I’m not sure if you have noticed this but if you’re a long-time reader of BA, you may have noticed that the quality of posts have declined over the past few months. At least, I thought they weren’t up to par. If you haven’t noticed, bless you. 🙂
After almost 9 years of blogging, it seems as though I’ve pretty much run out of things to blog about. What have been said has already been said and to tell you the truth, many times I feel like I’ve been pulling out hot air out of my hat. I haven’t been happy with what I’ve been producing lately. It’s no one’s fault but my own. The content vault has run severely dry and is running on goodness-knows-what sort of fuel. It’s almost as though I’ve lost perspective of what BA was supposed to be about. Trying to come up with content for 5 days a week has gotten exceedingly hard, especially when I’m not trying out many new beauty products nor have the desire to simply buy and use simply for review. I want to love what I use and I want to share with you what I’ve found that’s so good, you gotta try it out too. Unfortunately, I haven’t been feeling inspired in quite a while and I figured it’s time to stop all those fluffy fillers posts and take a step back.
After much deliberation, I’ve decided to put BA on hiatus for the next few weeks. I’m not stopping blogging but I need a break to gain some perspective. BA was originally created to write about what I want and what I love but somewhere along those 8+ years, things have changed and that’s no longer the case. Somehow, it became just about products, email lists and conversions these days. Mind you, I don’t have anything against them but I’d be remiss if I don’t say that I long for the good ol’ days of what blogging used to be.
I’ll still be around on social media and email. Please don’t think that I’m leaving for good because I’m not, at least, not yet. I love blogging too much to stop altogether. I love the BA community too much (that’s you!) to say goodbye. At the risk of sounding all “Eat Pray Love”, I need to find my blogging self because I don’t know where the heck she’s gone.
Thanks very much for all of your support all this time and I’d appreciate your continuing support during this hiatus. If there’s anything you’d like to see more of or less of on BA, please either let me know in the comments below or email me. I have a pretty good idea of what I want BA’s direction to be from now on but I’d love some time to continue to think about it.
I’ll see you again soon. 🙂
Tine x
Noooooo – going to miss you! Your blog is about the only Australian beauty blog I like! I can see that it must be awful having to think up new topics all the time and I would hate for my skin to be a continual testing ground for new products. I think it would be pioneering for you to set yourself up as an Asian beauty blogger. I don’t know of any Australian bloggers who are doing this seriously although Korean cosmetics is becoming huge in the Western world. (Sephora in US stocks several Korean brands now, including TonyMoly – ditto Urban Outfitters). As Aussie enthusiasts we have to rely on American bloggers for our Korean beauty fix. It would be awesome to have an Aussie blogging about this. So much material- not just an endless array of cheap, fun, effective products but also a myriad of online sellers – some good, some bad. And such different products – snail filtrate, horse oil, caviar, ginseng – what are they all for? Essences, ampoules, actives, sheet masks – where do they all fit in to our routine, and in what order? I think so many women have heard all this and just don’t know where to start. Yet it’s not complicated – the products are cheap and readily available online and the 10 Step routine is easy once you understand it. It’s a whole new world of beauty that is almost untouched and untapped by Aussie bloggers. Best of luck during your hiatus – I’m going to miss you! Xx Jane
Awww thanks Jane! I didn’t know mine was the only Aussie beauty blog you like! What an honour indeed. 🙂
I’ve been giving what you wrote a lot of thought, Jane, not just in the comments here on BA but on the FB page as well for the past few weeks. BA did start out as a beauty blog catered towards Asian beauty but somewhere along the line, what with working with PRs and all that, there was a big shift. I’ve truly missed writing about Asian beauty stuff, which I used to love many years ago. I’d definitely love to get on the Korean beauty bandwagon now that I’m slowly getting my hooks on K-dramas and am loving those Korean actresses’ skin sick. 😛 It’ll take some time though since I’m really new to Korean beauty but I’ll give it a try. Thanks for the inspiration Jane. x
I agree with Jane too. There is a nice Asian beauty blogger community in the US. I struggle to find the same here in Australia. None of the Asian beauty brands have a presence here (well, except SKII and Shiseido), which is such a pity. I wish more can be done to bring the Asian skincare lovers community together.
