Late last year, but not so late I remembered it, I signed up for WordPress’s Blogging 101 2016, a blog community thing designed to encourage new bloggers to blog and old bloggers to, well, avoid getting old. Today’s assignment is to write an post introducing yourself and your manifesto, or to revisit your manifesto from when you started. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to write about when I started Indifferent Ignorance other than knowing that ‘indifferent ignorance’ sounded cool and that I wanted a platform to say whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted… but I need not fail at the first hurdle of blogging 101, because coincidentally I was going to write about new year’s resolutions.
Generally I try to think of resolutions as intentions, because let’s face it, no one who startsadietbeginsexercisingchangestheirhairandgetsanewjob in the first fortnight of January will be keeping it up by March. I did once know a girl who gave up chocolate for a year with nerves of steel in the face of Lindt, but she is the only person who I can remember sticking to her resolve. Also I am far more a fan of short term goals than I am long term plans, because how does one plan life? I thought I could plan what I’d be reading this autumn, then The Raven Cycle came along and my other books gathered dust. No regrets. As we are in a new year, my diary is clean and my room full of new toys, I feel that although a massive unkeepable resolution would be a waste of time, Christmas and January is a good time to take stock of one’s life and desires, and to set new short term goals. So I have compiled a short list of my blogging intentions for the coming few months:
Learn to Take Better Photographs
Some photos in my shop are lovely. Many look like they were taken in someone’s lounge at 10pm with the flash off. Maybe they were. If I’m going to become a trillionaire then my product images need to improve, and I’d like to take more original photos here too (there are only so many times I can dig out that Gerard Way GIF). I got a light tent for Christmas and I intend to use the shit out of it. I apologise in advance if you follow me on Instagram.
Read More Varied News Sources
I think I mentioned I was thinking of bringing back the Six O’Clock News? Since I left school I’ve been terrible at keeping up with current events, basically just tuning into Radio 4 when I wake up and ignoring the world for the rest of the day. Not very conducive to my desire to a) take the piss out of politicians or b) use real life as inspiration for art.
Learn to Use Facebook
I know, I know, it’s my job. I recently started doing more marketing on Facebook and I’m realising that Pages are actually far more interesting than I’d given them credit for. Everyone needs to see something on their timeline that isn’t their aunt’s best friend’s cousin’s poppy appeal poster. Having ignored the Indifferent Ignorance Facebook for a good four years (18 likes? Come on Francesca, you have a reputation), I resolve to post there more. I’ve no idea what… anything that’s longer than Twitter but needs less tags than Instagram?
To Chill the Eff Out
This is a bit self-centred, but I think we’ve all seen how completely plagued I am with doubt about this blog. Do I want it to be political satire? Do I want to write essays? Do I want to tell you all that my mum’s Poldark calendar can be viewed from the street? I never know. Some days I want to blog for a living and consider sending out applications for advanced reader copies of novels or taking paid reviews for art. Some days I want to close it down and move to Cambodia to write screenplays. So my intention for the next few months is to try blogging new things, to let myself poke around with the theme, to write terribly, to make an effort to write well, to stop worrying that I lost my mojo at 16. I already have a weird and varied job(s); there is no reason why I can’t also have a weird and varied blog. I don’t know who I want to connect with on here, I don’t know what I hope to have accomplished by 2017, I don’t know what I will consider success or failure. So I intend to try to be okay with not knowing… especially since that is probably when I will find out.
My Blogging 101 instructions are to now write five tags that will show the world this post. I just came up with 15 and they’re shite. Would it be unethical to just put ‘x rated video’ or ‘baby panda sneezing’?
Don’t answer that.
Francesca's Thoughts 
I want to learn to take better photographs too! I have a fairly expensive mid range camera and I have no idea what to do with it! Please share your learnings 🙂
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I literally just use my iPhone, which is a much better camera than a little handheld I used to have. I’ve read a million articles on the rule of threes and natural lighting and neutral backgrounds blah blah blah but so far the best I’ve got is when I take things outside on a sunny day to photograph them! I’m thinking of taking a class… or experimenting until it works. If I find a cheap formula that works, I’ll be shouting it from the rooftops!
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The camera on my phone isn’t that great. I track photography tips on pinterest and I keep meaning to take my camera out to experiment but never get round to it! I feel like its an important skill to have with writing.
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I’ve been using photos I find online since I started blogging, and I’m starting to run out of inspiration! I’m much less a photographer than I am writer, so it’s something to work on. So far I’ve learnt what my favoutite Instagram frame is and that my kitchen table is a better backround than my front room carpet. #ProTips
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Haha yeah I’ve learnt you need the light behind the camera, not the subject, I’ve found my face Instagram filter, and I’ve learnt that none of the surfaces in my house are a good enough height for timed outfit species. Between the two of us we could write a blog on useless camera tips for absolute beginners 😉
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Haha there is definitely a market for that!
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I hope you don’t mind but I’m taking a bit of a nosy at your site and your work and I love the patreon idea, if you don’t mind me asking how’s it working out for you? I’m a relatively new beginner to the freelancing world but I already feel like I’m never gonna make it!
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Ooh I feel like I should goback and spellcheck posts from 2010.
So far, Patreon is a lot of fun because I love coming up with rewards and I’m really enjoying book reviews (I never thought I could be a book blogger but it’s a lot more fun and a lot less judge-y than I thought). But I’ve actually been working on a new press plan for it because so far I’ve not had a single pledge. I’m not sure if I need a video (probably) a tonne more social media followers (probably) or better rewards (maybe). I’ve been reading up and I think the people who earn a lot from it are those who already have a massive audience and I’m still finding mine. That being said, it’s worth a try – I’ve learnt a lot so far and, hopefully, it will pay off. Go for it!
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Ah, that’s interesting. I think I might work on building a larger online presence first but I’ll definitely keep it in mind. To be honest I’m still working on trying to get my first paying client and I’m sending out pitches and applications every day but I think I might rework my strategy and focus on writing as much as possible so that I have a stronger portfolio, even if its not full of commissioned articles just yet!
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I’m trying to do a bit of both; I have a few voluntary/unpaid regular gigs to expand my portfolio, and a lot of them can become paid. I’m trying to increase online following as well but so far all my mass-tagging has done has attracted spam accounts!
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Yeah I tend to be quite careful with my tagging for that reason, and instead I try to follow others and start a conversation. The benefits of networking and all that jazz! I’m a bit reluctant to do too much unpaid guest blogging because I don’t want to value myself at 0, y’know? I have sent out a few pitches to a few blogs for unpaid work but I guess I’ll have to see.
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That is basically the free stuff/mass tag conundrum in a nutshell. Good luck with it though!
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Thanks, good luck to you too! I’ve followed you on twitter btw (Abbii_Patrick) – it’d be good to keep in touch!
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Definitely. 🙂 I don’t tend to follow many people on Twitter (my attitude toward a clean and clear timeline is what my attitude should be toward a clean and clear office space) but I followed your blog. 🙂
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“So I intend to try to be okay with not knowing… especially since that is probably when I will find out.” Yes, that. I think it’s perfectly okay to play around with things a bit and then make a plan afterwards. Have fun with Blogging 101!
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That’s the idea. Thank you, you too. 🙂
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