Showing posts with label loliblogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label loliblogging. Show all posts

Lolita Blogging: Keeping Yourself Inspired

My posts have been pretty sporadic lately due to a bit of a blogging slump, as much as I hate to admit it! Most bloggers get them every now and then and I've been trying to get reinspired and remotivate myself into posting more frequently. For me, this has lead to a lot of googling around for blog posts about, well, blogging. I've found that the Lolita blogging world is quite different from the rest of niche blogs out there, we're not quite as quirky as your average fashion blog, and we're not as serious as other hobby blogs, for the most part, Lolita bloggers are somewhere in the middle. I'm not trying to sell you the brand of my particular style of cool with instagram photos of cat-themed shirts and cute food, nor am I interested in creating a site that's engineered to get the maximum amount of hits possible.

 So taking a little bit from both camps, I've decided to make my own how-to list to becoming a better blogger. Will I follow it? I hope to! 
  • Read other blogs- To be honest, I feel like this was one of the large reasons why I sort of slipped off posting, I got out of the habit of checking out all but a few specific blogs. I love reading blogs an seeing people's opinions on topics and seeing someone post something really cool usually inspires me to make a blog post in response to it, or to blog about my view on the topic.
  • Schedule- Ha! Hahahaha, good one! I am so bad at this. So many times I'll sit down and make a cool and easy schedule to post by and I'll be good for about one post before just totally skipping on it. And I don't know about you but I sort of feel like "Well, I already broke one rule, so now let's break them all!" so when I miss my first scheduled post, I tend to miss every single one that comes after that.
  • Try something different- This is definitely something I need to do! I know I sort of fall into ruts with posts and will be afraid to try something different because I feel like people might get blog-whiplash. I would like to do some more personal posts about my own coordinates and Lolita activities (Got to remember to start bringing my camera places again!) as well as possibly start trying to do a few vlogs. 
  • Stop spreading it all over the place- Usually, when I'm not blogging here it's because I'm too busy goofing off on Tumblr. Sometimes I'll make a post of useful information over there, either answering a question or just because I want to share it, then I'll realize that with very minimal work I could have made it into a pretty good blog post. But since it's been posted on Tumblr no one is ever going to be able to find it in a weeks time. Instead of making fluffy quick posts about stuff on Tumblr, I should learn to consolidate them into a single, meatier, blog post. 
  • Actively search for inspiration- If I'm feeling like I'm in a slump, I'll usually google around for some sort of inspiration on what to blog about, and 9 times out of 10, I'll find something, whether or not I end up making a post about it. Personally, I absolutely love lists and finding great big lists of even generic things to blog about is usually enough to spark a chain reaction of ideas. I've actually been hoading links to Lolita memes for quick ideas on what to talk about, you can find them on the resource page linked in the header!
  • Discuss something- I find that by leaving comments on other Lolita blogs or engaging in a conversation about something with other Lolitas it helps get the creative juices flowing, and sometimes once they start, it's hard to stop!
  • JUST POST IT!- My number one post killer is when I just stop writing it! I have tons of posts that are practically finished laying around. They usually just need some sort of wrap-up and some pictures, but for whatever reason I stop just before I'm completely finished and they just sit around forgotten. I need to just learn to just finish these posts up and get them up!
 

  As I've mentioned, it's really easy to bring up a list of generic ideas to blog about. A quick google search will turn up dozens! While most things are generic enough that there's a Lolita version of them, wouldn't a list of Lolita specific blog post ideas be great? You can start by trying to come up with your own list. These are great because they're something you can reference at any time, and I've made a number of blog posts from pulling from my big list of ideas. Too busy to make a list? Well I'll share one of my own with you:
  • Share a collection- Do you have an impressive collection of socks? Or maybe some unique brand novelties? Or perhaps you have an unusually high number of purple dresses in your closet? Whatever it is that you happen to have a Lolita collection of, share it with the rest of us!
  • Give some advice- Lolita is a learning process, and even those of us who are very new to the fashion have still learned a lot! Pick something particular that you learned about, be it how to keep bloomers from bunching up, how to keep warm in the winter, or how to untangle a wig and teach someone else to do it.
  • Attempt to define or pinpoint something- Maybe it's general musing on what makes an outfit spooky cute, or the differences between Old School Sweet Lolita and OTT Sweet Lolita, or perhaps try to pinpoint the exact moment in time when knee high socks went out of fashion.
  • Share something personal- For many of us, Lolita is a personal fashion and we experience a big chunk of our life through the lens of Lolita in one way or another. Perhaps it was the nicest compliment you ever received while wearing Lolita, or the worst postal service mixup you ever experienced, share something personal with the Loliblogging world.
  • Share something interesting- In contrast to the above, this can have nothing to do with you, just something that you happen to find interesting. It can be a tutorial you stumbled across, a post on someone else's blog, or a particularly creative photoshoot.
  • Discuss a new print/release- The Lolita fashion has been releasing new pieces on a frequent basis for well over a decade now! And we have all sorts of opinions about what these brands are doing, even if you only ever blogged about new releases, you would never run out of things to talk about.
  • Discuss a trend- There's always some sort of trend sweeping through Lolita fashion, I'm sure you feel one way or another, even if that feeling is "meh". Why does it make you feel that way?
  • Make a prediction- Where will Lolita go in 6 months? A year? Two years? Five years? A decade?
  • Solve a problem- Just as sure as there will be new releases and trends, there will be problems with the fashion. How would you solve the lack of Lolita stores outside of Japan? How would you solve the problem of internet drama? How do you keep your petticoat from deflating?
 These are the sorts of things I've been trying to do to stay inspired, and the sorts of things I think about when I'm stuck in a blogging rut. Often times I find the motivation and inspiration to get out of a rut just by going around and searching for tips, whether or not I follow through with the actual tips. I see so many people being so enthusiastic about blogging that I get myself really hyped up about it, blogging is definitely infectious!

