with me as I figure out what the new balance of lifestyle to fashion content will be here. I promise if anything changes you’ll be some of the first to know!
xo – Ana Luiza
PS. You also probably noticed that there has been a full site redesign. I’m still working out some of the bugs. As the NYC Metro says “if you see something, say something.” Just let me know if there is anything wonky you stumble upon. Cheers!