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Speaking from experience, take all the time you need, Tine. You will feel better for it, once you figure out what it is that brings back the spark to your life when you blog and that’s when you know what track you want to be on. Don’t burden yourself with labels and most importantly, don’t follow what all the blogging/SEO gurus say. Their tips don’t work if you truly care about blogging (been there done that again!) What is important is your personal passion and when that’s gone, it will reflect itself on the blog.
I won’t say I noticed any decline in the quality of your posts. I did notice that things were taking on a slightly fluffier approach which I didn’t think was very you, but I thought you wanted to try a change of direction and see where that took you. From a personal standpoint, I decided to eschew a lot of the advice out there, and just retreat back into myself and what I wanted to do and write how I wanted to write. Much to my interest, it seems to resonate with people, so that has given me my confidence back. Also, try doing a shorter week. I did 3 posts a week for about a year, and it was refreshing for me. It forced me to be more selective in what I write about, since my blog real estate was limited, and it gave me fresh perspective in what I wanted to put forward. Now that I’m back to a 5-day week (for now anyway) I’ve carried forward that approach, and it’s allowed me more flexibility and less stress than I anticipated. I think sometimes, it’s ok to rehash topics, or even to blog about what others are blogging about. We have our own take, and our own voices, and that’s what blogging is about in the end! 🙂 Have a good break and when you get back, you’ll be raring to go – mark my words. Once a blogger, always a blogger 😉
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Thanks Peebs. See see I knew you’d detect the fluffiness. It’s not so much of what I’m trying; more of something to fill in the space, especially on days when I really have nothing else to give. I don’t mind fluffy posts every now and then as they’re light, easy to consume and sometimes fun to write. But when I look at my editorial calendar on the birds eye view, I realised that there are more fluffy posts than solid ones and that’s not good.
I’m still thinking about it but high chances are I’ll be scaling back the frequency of blogging. 5 days a week isn’t working for me anymore (to think I used to do 7 days a week!). There’s going to be a few changes by the time I get back. I don’t want the pressure of blogging to make me resent it, which, to be honest, I was starting to. Hence the break. Not having to worry about what’s going to be blogged the next week made last weekend the first weekend of actual rest!
We love you Tine……sorry I haven’t had the time to comment in recent months (life went awesome good busy), but I try to read still when I can and still love what you put out. Also get though that taking a break can be a good idea so hope it rejuvenates you and gets the live back. Huge hugs, H x
Aww thanks Hilary. Good busy is good! When will you be in Melb? We’re long overdue for a catchup. x
Omgosh…..my life is so busy right now 😣 I was gonna try and get over this comedy festival, but am having to rethink that…as it is I’m out of Adelaide more than I’m in it this year now..but will try to pop over at some point…as soon as I know I’ll let you know because OMGOSH do we have a lot to catch up on 😊😁😆
Always good to take a break and re-focus .. take all the time you need 🙂
Monica.
Thanks Monica. You’ve been so steadily there for me on the blog for so long; you have no idea how much I appreciate your support. 🙂 x
Hey Tine,
Thanks for all the hard work you’ve put into your blog. I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs. You even inspired me to start my own blog! I’m sure I’ll still see you on Instagram, especially on your Closet Planner page. Love what you’ve done. Take a big a break as you need. You deserve it.
Love, Mel
Thanks Mel. I’d admit, CPA is taking up a lot of my time, which is a good thing, but it also meant the blog had to suffer. Sigh. The joys of juggling, eh? 🙂
I’m sorry to hear your blog-weariness. Putting yourself out there on an almost daily basis cannot be easy. I have only gotten to ‘know’ you for the last few months -alas too briefly. Please return soon.
Aww thanks Catherine. I won’t be away long. I hope. Yeah, it’s definitely not easy. How the heck did I blog for 7 days for the past few years? 😛
I’ve been taking unplanned lengthy hiatus and took a break from reading blog at the same time. I don’t know what I want to do too. Blogging nowadays is so different to what it was like. It was instant publishing of your thoughts and now, there are so many things to consider and it’s not that fun anymore when there are so many ‘rules’ to follow. As a person who is still taking a break from blogging, take a break or blog at your own pace.
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My sentiments exactly Coco. Blogging is so different from how it was before. I’m all for growth and change as time goes by but many times I feel as though I’m struggling to keep up. At some point, we just gotta tell ourselves to throw that rulebook out of the window!
