What’s doing?

March 11th 2015

Gosh, I’ve been really out of the blogging game lately. I had a bit of drama right after my last post, when I was trying to do some routine tidying up of my webspace and ended up corrupting the database and temporarily losing all of my posts from the last two years (your timely reminder to BACK UP REGULARLY).

It coincided with doing a bit of a mega apartment-cleanse during which I threw out half my clothes, dozens of old photos, payslips from my first job, cards, souvenirs, unused art supplies… so I started thinking maybe it was time to declutter digitally and let my blog go too. Would it even be missed? Who even reads blogs any more? I know I wouldn’t miss a lot of the side-effects of modern blogging – the endless irritating stream of irrelevant PR emails, the constant niggling obligation to blog even when I didn’t feel like it, and of course the stress of technical FUBARs.

Well, I managed to get the posts back which kind of made up my mind for me to at least get it all back online for now – the design‘s still a work in progress but I quite like the minimal aesthetic for now. More than anything I would have been sad to lose my travel posts, which basically function like my personal journal of the trips I take and are hopefully useful to anyone else who stumbles across them too. I’m still not really sure what path the blog will take next, but it’s almost reassuring to know it’s back and waiting for me if I do feel like writing.

Besides the tech fail, one of the main reasons for the hiatus is that I haven’t been doing much except working. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I hasten to add, because I’m loving my current job. I’m at Mastered, who create online fashion courses with some of the world’s best industry experts. (If you’re in, or looking to get into, make-up, nails or fashion design do go check them out!) I think for the first time ever I’m working with more women than men, and brilliant women at that whose enthusiasm, work spirit and general awesomeness is contagious. Plus I really believe in what they’re doing, so it’s been a pleasure to be involved.

Work aside I’ve been in general hibernation mode; I get terrible SAD and generally feel pretty dejected all winter. But now, it’s breaking: days are longer, it’s almost light when I leave work, there have even been a few spellsĀ of cardigan weather. I can feel my spirits lifting already, so hopefully that’ll encourage me to get out more and do some things worth writing about again.

Comments (16)

  • Hannah

    March 11th 2015 at 4:25 pm

    Haha of course people read blogs still! Especially one’s we’ve followed for years, like yours.
    Glad you’re back but obviously don’t feel pressure to update, then you’ll never update ;)
    Can relate to the SAD… hope you start to feel better when the days become lighter. Mastered is such a good idea – did a class with them and Pinterest and it was super fun. I await the day I work at a start-up that has more women than men (probably not soon)! Hannah x

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:36 pm

      Thanks for the nice comment. Glad you’re into Mastered – keep an eye on them for more awesome stuff soon!

  • Kate (Lives Simply)

    March 11th 2015 at 4:49 pm

    I went through a similar situation with my blog at the beginning of February – luckily, I had backed everything up literally the day before, but I lost my design and all the pictures on all of my posts. I was able to get a couple pictures back (yay for not cleaning out the recycle bin!), but a lot of it is still a mess. I’m going to use the opportunity to go through some old posts, pull some that aren’t as good, and refresh some others. I really wish I could just blog without worrying about the technical side, so I hear ya there!

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:35 pm

      I know, web design is my job and keeping on top of the tech side still goes over my head!

  • Marilla

    March 11th 2015 at 6:08 pm

    Nooooo, that would have been sad to have lost it all! Never feel pressure to write for anyone else’s schedule otherwise it stops being enjoyable. Glad the spring weather is bringing a lighter mood. Winter followed by the post Christmas lull can bring anyone down. Yay to more women at work! I used to work for a web design agency and it was disturbingly male dominated on the technical side. I was part on the accounts team, but wouldn’t have wanted to work in the creative team. Fun, but very testosterone fuelled. Love the new look website!

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:34 pm

      Been there with the testosterone-fuelled workplaces, I always thought it was kind of fun at the time but now I’m so glad to have good lady-vibes around me instead!

