I have been contemplating starting a blog for the past 5 or so years. It was an idea I kept at the back of my mind. I set it aside as a someday activity..you know, for a time when I was less busy (still waiting on that.) I was finally pushed to really dive in when one of my new coworkers asked me a pretty run-of-the-mill question. He simply asked me, “What do you like to do for fun?” I paused for a moment and gave some basic answer about spending time outdoors and with family. While I do love both of those things, I realized that wasn’t my real answer. I had personal passions and loves in my life in addition to these that I had tossed to the side. I had completely lost touch with who I am, what drives me, and those things I am passionate about.
That day I decided that I would make a list of everything that I loved. Sounds really basic–I know. But try it out if you feel like you’ve lost touch with yourself a bit. It’s really easy to feel that way in today’s world with the list of a million things you need to do NOW! Making a list of everything you love to do, gives you a chance to really focus on yourself and remember those parts of you that you may have lost focus of while trying to juggle it all.
On my list I wrote:
Fitness, homemaking, cooking, food, family time, taking time with God, wellness, clothing, skincare, snowboarding, the outdoors, surfing, running, traveling, Disney, puzzles and planning trips.
(Yes, puzzles is on the list.) Out of the many things on my list of things I enjoy, I have only done a handful of them in the past few years. I have been so focused on work, school, and my toddler that I completely neglected myself. I’m sure many mothers, and busy men/women in general can echo this sentiment. You become so focused on making money, bettering your future self, and taking care of your family that you completely forget about yourself. There’s only so long you can keep it up before you take a moment for yourself and realize that you feel like you should be happier, but you just feel unfulfilled.
I am incredibly grateful for everything I have been blessed with, but I felt like time was slipping by, and I wasn’t feeling that excitement and passion I used to feel when doing things that I loved. I just kind of felt blahhh. So I thought, maybe I’ll start a blog..? Maybe that will give me the creative license I’ve been craving–something I’ll do because I want to and not because I have to. I had no idea where to start, so I decided to join a blogger mentorship program with Blair, a vlogger/blogger whose content I really enjoy (highly recommend her guidance if you are starting a blog btw.) A week or so into the program, I created Something Slate.
SO WHY DID I START A BLOG? At the core, I started blogging as a way to feel like I am creating something rather than just going with the flow. Ya know? I love writing and taking pictures, and I am so exciting to watch this platform grow!
On my blog, I’ll focus on sharing helpful tips + tricks while also writing about my experiences and the things on my “love list”. I want this to be an honest, positive place to connect with other women while building each other up.
Thanks for reading! Look for new posts every Tuesday. See ya on the blog.
-Claudine
I would absolutely love to hear from you! SERIOUSLY.
Call me, beep me if you want to reach me:
somethingslate[at]gmail[dot]com
Enjoying your blog and learning why you started it. I look forward to watching it grow. May I ask how did you come up with the name Something Slate ? The Pumkin MAC and Cheese looks yummy. Thank you and keep blogging. Looking forward to next Tuesday. 💕
Hi there!
Thank you for the feedback 🙂 I chose slate because it represents something you write on (perfect for a blog), and it also represents evolution over time. I chose something because I was trying to come up with the first word of my blog name, and I kept saying something…slate. Eventually I decided that I actually likes Something Slate better than anything else!