Today I’m linking up with Jenn from Peas & Crayons for What I Ate Wednesday
We’ve all talked (or read) about it and we certainly all feel it. That frustratingly constant tug of war between the desire to appear polished, poised and picture perfect and that yearning to expose our authentic selves and make meaningful connections. The truth is, I love trying to create beautiful things. I love trying to get the perfect shot, the best angle, the Insta-pic that just might get you to drool on your phone a little. That makes me happy, it brings me joy to constantly work to improve my skillz. Do I actually eat on the staged photo setup? Of course not. After I snap the pic I proceed to face plant into my food usually near my computer (probably watching the Office or listening to NPR). But a huge part of what I enjoy about blogging and food is the process of making, styling, sharing and yes, ultimately eating it.
Breakfast: smoothie bowl covered in toppings: hemp seeds, coconut, blackberries, granola and almond butter
Yesterday Davida’s blog post really got me thinking …again…about this topic. She asked “can you monetize a mess?” Can you be successful, create beautiful, inspiring work, expose your true authentic self, preserve some air of privacy and maintain your sanity… oh and maybe get paid? That’s the million dollar question for pretty much any blogger who’s stepped out of “the hobby phase.”
Mind you this isn’t my full time job, but I do treat it like one. I want In it 4 the Long Run to appear professional, polished and less like a diary. I want to provide value to the people who take the time out of their busy lives to read this blog.
Iced Coffee
Lunch: Arugula, Sprouts, Tomatoes & a Tuna Burger
My ultimate goal is to entertain, inform, inspire and delight you every time you land on a post on In it 4 the Long Run. Can that always be the case? Can I share not only the highlight reel, but some of the behind the scenes too?
*Pushes up invisible “nerd glasses” and talks in nasally voice* Well according to my analytics…. and the incredible heartfelt comments (to me a MUCH more important metric) it looks like I can get real. When I shared my struggles with an eating disorder, how I am learning to love my body at a new weight, when I tried to be cool and it blew up in my face or when I share WIAW posts like this one, people respond with nothing but kindness, empathy, support and probably the most gratifying outcome is when someone is kind and brave enough to share with me their own struggles in return. That is a gift I will never take for granted.
Snack: Greek yogurt, chocolate sunbutter, granola & hemp seeds
Zoodles, sprouts, tomatoes, arugula, almonds & fried egg
I guess what it all boils down to is trust.
The most valuable thing I have is your trust and I pray that I’m never foolish enough to lose that. While I might not be able to share everything, I don’t ever want to mislead or misconstrue the truth. I’m a flawed individual (no surprise there) who will make mistakes along the way, but if you trust that I only want the best for you the reader and by extension, this blog, I think we’ll be good.
You’ll see some carefully curated and designed posts and if I’m lucky some drool worthy recipes, but I don’t want to forget about sharing the things that make me human. Like the fact I worked in my pajamas for the past two days and I get anxious meeting new people and I’m not nearly as body confident as I would like to be and I can be self-indulgent at times and a bit of a hypocrite… but if we were perfect life (and blogs) wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.
So thank you.
Your Turn:
Not so much a specific question, but I’d love to know how you feel about what it means to “keep it real”
0
Ok well you’ve definitely got the pro blogger foodie pics down – YUM! I must say blogging is a great way to reality check – and ask ourselves just how real/true to us (gag) are we being. Not just online, but in all walks of life. Whenever I catch myself caring a bit too much what a reader or a friend or family member – any one – thinks, I take a step back and tell myself… just be me! Without trying to hide/change anything. It pays off in all kinds of ways.
That’s an excellent point. Sometimes I have to step back and ask myself “who am I doing this for?” and I don’t always have the answer. But anytime I’ve taken a bit of a risk and opened up it makes a difference.
Great post, Georgie! I also read Davida’s post yesterday and loved how real it was. I’ll be getting my blog up by the middle of this month and am getting a little anxious about all of it. But I know in the end I too look to just be real, inspire, and connect. <3 Looking forward to hearing more from you!
That’s so exciting Ashley! I can’t wait to see it. Let me know as soon as it goes live <3
I love this post, Georgie. It’s getting way too common to find people who are just writing to promote something or make a buck. I find it refreshing to hear about how much you care. I constantly think about my readers whenever I share a post, so of course I want to know that the blogs I read are doing the same. Keep it up because you da bomb! PS: I want that tuna burger please send it to me thanks.
You are so good at keeping it real Georgie! I love how you are so honest and personable with your readers, something I need to do more of. I think being human attracts humans to your blog, keep it up! Love your blog <3
Thank you so much Bethany, that really means the world to me.
THIS is why I <3 you. You are able to be real and honest but still produce awesome (and beautiful) content. That's what I (and so many others) aspire to.
That means so much coming from you because your posts are always so thoughtful and interesting to read and most importantly get me thinking.
It is a constant tug-of-war for me to try to craft professional content and still want to be “real.” I think that finding a balance between the two is something that I strive to find and some days are better than others but in the end I want something that both my readers can enjoy and I can enjoy creating. I think you do a great job of being both real and nailing down those drool-worthy recipes, trust me on that one! <3
That means so much to me Brie! Thank you thank you.
