6 Ways Blogging and YouTube Changed My Life

Happy Sunday everyone! Dramatic title today, yes?

I've talked very openly, very regularly about how amazing I think the blogging and YouTube community can be. There's something incredible about having this little bubble to escape to from time to time, where everyone is interested in similar things, and you can talk to people at the other side of the word as regularly as you talk to someone who lives next door. It connects people in such an amazing way, and I really do struggle to picture what my life would look like now if I hadn't involved myself in this little world. So, naturally, I thought it was time to turn this topic in to a list style post - here are 6 ways blogging and YouTube changed my life!

1. It has opened doors for me career wise:

My blog and my YouTube channel are not massive in terms of follower number - I don't have thousands of subscribers or followers, but over the past couple of years I've made a conscious effort to publish posts and videos on a more regular basis, and that is something employers have been impressed with. It's a fun hobby, but as you guys will all know, it takes a lot of time and effort! From finding time to film a video and then edit it, to making sure you take photos of whatever it is you are blogging about before the lighting is awful (living in Scotland, that is no mean feat!), it requires times and dedication. I can honestly say that at least three jobs/internships I have had have been partly to do with my blog and channel, which, now having been to university twice, says a lot.

2. It had boosted my confidence:

This is quite an important one; I really do think I owe a lot to blogging in terms of how much my confidence has grown over the past two years or so. I've always been a very chatty person with people I know - my friends will tell you, I rarely shut up for long enough to eat my meals (hence the reason I'm always last to finish at dinner), but with new people I used to be incredibly shy. I was a painfully shy child who got really anxious about going to new things that my friends wouldn't be at, and it definitely held me back at times. Since blogging though, I really pushed myself to change that. I started saying yes to going to events where I wouldn't know anyone at first, and continually accepted invites to meet ups where I could get to know the people whose blogs I'd been reading for so long. Now the prospect of going to events solo doesn't phase me in the slightest, and I definitely think I've gained a lot of confidence in other life situations because of it. Starting a new course at uni last year, I threw myself into talking to everyone on my course immediately, something that without a friend by my side would, in the past, have made me feel nervous. Alongside a few other life changes, I think blogging can take some of the credit for that.

3. It has taught me new skills:

A couple of years ago, I wouldn't have had the faintest idea about video editing. "But you did a degree in Film and Television Studies", I hear you say! That's true, but my course was all theory - think English Literature, but studying films and television shows instead! This time last year, I edited a video for one of my university group projects, and that project was nominated for an award at the Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards in Glasgow last month. When they announced our names at the ceremony, they cited the use of video as one of the things they liked most about our project - how cool is that?! I now have over 100 videos on my YouTube channel, and the progression from totally unedited videos filmed on my phone, to properly edited videos with cuts, titles, music, endcards, etc, is actually really amazing to see. iMovie is fairly straightforward once you start using it, but it blows my mind that that is an entirely new skill I have to offer in terms of future career, all thanks to the blogging community!

4. It has made me appreciate the little things more:

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A platform like instagram changes the way you look at the world. In some ways it can be a negative thing - Emma and I were just talking last night about how sometimes humans spend too much time trying to capture the perfect photo of something amazing rather than just appreciating the something amazing! However, what I love about instagram is that when you're in the blogging mindset, you start noticing everyday things - the cup of tea you're drinking, the pretty street art you walk past, the sparkly new nail polish you just put on - and realising that they'd make a pretty photo. It brightens up your day because things that you wouldn't have thought much about before, suddenly become a significant part of life. That can help cheer you up after a bad, or even just an uneventful day, and that's something to be thankful for!

5. It gave me my topic for my Masters dissertation:

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I love blogging and YouTube so much I just spent the past six months studying it! I wrote my masters dissertation on the impact of social media communities on the consumption of beauty products in women aged 18-30, and I loved every last minute of it. I felt so connected to what I was studying, and it must have showed, because I ended up getting a better mark than I ever expected, and winning a prize for best dissertation on my course!! Finding something you feel so passionate about is a gift, and not only do I think I learnt a lot during my studies, but I've learnt a lot about the beauty and marketing industry just from blogging myself. I know what sort of PR emails bloggers respond well to and what puts them (and me!) off. I know how to organise a blogging event, how to promote something on twitter, or run a twitter chat. So many skills!

and finally...

