2 years of Blogging!

Hello, Hello My blogging journey turned 2 on 31st May 2023! 

I started blogging exactly two years ago with 'Anveshan'. It went by a different name: Violet Valley. As I write this piece, I feel a little uncomfortable. My life was in complete shambles when the pandemic hit. I did not know what I was supposed to do for my undergraduate. It was the time when everyone was distanced from their social circles, so I did not know what most kids my age were doing at the time until college resumed online.

So little by little, I used to imagine what my blog would look like or what its purpose would be. In this journey, I took some really important steps. For example, I struggled with content reach and engagement. I still struggle in this category. But earlier, my audience was not defined. I used to blog about politics, and it took me a while to realise people don't need to hear negative news when they are practically at their lowest, thanks to the aftermath of the pandemic and lockdowns.

When I was transitioning from my first to my second year of college, I dedicated all the time that I had to reading about topics of my interest (mainly politics). I would write long paragraphs exhibiting my discontent over the state of the world. Well, whatever that was, I was in my KRANTI era. I don't want to be Gandhi or Tilak anymore. Tilak's story is more inspiring. He wanted to educate the masses. Whatever I know about Gandhi, he was wrong about many things. Above all, the man that Africans seem to love so much was incredibly racist. Despite staying a baboon in the eyes of the white. 

The above video talks about the entire plan I had dreamt of for Violet Valley.

 Mistakes are made: 

With Anveshan, I made grave mistakes in its marketing. Number 1: Consistency. I get emails from a NEET prep blogger (a service I did not sign up for because I am not a medical student anymore) every day. They write like crazy. Every day, there would be something new. Here's what I learned from this: to be consistent in blogging, you also need at least a month's plan as to what you will put out. Keep the content drafted until the deadline and just hit "Publish! 

But I was juggling with much greater power. College and evening school for external examination preparation So I would never get time for myself, let alone my blog. It was usually during Diwali break or winter break that I would promise my 42 followers on Instagram that "Hey, I am not dead. "I will try to be consistent." I carry immense guilt for not sticking to my word.

When I started my blog, I had the vision that it would be an entertainment and political website. Where people can discuss topics that are interesting. But I was only looking at my interest. In 2021, the world was not interested in the intoxicating and boring world of political drama. Rather, they were interested in much lighter stories. Like movie or book reviews, who is pregnant? Was Chota Bheem a gold digger? That sort of stuff The realisation came upon me very late!

The marketer in me today would kill herself. My blog was actually named after my hippie name, "Violet Valley," according to this infographic. I was born on December 31 (see pic).

I designed my whole blog in shades of purple. For every post, I used customised infographics and cartoons. I had a design template ready for every post I was going to make. A close buddy of mine who loves Adobe and is an expert designer would often give me the look of second-hand embarrassment when I would say, "Ya, I designed using Canva." The colour scheme was so "girly" for issues that were so serious! So yeah, a graphic error.

In Pic: Logo for Violet Valley 

In Pic : Logo for Anveshan Blog 

In pic: Logo for Anveshan Film Review

I did not make enough efforts to increase my blog's market. Most of my close friends were following my account and had subscribed. It was because of my content that I could not convert a large number of viewers to subscribers on my blog. I am still struggling with this, so I can't really comment any further.

When college started, things got so difficult for me. My blog posting got interrupted. I couldn't do research on topics. I was mentally and physically not okay. I got harassed by my teachers repeatedly on insignificant matters. Okay, I admit something was my fault. I am the creator of my own destruction, after all. But yeah, I had fun with my gang.

Moving our arse forward, We continue to learn: 

All the blogs, including this one, are a learning opportunity for me. I am experimenting with new platforms every day, week, month, and year. I am grateful to find some support and affection in eight amazing people I know from college and school and in some extremely close relatives. I hope they notice my fall and growth. I am happy to call them good friends and mentors.

I might not be perfect with my content, and I might not hit the nail on the head sometimes, but I am trying my best to get there. Life is a journey, and we are learning at every step we take as we go forward. I've blogged for two years now, and I am planning many new things for 'Anveshan' and will continue to post my life's agony here. Stay Tuned! 

HUZZAH!