and then I looked at my own blog's stats.
I know there are many ways that people can Follow a blog
but last time I checked how many were Following me through Bloglovin
I only had 2
so I was thrilled to see my count was up to 21!
Wahoo!
Then I went back to reading blogs.
After a while I decided to check how many were Following the one I was currently reading
and it said 115K
K? I paused.
K?
She had 115 Thousands Followers!
How does a person get that many Followers?
So I started checking others.
Many were in the thousands but some...OMG!
Another blogger who makes her living via blogging must be doing well
because she just bought a house in a very expensive city.
She has 110,440 K Followers.
OK, both are Design blogs but....
I need to research this a little bit.
I mean, wouldn't that be Heaven?
To be home with my animals and blog.
I'm sure it's not easy.
It must be very hard work
But...
I'm just going to try to figure out this Social Media world.
I have Followers on my Instagram and Facebook accounts
but I have a lot more on Twitter and I NEVER tweet!
I don't even have Twitter figured out really
but I do share my Instagram photos on there
so I guess those are tweets
and oddly I have the most Followers on Twitter!?
A site that I don't even try to do?
I'm just thinking that maybe I'm missing out on an opportunity.
Somehow, somewhere.
That I need to change my blog around, I already have my "Art" blog
and now I just realized that I haven't posted a thing over there for a year!
Maybe I need to keep everything in one place, blogwise.
And just remember to also post my Art over there too,
so that it's easy to go to and see my work.
So what do I want to write about?
Well...
I like to write my short stories (usually dog or cat related)
or just about a thought or insight I've had
or just general things about dogs and cats
or MY dogs and cats
and BLUE.
and OF COURSE my ART
and trying to write my illustrated book (about a dog or a cat)
and sharing photos I've taken (usually a dog or cat)
Oh, and about my garden (and how to make it animal friendly)
and I need to start on my home improvements
and I could start writing about that and doing it on a tight budget.
Home improvements with before and afters... and always with pets in mind.
Showing that it's possible to have style and design AND multiple pets.
But I don't want to be thought of as just a blog about animals even if that's what I always come back to.
Maybe I need to change the name.
But then again, maybe not...
Sigh,
I thought about changing the name before and changed my mind.
Oh, and I want to write about trying to be more of a minimalist
or if not that, at least being more organized
and taking joy in a simpler life, with animals...
And I have a list of things I don't want to write about?
Posts with me whining and complaining.
I mean everyone has problems, but no one wants to read about THAT,
not when they have their own things going on.
Not unless there's a goal or a plan, a solution.
A way to work out the problem, something that might be useful for them too,
but not constant whining
and I'm afraid I've been doing that.
Talking about my work problems and being tired and blah blah blah.
So sorry.
So yeah, maybe I can figure something out here.
Who knows? But it's sure to take a lot of time and research.
I'm just looking into it and thinking about trying something NEW.
On a final note.
I have another commissioned illustration to do!
(and I still haven't finished the other pieces that I promised a friend.)
Yeah, need to get on that, NOW.
So, I will leave you with a photo that people on other sites have enjoyed -
I bought one of those little puffy dog beds for my little tiny dogs to sleep on.
It's soft and squishy...and apparently Blue thought it was his!
I have no idea how he was able to tuck himself into this tight ball.
It just couldn't have been comfortable...
God, I love that dog.
17 comments:
Hilarious photo. I guess you are going to have to find him one that will fit him. I have no idea about blogs and I've been blogging for almost three years. I don't use any of those platforms like facebook, instagram, twitter and those instant kind of things and that means I don't look at others. The funniest one for me is that I use pinterest, and that's where I have a lot of followers. A lot for me is not a lot if you look at others followings. LOL and the photos are not my own things, because I've only posted my photos about ten times though others have pinned me. xoxo
Su,
Thanks for commenting!
I actually bought Blue a new bed Friday! There was an estate sale going on in my sister's neighborhood. A beautiful home and in their guest room they had 2 pillow-top twin beds. Since it was the 2nd day of the sale, everything was marked to 20% off. So I got one of the twin's for $60.00!