  • Heather Lou

    March 11th 2015 at 7:11 pm

    No don’t go! I get so heartbroken when bloggers I love quit blogging. I’ve lost too many. NO MORE! I think the key is to just blog when you feel like it. No one is sitting around tapping their watch and saying “That Katie better get her shit together!”

    As for annoying PR emails? Gmail shortcuts dude. Archive that crap without a second glance. Feels so good.

    Also, the blog looks DOPE.

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:34 pm

      Ah thanks for stopping by here Heather :)

      For sure, I’ve never blogged to a schedule of any sort and don’t intend to start. And I won’t quit, I promise!

      Oh I delete a LOT of email and ‘mark spam’ for repeat offenders so it goes straight to trash.

  • Diane

    March 12th 2015 at 1:58 am

    Hi Katie! So happy to hear that your spirits are lifting now spring is on its way and that you have a job working in an inspiring workplace. And also glad that you managed to get your posts back – your travel posts have definitely been useful to me in the past! I can relate to not feeling inspired to write or share via blogging though, and there’s absolutely no pressure either way – the important thing is that you enjoy yourself!

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:32 pm

      Thanks for your sweet comment :)

  • Lizzy

    March 13th 2015 at 3:31 pm

    Hope the brighter mornings make you feel a little better- I used to struggle with it so much in the UK, and since moving to Australia have felt so much happier in myself. Glad you decided to carry on blogging!

    Lizzy from Nomad Notebook

    1. katie

      March 15th 2015 at 10:32 pm

      I often feel like such an idiot for not moving somewhere bright and sunny all year round!

  • Anna International

    March 23rd 2015 at 2:43 pm

    Oh my gosh! So many people read blogs still – and yours! I miss you when you’re gone (but totally understand life being too busy to blog) and love when a new post from you pops up in Bloglovin. In fact, you are the first blog I followed (thanks to your post about Aldwych underground amusingly!) but I love your mix of travel, food, design, life. Please keep it up as and when you feel like it!
    Sorry to hear too that you’ve been feeling under the weather. I understand how debilitating it can be to constantly feel bleurgh – suffer from chronic stress headaches myself – and it is not fun. So glad you have a brilliant job to keep you going, it sounds like a really fun workplace, and spring is most definitely on its way now. For my part, I just quit my job to get rid of the stress, so hopefully brighter times ahead for me too! x

    1. katie

      March 23rd 2015 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks for the lovely comment! I will definitely try to keep it up! And I really hope quitting your job helps with your stress – going freelance 3 years ago was the best thing I ever did. x

  • Nicky Gibson

    April 14th 2015 at 1:51 pm

    Just read this Katie – very glad to see you’re still blogging! In fact i was here getting inspired for potentially resurrecting my own dead-as-a-doe-doe blog. I’d thought to myself “Where can i find an amazing, inspirational, creative based, all round interesting blog about life.” There was only one that came to mind, and here i am!

    I’m completely on team S.A.D as well. I have one of those blue lights for breakfast time. No idea of the exact brain science behind it (other than blue light is supposed to wake you up, and warm red light chills you out) but i tell you, there’s no feeling sleepy with that mega wattage blasting in your face! A combo of that and a tropical beach video on the tv YouTube and i’ve got myself a fake summer all year round ;) It’s got me through till the sun came out anyway. We can hang out in the real stuff now – yay!

  • huma

    August 10th 2015 at 8:53 am

    Oh Katie! Talk about a blogging break – mine has been for two years. I logged in over the weekend to try and delete it and then remembered that it was such a big part of me for a long while. I couldn’t delete it and so started it up again, slowly slowly, and wrote my first two posts in as many years. I think everyone suffers from the blog writing block sometimes when you wonder what the point of it is at all. But you know, I guess you do it for yourself first and foremost, to remember things you’d otherwise forget perhaps. But then of course, you’ll always have readers too and I have to say even though I’ve not been blogging, I’d always be checking your blog to see what was going on. And you kind of inspired me to carry on too. So please do! H x

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