Why Did You Start A Blog? | Advice & My Story

(I might be filming a video on this... also on starting a YouTube channel! Make sure you're subscribed to my channel to stay tuned!)

M Y   S T O R Y

Why Did I Start A Blog?

Here's my story. I love filming videos, and since I go to an arts school, I am surrounded by creative individuals. Unfortunately, I am not a major in the arts, I am a collegiate student. I found YouTube as my creative outlet to share my ideas. I needed someplace to dump my innermost thoughts and connect with my viewers on a different level, rather than sitting down and talking for a 20 minute video. Surprisingly, I love sitting down and expressing my thoughts in words. Don't get me wrong, I love filming, but sometimes it's good to try different mediums.

A D V I C E   O N   S T A R T I N G   A   B L O G

What Content Should I Post?

This should not be a question of "what SHOULD I post?" because like most creative mediums, there is no set way of doing things. You do you. But. The content you do decide to post should reflect your own style. I'm not telling you that you have to do this. But defer from posting things that are popular and get the most attention. Instead, write about the things you love and that you'd want to share. Your individuality is what stands out to viewers!

Choosing A Platform

This section is pretty brief, but I did go through a few sites before starting my blog. I looked at websites such as Blogger (a.k.a. the one I'm using now), Wordpress, Wix, and Weebly! These are the main ones that I was familiar with at the time. Also, nothing is set in stone! You can always change up your blog design or link, even after you've published your blog!

↠ BLOG DESIGN 
I personally chose Blogger because it's linked to my email. I also designed my blog on a blank canvas, using a "clean, simple theme" as my guideline. If you prefer to use a template to make your blog set up easier, I would recommend Wix or Weebly, as they have really nice templates!

↠ LINK / ADDRESS
All websites will allow you to set up a custom domain, for a cost of course. If you choose to go with a free plan, most websites will add a subdomain to your blog address. For example, my blog is livelaughandcreate.blogspot.ca. The ".blogspot.ca" is the subdomain. Wix is "(account username).wix.com/(blog name)", Weebly is "(blog name).weebly.com" and Wordpress is "(blog name).wordpress.com".

Posting Schedule 

Agh... I'm really not the person to ask for advice on a posting schedule because if you follow me, you'd know that oftentimes, I disappear from the internet for weeks every month or so. But as for my blog, so far in 2017, I've kept up with a pretty good schedule of posting every Wednesday. A posting schedule is not a must, but that doesn't mean posting every 3 months in a year. If you are hoping to reach a certain audience, frequent or at least consistent posts will help you to reach that audience. No one will stay updated with an inactive blog.

Good Quality Photographs

Personally, I don't want to be reading through a long essay. I feel like photos give blog posts that little extra something! You DO NOT need to hire a professional photographer. If your blog is really starting to grow and you find yourself struggling to find time to take photos for your blog, feel free to do so. That will also save you time in editing too! As for the actual "taking the photo" process, most of my photos are taken with my iPhone 6! And I like to edit them on VSCO Cam and Snapseed. But by all means, if you have a DSLR or any other professional camera, take advantage of that quality!

Reaching An Audience

Like you would starting a business, social media is a huge platform for getting your name/blog out there! DO NOT comment on others' posts promoting your channel/blog. By that, I mean don't comment "Check out my blog! *insert link*". But follow other blogs, and you can reach out to other creators asking if you'd like to collaborate! Another way to get your name out there, COLLABORATIONS! Kind of like a domino effect? If you put off a good impression onto the person you're collaborating with, there's a chance that they'll refer you to others!

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If you guys have any other questions regarding advice on starting a blog, leave them in the comments below and I'll try to answer them all in my advice video!

My Fitness Goals for 2017!

1. WORK OUT AFTER THE SWIM SEASON

My biggest problem is that I convince myself that it's okay if I don't end up going out of my way to work out because I practice 2-4 times a week for swim (if you guys don't know, I'm on the swim team at my school). So between mid-February and September, I'm not working out or staying in shape. 2016 was an exception because I decided to join the frisbee team, which happened to be after the swim season and I also had 3 practices a week. Also, in the summer, I would go to a ultimate frisbee club with my teammates weekly. BUT I'm not 100% sure I will join the frisbee team this year due to other extra curriculars that I am involved in.

P.S. Regionals are 2 weeks away and I am freaking out!!! Trying to fit in as many workouts as I can, between now and February 7th, to be in the best shape possible. With that being said, don't push yourself too much. This doesn't mean excessive hours dedicated to strengthening my arms and legs. But a simple stretch will do!