6. It has given me a huge new group of amazing friends:

We all knew this was going to be the last one, right?! I genuinely count myself so incredibly lucky to have met the people who have come into my life on this blogging journey. The people I have met have become such an integral part of my life that it actually stresses me out to imagine life without them! People I started off reading their blogs or chatting to them on twitter have become people I don't go a day without speaking to, who I go on regular nights out with, discuss everything from life goals to politics to makeup to feminism with, and I wouldn't change it for the world. I used to watch people like Louise (Sprinkle of Glitter) and Zoella, back in the early days and think, "how cool must it be to end up making such a close friend through your blog". Well, now I know. And it isn't only the people I see and speak to regularly - I'm so grateful for every last person who reads my blog or watches my video, anyone I chat to via twitter or instagram, and the lovely people I interact with regularly during the Sunday night #lbloggers chat. It's such a lovely community, and I sometimes have to stop and pinch myself when I realise such a lot of important people to me wouldn't be in my life if I hadn't started my blog and my YouTube channel!

So there we have it - six ways blogging and YouTube changed my life!!

How has writing your blog/participating in the blogging community, or making YouTube videos changed your life?

Thanks so much for reading, I hope you've all had a lovely weekend!

B is for Blogging!

What else could the letter B really stand for?!

I started this blog (under another name!) way back in 2010 and posted once. This was followed by an equally abysmal two posts in 2011, and it wasn't till 2012 that I started posting regularly! My posts were essentially condensed essays, discussing my favourite tv shows, and I never really thought blogging would change my life in any significant way.

For the first few months of 2012 (during which I started my YouTube channel too!) I posted on my blog every week. By the middle of the year though I had let things slide, and I didn't record a video or upload a post for months (I'm not entirely sure why either!). When I made the decision to go to Australia last December though, I realised I wanted to blog more regularly in the lead up to my travels, so that I was already in the habit of uploading posts when I went on my adventure. I wanted to document it all here, and I'm so glad that I did.

My wee Kangaroo pal - isn't he sweet!?

My little corner of the internet had about four followers (three of whom were my real life friends!) for a really, really long time. It seriously blows my mind to see that there are now almost 200 of you here on GFC, over 200 on Bloglovin', and that my little rambles here have had over 30,000 page views - it's insane! Blogging itself can sound like such an isolated thing - sitting at home typing away on your computer, but I can't believe what amazing friends I have made doing this. I met my lovely friend Gemma through YouTube last spring - who would have thought a year and a half later I'd have been at her engagement party, had regular pizza express dinners (with regular glasses of wine!) and even have worked alongside her during an internship. Through the many Scottish blogger events I've attended over the past eighteen months, I have met so many lovely people, some of whom I now speak to literally every day (you know who you are ;)). We're even going off on a wee weekend adventure in the autumn which I officially cannot wait for.

I've also been lucky enough to go along to some really lovely events, which I never expected would be the case back in 2010 when I wrote that one rambly post! From product launches to afternoon teas, I have enjoyed and appreciated every single one.

Not only that, but blogging in terms of reading other blogs has had such an impact on me! I'm not going to start listing all of my favourite blogs (we could be here for a while!), but if you've been reading mine for any length of time you'll know that I will forever have an attachment to Sprinkle of Glitter. Louise was one of the people who made me want to start blogging and making YouTube videos in the first place, so a huge big thank you to her :) I now get all of my product recommendations from bloggers whose opinions I trust. I might think an ad campaign for the new YSL mascara looks amazing, but I sure won't buy it until I've done a bit of research on the old blogosphere!

