I love the bloggersphere; it's blooming like never before and absolutely oozes creativity, passion and dedication. There are sites I could spend hours fawning over and Instagram accounts that leave me wondering why I missed the memo on how to arrange a burger; as a community we have the ability to sell snow to the eskimos and make a 99p lipstick look like the most luxurious thing available in Selfridges beauty hall. We've changed the landscape forever and should be incredibly proud of that, but it does make me chuckle when I see certain things pop up on my Bloglovin feed. It seems there are a few blogging clichés that we just can't shake, the same things that pop up time and time again (mostly because everyone thinks that's the secret to success) and I've pinpointed the top five I'd rather see the back of!
1. Advice Posts
Everyone loves a helping hand, but we seem to have collectively unleashed a beast. Although every blogger has some form of insight to offer and advice to give, when every other post on my feed is about taking the best instagram shots, growing your twitter following and generally being a better blogger, then it gets a bit dull. Some blogs I used to adore have now metamorphosed into something more educational than aspirational; I'd much prefer that they returned to their roots and showed me how to style that kimono, rather than 1000 words on styling a smoothie for instagram shots.
2. Marble Backgrounds
Who decided that marble was the background of choice for 2015? I think the bloggersphere has single-handedly resurrected the marble industry, albeit temporarily, thanks to our need to scatter makeup brushes along a mottled surface. Although it was a little different initially, now it leaves me with an allergy to anything marble related because I don't want to be part of that cliché. I'd love for bloggers to start experimenting with textures and patterns again, rather than feeling like they have to fit a mould (that's made of marble.)
3. Fairy Light Bedrooms
The fairy lights, the rose gold accessories, the white *everything*... Anyone with a perfect bedroom just makes me insanely jealous - so please, stop it. There's no way that you can maintain a pristine bedroom, put together in a way that would make the gods of Pinterest weep, and actually *live* in it. From Tuesday to Saturday my bedroom looks like an explosion of clothes, makeup and accessories as I spend my life trying to find that t-shirt I know is hiding somewhere; it remains tidy for less than 24hrs at any one given time, because I'm more concerned with getting on with my life than worrying about putting everything away.
4. Floral Arrangements
"Hey look at me, just casually having brunch with these beautiful tulips I picked up at the market!" What is it about flowers that bloggers love so much? Why do we buy so many bunches, at any given opportunity, just to use them as props in photos and instagram shots? Although I adore a beautiful floral arrangement as much as the next person, my flowers mostly come from ASDA or the floral M&S stand at Marylebone station. It seems to be that you can't call yourself a blogger without carrying a bunch of wild flowers at every moment - just in case there's a photo opportunity.
5. Semi-Pornographic Poses
There's a growing trend of posing to camera in a way that's more suited to FHM than Instagram. Yes, you look absolutely fabulous in that bikini, but you don't need to stand in a way that makes you look like a glamour model. (If I'm a little embarrassed looking at topless shots of you on your blog, albeit from behind, I can't imagine what your dad is feeling!) You don't need to pose on a sunbed like you're an extra in Rihanna's latest video either; we like you just as much standing upright like a normal person. And what is this thing about cropping out your face? That's the best bit...!
What clichés would you rather see the back of in blogging?
(This is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, so please don't take offense or my flippant comments to heart! The beauty of blogging is that we can do what we want, without answering to anyone, so crack on and just take this for the lighthearted post it was intended to be...)
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1. Advice Posts
Everyone loves a helping hand, but we seem to have collectively unleashed a beast. Although every blogger has some form of insight to offer and advice to give, when every other post on my feed is about taking the best instagram shots, growing your twitter following and generally being a better blogger, then it gets a bit dull. Some blogs I used to adore have now metamorphosed into something more educational than aspirational; I'd much prefer that they returned to their roots and showed me how to style that kimono, rather than 1000 words on styling a smoothie for instagram shots.
2. Marble Backgrounds
Who decided that marble was the background of choice for 2015? I think the bloggersphere has single-handedly resurrected the marble industry, albeit temporarily, thanks to our need to scatter makeup brushes along a mottled surface. Although it was a little different initially, now it leaves me with an allergy to anything marble related because I don't want to be part of that cliché. I'd love for bloggers to start experimenting with textures and patterns again, rather than feeling like they have to fit a mould (that's made of marble.)
3. Fairy Light Bedrooms
The fairy lights, the rose gold accessories, the white *everything*... Anyone with a perfect bedroom just makes me insanely jealous - so please, stop it. There's no way that you can maintain a pristine bedroom, put together in a way that would make the gods of Pinterest weep, and actually *live* in it. From Tuesday to Saturday my bedroom looks like an explosion of clothes, makeup and accessories as I spend my life trying to find that t-shirt I know is hiding somewhere; it remains tidy for less than 24hrs at any one given time, because I'm more concerned with getting on with my life than worrying about putting everything away.
4. Floral Arrangements
"Hey look at me, just casually having brunch with these beautiful tulips I picked up at the market!" What is it about flowers that bloggers love so much? Why do we buy so many bunches, at any given opportunity, just to use them as props in photos and instagram shots? Although I adore a beautiful floral arrangement as much as the next person, my flowers mostly come from ASDA or the floral M&S stand at Marylebone station. It seems to be that you can't call yourself a blogger without carrying a bunch of wild flowers at every moment - just in case there's a photo opportunity.
5. Semi-Pornographic Poses
There's a growing trend of posing to camera in a way that's more suited to FHM than Instagram. Yes, you look absolutely fabulous in that bikini, but you don't need to stand in a way that makes you look like a glamour model. (If I'm a little embarrassed looking at topless shots of you on your blog, albeit from behind, I can't imagine what your dad is feeling!) You don't need to pose on a sunbed like you're an extra in Rihanna's latest video either; we like you just as much standing upright like a normal person. And what is this thing about cropping out your face? That's the best bit...!
What clichés would you rather see the back of in blogging?
(This is supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, so please don't take offense or my flippant comments to heart! The beauty of blogging is that we can do what we want, without answering to anyone, so crack on and just take this for the lighthearted post it was intended to be...)
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