To all the Lolita bloggers out there (and regular bloggers as well!) what sort of things do you do to get back into the habit of blogging once you find yourself in a creative rut? To those lucky few that never find themselves in a rut, what is your secret!?



So You Want To Start A Lolita Blog?

While this isn't from my backlog of Ask Miss Caro-chan questions, it is a question I have been asked a lot. That question is: how do you go about starting a Lolita blog? I've had this blog for over a year, and if I do say so myself, it has been pretty successful, at least, a whole lot more successful than I ever thought it would be when I started! So with this post I will be sharing a few tips and tricks that I picked up along the way.

Before you make your first post
There's really not a whole lot of prep you have to do before you make your first post, but there are a couple things that really help.
  • First of all, you're going to need a blog name. Now, judging from my own blog's name, I don't really have a lot of tips for picking a good name! But toss some ideas around in your head and try to pick something both fitting and something that isn't already taken. Do a Google search for your future blog name to make sure that there isn't anything else with that name.
  • Make a list of blog posts you would like to make. You don't even have to have any idea about what you want to write in those posts, just do some brainstorming about what it is you would like to write about, or even what you would like to read about. I do this every month or so, I don't always follow my list, but it's really handy to pull up whenever I'm a bit lost about what to write about.
  • Set up your blog. Before you even make your first post, you're going to need somewhere to put it! I use Blogger and I would highly recommend it. Personally, it has everything I think I could ever need. Wordpress is also a popular choice, but I have never used it. Some people use Livejournal, but honestly I wouldn't suggest it for a public blog because Livejournal is seen much more as a personal journal site, and some people are hesitant about reading other people's Livejournals.

Tips and tricks for starting your own Lolita blog
Once you have a name, a place, and some ideas for your blog once it's time to get started!
  • Comment on other blogs. The best way to get your blog's name out there is to comment on other blogs. Remember to fill out the whole form box, especially the one for your site before leaving a comment. And, of course, leave a genuine comment about the post you are commenting on, don't just ask them to visit your blog or spam their blog with obnoxious self-promotion.
  • Link to other blogs. Be sure to keep a blog roll of all your favorites on your own blog. Blogger has a handy widget that will automatically post all the blogs you follow. As well as that, link to other blogs in your posts if you found them helpful while writing yours, or if you just think they are interesting. Remember that these other bloggers aren't your competition, they're your peers, readers, and muses.
  • Be active in your online community. In the case of Lolita, that would be EGL or whatever forum you happen to frequent most of all. Post a link to your blog on your profile page or your signature and start participating in discussions. Eventually, so long as you don't make a habit of arguing with everyone for the sake of arguing, people will start recognizing your name, and your blog.
  • Be helpful. My main reason for starting F Yeah Lolita was because I have learned a lot about Lolita over the years and I really wanted to share all the things I've learned, and this, I think, has been one of the biggest reasons why my blog has been successful. I most often find that my most linked and talked about posts are ones in which I share some kind of advice or tips. Even if you consider yourself a Lolita newbie, there's still something helpful you can share! Maybe a handy tutorial for making something cuter, a review of your latest purchase, or a cute Lolita find in a mainstream store, share your knowledge of the frills and people will really appreciate it and come back looking for more.
  • Don't get too personal. Of course, it is up to you how personal you want your blog to be, but a good rule of thumb would be to avoid treating your blog like your own personal diary. People might love looking at your daily coordinates and hearing about local meetups, but most people are going to feel awkward and shy away if you start ranting about your boyfriend or parents or any problems you might be having. If you feel you absolutely have to type up these things, consider a separate, lockable place to write them up, such as Livejournal.
  • Post often. A rule I certainly need to follow more! Make it a point to post at least once a week, it keeps people remembering your blog if it pops up on their blog roll frequently. If you need some motivation to post more, draw up a list of what to post on what days. For example you might post a tutorial or a link to a tutorial on Mondays, a review of something on Tuesdays, a great find on Wednesdays, a personal reflection on Thursday, and your weeks worth of coordinates on Friday, or something along those lines!
  • Get some Analytics. Google Analytics is a really handy tool to know where your hits are coming from. You can find out who's linking you, how long people are staying, and which posts people are reading most of all. It's easy to install and very useful for knowing what your most popular pages are.
  • Just enjoy blogging! My final tip is to just enjoy blogging, don't make it a chore. Try not to focus too much on how many hits and comments you are getting, just focus on blogging about what you love!
Personally, I don't think there can be too many Lolita blogs. Everyone has their own take on the fashion and their own experiences to share so the subject never gets old.