Blogging gives me a place to chat away about whatever I feel like at the time, and I love that. Twitter chats get me in touch with people from across the globe who have similar interests, and the joy of seeing that little red notification saying ''comment awaiting moderation'' when I log on to my account never ever ceases to put a smile on my face. So if you're thinking of starting a blog, I say do it. Seriously. You never know what could happen or who you might meet. And, failing that, you'll always have a space to share the things that you love/are passionate about, which is an amazing thing.

So that's why B is for blogging! What would you choose from your life to write a post on the letter B?!

Thanks so much for reading :)

Glasgow Blogger Meet Up :)

As most people know, the best thing to come out of blogging for me is the people I have met the friends I've made. I know it sounds cliched, but it's true. Some of the lovely girls I've met through blogging events have become real friends, and I always look forward to seeing them. When it dawned on me a few weeks ago that I hadn't been to a good old fashioned meet up in ages (there have been plenty formal events organised by brands/companies, just no casual meet ups) I decided to bite the bullet and organise one!

So, on Saturday night some of us Scottish blogging ladies met up for cocktails in Hortons in Glasgow, and had a smashing time (even if I do say so myself)! We all love a formal event with a wee prosecco at the door and some fancy products to cast our eyes over, but sometimes it's nice to just meet up for a chat!

Me and Roisin, Me and Laura, Me and Kirsty (I'm so self-indulgent ;)) and everyone!

I love that when I meet up with these girls there are names I can mention from the YouTube or blogging world and they instantly know who I'm talking about, in a way that non-blogging friends don't! It's brilliant to go from chatting away about something completely non-blog related to suddenly overhearing someone say ''did you see that tweet so and so posted about so and so's video'', and suddenly be ranting away about that. Don't get me wrong - my non-blogging friends (including the infamous bestie Emma who you'll have heard me mention every other minute) are amazing and I love them to pieces - but it's nice to be able to say ''Did you see Tanya's million subscribers video?'' and be greeted with more than a blank stare ;) It's more than just blogging though. You meet such lovely people, who you find you have so much in common with, and it's crazy to think that if I'd never started rambling away on my wee corner of the internet I'd never have met them!

Me, Kirsty, Laura, Lynne and Morag

I really feel like we are so lucky to have the blogging community we've got here in Scotland. I remember the first event I ever went to - even though my friend Gemma was with me, I was still so nervous - but within no time at all we were having a great night, and a couple of events in I forgot to even be nervous turning up on my own! I know that I'm either going to be catching up with blogging friends I've already made, or meeting new ones - it's a win win! I know I'm guaranteed to have a great night at whatever event we go along to - speaking of which, I still haven't posted my video from the Edinburgh International Fashion Festival opening night which some of us popped along to, YouTube is being a pain. Apparently one of the tracks from iMovie, which are all free to use in any video, has managed to match to two separate 'Third Party Content'. Anyone with advice on which tab to click when disputing this, please get in touch :P

Nikki, Melissa, Gillian and Roisin

Anyway, apologies for the rubbish quality photos - decided against taking my swanky new Canon since it was a casual kind of affair, and just took photos on my phone. In the dark bar, hence the ever-so-grainy effect! If anyone took some better quality photos that they'd like to send me, please do!

Thanks so much to all the girls who came along! Organising an event (even one as casual as this!) is always a wee bit nerve wracking, but it was a great night and it was so lovely to see you all - let's do it again soon!

Laura - The Likely Lady
Roisin - Rose Keats
Iona - Iona Blogs
Kirsty - Indigo Buttons
Lynne - Cocktails and Daydreams
Gillian - Gillian Etc
Nikki - The Lunar Lights
Morag - Mo Adore
Lisa and Sami - Beauty Aesthetic
Melissa - Stylish Kids
Lynsay - West End Girl
Lauren - Living in a Boxx
Claire - Bee Waits
Sherri - Betty Swollocks
Wendy - Thank Fifi

And thank you so much to SaraJayne from thetrubrand.com and Pavan from appointeddhq.com for coming along too - it was so lovely to meet you both!