Hey, Tine. Sorry about your blog break but I think it can be a good thing. I also think that 3 days a week is perfectly fine to reduce to- quality over quantity. Take care of your self.x
Thanks Lisa. I’ve been contemplating 3 days a week too. There’ll be changes to BA, that’s for sure. I don’t like taking extended breaks from the blog but this time, I’m afraid just a week away isn’t going to cut it. Like you said, focus on quality over quantity. 🙂 x
As a newish blog reader of yours, a voracious blog reader in general, and former blog writer myself, could I just say I think your blog is great and I find your honest opinions on beauty products very refreshing.
However a big concern I have about bloggers is much of the accepted wisdom in the field about frequency of posting, which results in writers burning out from feeling they have to produce so much content, and then stopping outright. It’s just not feasible to produce new content most days a week for years on end! Look at ‘Young House Love’ – realistically they could have posted weekly or fortnightly, one post full of passion, and still had a very happy audience – and I believe it’s the same for you!
Regardless of what any of us think, it’s so important that you do what’s right for you. I hope you have a lovely break for as long as you need and come back revitalised. x
Thank you. Funny how I tell readers about quality over quantity, don’t stress about needing to blog frequently, and here I am not following my own advice, which leads to this major blogging burnout. I’ll check out the blog you recommended. Thanks again for your kind words of encouragement. I needed them! 🙂
Hi Tine, I thoroughly enjoy your blog, because of your honesty and humour. But I can imagine how hard it must be to write a post 5 days a week. In my job I have to write in a communication style journal each day to parents who won’t necessarily see either me or my team mate, and even though the day is busy and full of activity – somedays I draw a blank. Enjoy your break, clear your mind, and don’t worry about your readers, we will be here waiting for when you come back. Will continue to follow you on Instagram, Kathryn xx
Thanks Kathryn, really appreciate it! When it comes to blogging, my mind has drawn blanks for far too long, hence the need for the break. If not, I’ll grow to hate blogging altogether, and I really really don’t want that to happen.
Enjoy your blog break Tine, and focus on you and what you need. In regards to when you decide to return, maybe give 3 days a go and see how it feels? I would still feel like I’d had my BA fill but also miss you, which is perhaps a good medium? Blogger burnout can be so frustrating for sure – sorry I haven’t commented in ages too, I’ve been really flat lately but have been reading every post when it hits my inbox. x
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Go on and have your well-deserved break! Nothing is worse than reaching a bottleneck situation at something you like to do. Go out and enjoy the nature before it turns chilly in Melbourne!
All the best to you Tine! Go have a little fun. Nothing’s more important than taking time to recharge and find your inspiration again. x
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Have a good break Tine. I still go through your archives every once in awhile to find out about skincare and makeup. I am just about to go to your archive now to find out about Vitamin C serum as a friend was asking me about it. Sorry I have not been more regular reader than I use to. Take care 🙂
Oh no! 🙁
I came to visit your lovely website as I hadn’t seen a post by you for a while. While I’m saddened to hear that the ‘writers burnout’ has hit you, I completely understand your need to take a break. I’m not a blogger (though I’m tempted to try it out), but I can see how formulating and then writing your thoughts out for viewers can be exhausting (and soul tiring) work. People in the corporate world need a day off here or there, along with vacation time to recuperate. Bloggers need that same kind of time off for their mental health and happiness, too!
Anywho, I hope you have an enjoyable break, and I look forward to reading your blogs when you return. 🙂
Have a good break Tine [2]
Thanks for sharing!
Hey tine! I had been missing your posts in my mail box and was wondering since a few weeks where they have disappeared. Then, I thought of checking out your blog. Have a great break! Talk about burning out. I am facing the same issue. In fact I am deliberating whether to keep it or sell it. I feel guilty for not being able to post and can not write just for the heck of it. Totally confused! All the best to you and have fun 🙂
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Tine,…..I officially detect no fluffiness !!…you seem like a very sweet,funny and real girl……doing something day in day out can become a drag and makes you feel very one dimensional…. I think what your feeling is natural….. I hope you find your calling tine…x
Aww thanks very much for your kind words, Katie. Appreciate your kind words of encouragement! 🙂 x