If you want some more advice about starting a Lolita Blog, especially advice that goes a little more indepth about the whole blogging world and finding your place in it, check out Miss Lumpy's series Operation LoliBlog.

To all my fellow Lolita bloggers, how has Lolita blogging been for you? Do you have any tips and tricks for getting your blog's name out there? Do you think that one particular thing, such as getting linked on a particular blog or site, was the start of getting a lot of hits? Are you simply thinking of starting your own blog, if so, what's holding you back?

To the right of this post you can find a list of a lot of Lolita blogs that I've been following for a while, but I know there are a lot of new blogs out there, and I would love to feature them in this post. So if any of you have a new blog, leave a comment with a link to it and I'll make a list of up-and-coming Lolita blogs and link them at the end of this post!

Up-and-coming Lolita blogs

Japanese Lolita Blogs

I have a blog roll a mile long, and some of my favorite blogs on it are ones I can't even read! Yep, that's right, Japanese Lolita blogs. I'll be sharing a few of my favorites with you today, please excuse me if I do something like get the name of the blog, what it is supposed to be for, or if it is something like some famous idol you think I should know incorrect, as I said, I cannot actually read these blogs, I just love to drool over the eye candy. And please excuse my crushing ignorance of what is going on in the Japanese Lolita scene, as I certainly don't live there, and even my tastes in Jrock haven't been updated in about five years.
Flasco- My favorite of all the Japanese Lolita blogs. I actually have no idea if this is a shop, but I am under the impression that it is, correct me if I am wrong. I just love this blog. The coordinates are so beautiful and inspiring. I could spend all day clicking through this blog and just drooling.
The Diary or Metamorphose- Actually, here's a Lolita brand blog in English! I really do love you Meta T_T You care so much. The English blog seems fairly new, so there isn't much in the way of older posts, check out their Japanese blog for more. Meta's blog is great for oogling, but sadly, there aren't any coordinates posted, which is such a shame because coordinating Meta's prints is always so fun.
BABY/A&P金沢店☆Rose mary online☆- A Baby and AatP (which I still refuse to call "A&P" since I get it confused with both AP and the supermarket) blog. Pretty much just a "what's new" blog, but lots of sexy close-ups of prints and lace.
Emily Temple Cute- ETC isn't always for me, their clothes are just sometimes too casual for my liking, but I just can't get enough of their cute coordinates! Nearly all of their posts are filled with very creative coordinates that often inspire me to try adding a bit more colors than I normally would to my own coordinates.
Atelier Pierrot actually has several blogs (1, 2, 3, 4)- This one is my favorite of the four, probably because the pictures don't look like they were taken with a cell phone. Each of these blogs is sprinkled with coordinates, each and every one of them awesome. But then again, I can oogle the dresses posted even if they aren't coordinated, Atelier Pierrot is just that beautiful.
Mille*Feuille Collection- Another blog that I am unsure if it is a shop or not. Not many coordinate pictures, but lots of pictures of clothes from a variety of brands that are beautiful enough without coordination.
さっちゃんのお菓子な魔法 & マザーグースの天窓- Behold  that crushing ignorance I spoke of earlier! These are the two blogs from what I refer to as "Those two girls with the big eyes and huge bonnets that I think are in a band or something". If you want to get technical, that band is Kokusyoku Sumire, and I have never heard it, but these girls sure are adorable, so I frequent their blogs to stare at their cute clothes and generally not really know who they are. Oops, maybe I should.
Bell de Poupee- What's this? I am not 100% sure, cute pins and hair accessories. I like to look and add the pictures to my mental "Oh I could make that... one day..." list.
*いちごの窓灯り*- An adorable blog by an adorable Sweet/Classic Lolita! Her style reminds me of the old school Sweet Lolita, which I just can't get enough of.
Aristocratic Maiden- A lovely blog by a Classic and Victorian influenced Lolita. Filled with lots of beautiful coordinates modeled by the blogger.
World is まいン- This blogger has a very cute and unique style that is almost a Classical/Casual mix. Her coordinates are adorable and creative.
黙れ小僧-I'm not too keen on the Spank-esque fashion, but this girl is just too adorable. And her Lolita coordinates are just so hyper cute and creative that you can't help but like them.

So, these are a few of my favorite Japanese Lolita blogs. I just started getting into Japanese blogs a couple months ago and have been on the look out for more. I am especially interested in finding some more Gothic and Classic blogs, anyone got any suggestions? What is your favorite Japanese Lolita blog?
And thanks again to the questions I have been getting for Ask Miss Caro-chan section! Keep the questions coming :D I hope to answer one each Saturday or Sunday.
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