–> what she said. Nailed it. It’s nice to feel I’m not alone in wanting to create beautiful things but also keep it real…like how I totally just ate a sandwich at 9:00 AM because I was feeling like it. Welcome to my life! Lots of love babes xoxo
Thanks Davida! Your post really struck a chord with me and one of the reasons I keep coming back to your blog isn’t just your incredible recipes but your ability to share your life in a real way. I’m inspired when I see the behind the scenes, the messes and the details… and I also love pretty pictures of food 😀
YES to all of this…Great post friend! xoxo
Thank you dear. One of the MANY reasons I love your blog is your abillty to share your triumphs and struggles in a relatable and inspiring way
Truth. Another spot on post. I battle between trying to win it all and then like you said, being myself. I do love to have a polished look but in reality it’s a struggle to put together posts all the time and I don’t have the capacity to please everyone. It’s important to keep this all in mind – especially when we see people who are doing better in one thing or another or maybe just appear to be doing better in everything. What’s funny is we all have our own struggles but rarely let people see that side of us. It’s almost like being too vulnerable. You got this!
As blogger myself, it’s not difficult to see that even the most perfect looking lives are not that way at all. There are people who are such optimist that they really believe that their life is perfect ( My personal belief is that this is a defense mechanism that has worked for them) I remember helping a friend who’s husband was tragically dying of lung cancer. The entire family continued to say that he was going to fight this up until the day he passed even though the doctors explained that this type of cancer was terminal and inoperable. They were shocked, not prepared and never said goodbye when he was gone. My point is that for me personally, keeping it real means asking myself some really tough questions like, “Where am I failing?” and “What do I need to clean up both physically and mentally?” “What is inoperable and terminal that I need to say goodbye too?” you know?
To be honest, my favorite posts to read by a blogger are the “messy” ones because they’re the most real. I want to learn about the person more than I want to see pictures of food (as pretty as they are). I like being able to relate to someone and learn a story about them. So I love posts like this 🙂
Thanks Sarah! I love hearing from you because you know how to keep it real which is one of the big reasons your blog inspires me oh and your mad running skillz
Great post! Being a new blogger I’ve definitely been conscious of finding my own voice and being honest to myself and my readers. I think this is something that I will definitely feel more of a struggle with over time, but I like to believe, and truly hope, that I continue to provide an open and honest space on my blog.
Thanks for sharing your WIAW! Love seeing everyone’s eats and sharing mine:) AND can i PLEASE have the smoothie bowl? Like now? (I’m starving and haven’t had time to grab lunch yet!)
Keeping it real to me is being true to yourself- not lying to yourself or others and showing your true face.
That’s a great point Melissa. Before you can be real with others you have to be real with yourself.
Keep it real, girl! Your blog is amazing and profesh, but our imperfections are also what make us, as humans, unique 🙂
Thanks Em! Turns out pretty much everything is about striking the right balance… oh and adding a little sass and probably a spoonful of nut butter for good measure
I love reading your blog- why? because you do keep it so real- you are so relatable in many ways that it is refreshing. It is nice to read blogs like yours that show your own faults and mishaps in the kitchen versus everything being completely perfect…..and that tuna burger? if we want to get really real…can we talk about that 😉
Thanks Blair! It’s great to know that people want to see the PEOPLE behind the content. I love being able to connect with readers & bloggers
Just wait! Tomorrow the tuna burger recipe goes live (can you tell I’m excited)
Beautiful pictures and a beautifully written post. I can tell you that you most definitely succeed as coming off professional on here 🙂
Thanks so much Kayla!
Yes yes yes to this post! You are the best at keeping it real and I really appreciate that, I think a lot of people are too scared to do that, but I love your ability to be real and still keep up with awesome recipes and content! <3
Thanks Lacey! That’s really nice to hear. I’m a huge huge fan of Runs and Roses! All your advice is so thoughtful, practical and actionable which is honestly SO rare for most blogs.
you always have my trust and i so agree. <3 it, <3 you.
That means everything Lindsay! Thanks for being among the ladies who always keep it real 😀
If I had to sum up my position here in one easy equation it’d be this: being real = making real connections/friends = really awesome. Or in more detail: I read a lot [too many?] blogs but those that I’ll return to are the ones of people who keep it real. I’m the same with people in real life: if I feel you’re constantly trying to appear like you had it all together, every day was sunshine and rainbows and joy all around then chances are we wouldn’t be friends. Because a) I’d never feel I knew the whole YOU and b) I wouldn’t feel comfortable showing myself fully – messy days and all – and never open up. You might be able to guess it’s a topic I’ve been thinking about [more than once] before …
Anyway, stay the way you are, be the real you and I’ll keep coming back :).
You have no idea how much this comment means to me, especially coming from you. Your honest stories are more inspiring than a truck load of sunshine and rainbows. You make such a great point about the real life friendships. While I don’t enjoy spending time with negative people, I certainly can open up when I see someone who isn’t always trying to put on a show. Anywhoo I could ramble about this forever but I’m so glad we’ve connected on the blogosphere and hopefully one day we’ll be able to meet in real life too!
Davida’s post got me thinking a lot about this, too! I think it’s really resonating with everyone which is such a good reminder that we’re all just HUMAN! Honestly, I love when someone opens up on their blog and shows a more personal side. I feel like that’s what makes a blog really stand out!
I love when someone can make me feel and think and that’s almost always a result of being human, asking questions, admitting flaws and revealing the behind the scenes of success. So glad this conversation continues!
Um can I just say you’re super refreshing and I really am glad I’ve started reading your blog? Also your comments are always some of my faves on my post. Anyway, I think you totally keep it real because you’re not all like “I ate this sweet potato and enjoyed coffee on the side” <- like that makes me want to throw up. I think my best quality is keeping it real, followed by my quality of keeping people happy. My least favorite quality is people who "try" to be something. Like just be yourself – thats what makes you cool!
Thanks so much Cassie <3 Exactly. There is a ton of pressure to fit into a mold, but in the end it's the bloggers who are different that get noticed and make real connections. So glad we've connected in the blogosphere 😀