Friday Five : New year, new reflections (on beauty blogging)

          At this time of year, (right around New Year's) I like to pull out my figurative mirror and examine who I am as a person and as a beauty blogger. Today I'm taking the opportunity to wax poetic on some valuable advice I've come across, and other lessons learned while blogging. Whether you are a blogger, reader, or first time visitor, I hope you'll find something that resonates with you as well!

1. Be a unique snowflake
When I started blogging, I spent a good deal of time thinking about where I would fit in in the beauty blogging world. Should I be goofy? pretentious? obssessed? None of the above seemed quite right (after all, I suppose I was meant to be "cute and mundane"....). The reality is that most of us are a mixed bag. Instead of fitting into a pre-made or idealized mold, the grail is to 'be yourself' and do what is meaningful to you. That may sound easy (and a bit cliché), but it really takes work to realize who you are inside and outside of beauty blogging, and how you can effectively translate your unique personality into typed text!

2. Follow the rainbow
I've somehow managed to keep at Cute and Mundane for three-plus years now (my fourth blogiversary is this May!). I've realized that the trick to longevity is to follow and develop your passions. A love for beauty draws bloggers and readers together, but the reasons we love it are varied and often quite personal. For me, it really is about following the rainbow, both figuratively and literally. I feel so alive when talking about pure color and color inspirations (it's a bit of an obsession and compulsion actually); focusing on this aspect of beauty is what keeps me energized day in and day out.

3. Time is precious
In real-life, I have a job I love. That said, this year is a particularly busy one - to give you an idea, there's a mandated 80 hour work-hour limit on our week (you know, to make sure we have a break once in a while... to blog study....).  On a typical work week, I usually don't end up reaching that upper limit, but the long hours still give me an appreciation for the preciousness of time. Since my time is so valuable to me, I've learned to blog almost exclusively about what I want- not what other people want. I've tried to eliminate as many obligations as possible, including company product samples, because I've learned that my personal time is more valuable than goods, favors, recognition, pageviews, or really anything else!

4. Creativity is key
I think creativity is the most important aspect of blogging. A unique photography style, a personal watermark, and a bookish mentality are among the attributes that helped me to draw out a niche for myself. What I've learned over the years is the value of a new idea. Truly novel ideas are few and far between, and bloggers do take notice when you find one. While there is no exact formula for how to come across these new ideas, I think being true to yourself and cultivating your uniqueness is absolutely fundamental to the process!

5. We are family
In life, all endeavors are better when family is involved. I'm lucky to have a brother who (albeit a bit begrudgingly) edits my posts when he can. As yu can imagin, (<= I'll let thsi one slied... Ed.) it helps avoid some silly typos and add a bit of fluidity to my prose. But more importantly, it's a fun way to stay in touch. My mom's also been helping out by sending me the occasional sample and tossing recommendations my way! I know my grandparents in Korea take a look at the site every now and then too. Knowing all this keeps me focused on writing quality content that I'd be proud to share with my family!

        Thanks for reading and for spending time with me here today on Cute and Mundane! It's really a joy and a privilege to write, photograph, and share a love of beauty with you on this little slice of the web! If you have anything you'd like to share (agreements, disagreements, or new advice), I'd love to read your note below!

Love, Dovey.