My sister helped me load it up and carry it into my house for my...guest room.
Wink, wink.
The room that Blue sleeps in while I'm at work. LOL!
I didn't mention that to her! LOL!
But really, most huge dog beds are much more than $60.00!
And about blogging... I just looked and in June I will have been doing it 6 years! I must be doing something wrong to have so few Followers.
And I must admit, I LOVE Instagram!
I'm always taking photos.
It's addicting.... just like Pinterest! Hahaha!
Thanks again!
xo
We all blog for different reasons. Me? My blog about sharing my garden, critters, home improvement projects, etc. I don't care about followers or stats or page views. Sometimes my posts get a lot of attention ... sometimes they are of interest only to me. I love Pinterest as a way to keep my ideas and inspirations in one place. It's not a way I use to communicate.
I'm not going to waste my time on my blog or elsewhere trying to predict what the world wants to get from me. They get what they get, and that's all. (as you can tell, I'm a bit of a take it or leave it sort of gal. I have a huge heart and I love my friends and family and critters. Strangers? If they like me, they like me. If they don't, they're missing out.)
Connie,
I love that you are a take it or leave it gal!
And I can't imagine anyone not liking you! They would indeed be missing out!
I've been blogging as a means of connecting with people who share my same interests and also as a bit of a release valve for my brain! Lol! I find I'm able to chat with real friends here, something that's hard to find in the "real" world.
I don't think about my stats too often but every once and a while I'll notice the number and wonder why I don't have more. Maybe I need to change things up a bit.
But that 115K just blew my mind.
Honestly I don't know where I'd find the time to do more work on the blog.... I'm just dreaming I guess.
Thanks for your great comment!
Xo
Reading this post is like the thoughts that run through my mind. Things we'd do but remember...we are working for someone else a lot of our time. I saw this photo of Blue on your facebook the other day and was telling someone at work about it and promised I'd copy it and email it to my phone to share. I can't get facebook on my phone cause it's and old one but that is changing soon...I just ordered a new phone that I will be able to access facebook with. I cannot imagine how Blue managed this. How long did he stay in this position? what a crazy mutt!
I just shared Blue on my blog under Mod Mix Monday.
Nita,
You and I have so much in common.
;)
I love working with dogs and cats but the other day when it was raining super hard and I had to try to get all the dogs outside to potty in it and then a client's 3 dogs (2 Rottweilers and a huge Pitbull) came charging inside from the rain and knocked me so hard in my knee that I almost went down....
Yeah, I thought about how nice it would be to work out of my home.
:D
And then later, fighting the bridge traffic to get back home, I thought about it again.
Oh well.
and LOL! Blue was like that for maybe 10-15 minutes.
When I noticed him and tried to get a good photo, he realized what I was doing and got up and walked over to the sofa!
He is so funny sometimes.
Love that Lug.
Thanks for featuring him! I will go check that out right now!
XOXO
i love your blog.
but then i love you and ALL your animals!
but that blue... well.
he's just blue. and he's special.
and that picture is the puppy that is still blue!!!!
love that he has a new bed though!
LOL.
the capt sends me stats on the peanut every month. it says i'm up to 500 unique readers each day.
i don't believe that.
or ... if it's true...
thank goodness only a few comment!
i'm not sure stats are all they're cracked up to be.
except ... if you had a business. then i guess they're important.
i've noticed all the design and home décor blogs have heavy traffic.
but i like the idea of your art and everything being on the same blog... to access from the sidebar maybe?
you're a superb artist. you'll figure it out. and it will be great! XOXO♥
and... i don't mind a good rant every now and then! it's YOUR blog. and my gosh. considering what you put up with at that job you HAVE to let of steam occasionally! i'm with connie on that!
Thank you Tammy.
xo
For being so tolerate of my rants especially! LOL!
I looked at my "stats" for last month and it said 4774.
But I think it counts every click so whatever tag word they are searching for and it's in my blog, it could direct them here.
The post with the most "hits" ever mentioned several different dog breeds, so I think people searching for a "white German shepherd" or one of the other breeds mentioned, ended up here! LOL!
Anyway, sigh.
Just thinking out loud. trying to figure out different options and such.
Thank you for the compliment about my Art.
And Blue, isn't he just the greatest!
LOL!
XOXO
I would say forget trying to make money through blogging alone. But I love your whimsical paintings, especially the cats under your link "Prints?" How about selling greeting cards using Etsy or some other site? I don't know the details but you would want to link up with someone who does the printing and shipping, or else you could sell the file of the design and let people print them themselves? You need something that isn't labor-intensive because you need a constructive way of escaping the toxic people you work with.
Ranting is great sometimes, but empowerment is even more fun!
Thank you so much Jean!
All these comments have really helped me!
I'm going to organize my blog and get links set up and get more paintings and prints done and also... Cards!
Thank you, thank you!
Xoxo
Stopping by from Tammy's blog. I think the Monk is on to something...your art is unique and definitely marketable. Blue is precious, and your illustrations depict his personality to those of us who don't know him. He's a big ol' goofball, right?!
About those stats...it's good to know where we as bloggers stand, but to get to the numbers you described takes TONS of work. A bit of unsolicited advice...do what you can, when you can and not a bit more or burnout will be knocking at your door.
Doreen,
First, Thanks SO much for commenting!
and I agree, Jean is definitely right.
I need to focus on my Art and not so much on the blog.
You are also right, the more I think about it, I'm don't even know where I would find the time and I would soon be overwhelmed and burnt-out.
And Blue, he's many many things
and a big ol' goofball is definitely one of them! LOL!
Thanks again!!!
Cynthia,
I thought I had goofy dogs but - nope - Blue definitely has them beat. I truly believe that some animals have a sense of humor and that they do things just to make us laugh. They have to know they're being silly, don't they? Anyway, Blue obviously wasn't being very subtle when he tried to show you how much he needs his own cushy bed.
I think that having a lot of followers must be like being popular in high school, it must be nice in a superficial way but how well can you get to know people when there are literally thousands of them commenting on your blog? I like blogs in which people actually talk to each other. Yours is a good one for inspiring deep thought and interesting conversation.
--Grace
Grace,
I agree, Blue is goofy
OR very very smart.
I mean I did get him his own twin bed after he did this! LOL!
And about Followers. I was thinking almost the same thing last night. I mean about it being sort of a popularity contest and how I never cared for that sort of thing. That what I really value is quality over quantity and the comments left on this post speaks volumes! True friends, although I have never met anyone, are so hard to find and to think everyone took moments out of their busy lives to leave me such thoughtful comments and advice.
I am humbled
and HAPPY!
Thank you for commenting!
xo
How sweet a real bed for him! My toy poodle has several spots, but since he is so small he has an outdoor chair cushion, which is much less expensive than a dog bed. He tends to act up with colitis or a vomit, because he will eat something outside for example: a lizard head that a cat left. I can then just throw his outdoor cushion in the wash. The funniest thing is that he chose it for himself. I use to have nice cushions on my iron chairs, but my cats knocked them off for playing and resting. Well, every time my Francis poodle went outside he sat on one when he was done playing. So I brought one in, and he used it for probably six months or more, before it needed to be thrown out. Now he has a newer one from home goods that cost fourteen dollars. xoxo Su
Su,
I have to laugh because one of my little poodle's (Louie) middle name is actually "vomit" (long story but I rescued him before his previous owner could put him down for vomiting). His full name is Louis Vomit Vuitton.
I also use an outdoor chair cushion for my old dog Rosie's kennel that she prefers to sleep in.
And, I have two chaise lounges out on the patio that only the dogs use and you are so right, they are super easy to just quickly hose off any doggie "stuff".
:D xoxo
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