2. TRY TO EAT VEGETARIAN FOR A WEEK

This would say "Try to eat Vegan for a week", but I am not vegan or a vegetarian, so I would have to get used to eating vegetarian first. Baby steps... In my family and my culture, we do eat meat, and it's kind of integrated into our lifestyle, so adjusting to a vegetarian lifestyle would be difficult. I'm not saying I won't EVER eat vegan or vegetarian, because I have. But I'm also not saying that I am going to switch to vegan. I've heard a lot about the benefits of eating vegan, so it's just something that I'd like to try out. 

3. WORK ON MY FLEXIBILITY

I've wanted to be flexible for as long as I can remember. When I was in grade 2, which was probably the time I was most flexible, I was able to do those stretches where the tip of your feet touch your head. I could also do double cartwheels! Ah... the old days. I miss that time and I want to be able to do that again. A few years ago, I discovered the show 'Dance Moms'. After seeing all the beautiful dancers on the show, I've begun to fall in love with the art of dance. Unfortunately, my parents weren't able to put me into ballet classes when I was younger. 

4. GET INTO YOGA?

This also goes with #3. I've come across a few yoga instagram accounts and it just looks so relaxing! I actually tried out a quick 7 minute yoga workout and it was definitely relaxing in comparison to the workouts I'm used to. 

5. TAKE TIME TO MEDITATE

I can already see that I'm going to push myself a bit too much. Taking time to yourself to relax and cool down from the stress is crucial. I feel like I'm always putting myself in such stressful situations and through it all, I haven't had any time to take a break.

6. INSTEAD OF BUYING IT, MAKE IT

Last year, I bought a lot of bubble tea and Starbucks. Guilty. But not only did it drain my wallet, it wasn't good for my body to be drinking all these sugar-filled drinks so often. Around the beginning of 2016 and in 2015, I always made smoothies at home with real fruits! I don't understand why I didn't stick to that routine because it's definitely a healthier alternative.

7. PRACTICE ULTIMATE FRISBEE

Although I may not be joining the team again this year, I still want to get better at the sport. Unfortunately I won't be joining because I am too involved in clubs. Which is partially my fault for biting off more than I can chew. I genuinely enjoy playing sports, and frisbee is such a fun sport to be doing when you're chilling with friends anywhere. It's lightweight, unlike a basketball. Also, if I do end up deciding to tryout again in my senior year, at least I'll be able to play decently. Unlike now, whereas I haven't touched a disc since the summertime.

8. DAILY 10-20 MINUTE STRETCH BEFORE BED

I've started to do this at the beginning of this week. I'm going to try and make it my goal for this year to take 10-20 minutes out of my night and stretch before bed. It feels so good to loosen up, and also I said that I wanted to be more flexible.

work hard, play hard

Obviously I will be adding more fitness goals as the year goes on, but for now, these are my main ones. Try and explore some workout apps! The ones my coaches use at our swim team practices are Sworkit and the Nike Training Club app (not sponsored, I just find these apps helpful)! I've been using Sworkit for my daily stretch workouts! I've been using it for 2 weeks now, and although I cannot see physical changes, I definitely see a change in my regular workouts. I don't seem to be as tired or soar after practice, which is great!!!

Push Yourself Past Your Limits

Ah! Bonus post this week!!! Here's your daily/bi-weekly/spontaneous dose of motivation😆

I returned to school from my winter break on January 9th. I had two swim meets since, on the 11th and the 17th. In my last post, I talked about my goal to stay fit this year and how I haven't worked out AT ALL over the break. So, you can assume that I swam poorly at the meets.

Throughout my events, I kept feeling my legs become stiff. The voice inside my head is saying "I'm tired, I need to rest", but I know I have to push past that voice and keep going until the end. My coach likes to give my team occasional pep talks and every time, he would tell us to remind ourselves the same thing...

"I won't give up. I'm too strong."

HOWEVER, since I started doing nightly stretches, I've noticed that (even though it was one practice) at my recent dryland practice, I wouldn't quit during the exercises. Or at least quit mid-exercise for ones that I usually would. For example, I wouldn't be able to push myself during burpees. But for some reason, I just didn't stop, even though my legs were starting to stiffen up. 

p r o g r e s s

By definition: forward or onward movement toward a destination.

A rewarding experience to see how far you've come and improved from the start. Unless you've set a start and end date, the progress doesn't end. Keep going. So tell me, what is your destination?

A quick motivational-ish post to start your day! Love you guys, till next time!😘

What's in Store for the New Year?

What content can you expect on my blog in 2017?

KEEPING MY BODY HEALTHY & IN SHAPE

I have so many goals set for this year! One of my new year's resolutions is to work out more, especially when I'm supposed to (like winter break, weekends, etc). I actually started today by completing 2 of blogilates' beginner workouts and also by going for a swim! I got a yoga mat the other day and it's giving me the motivation to workout. I also got this sudden burst of motivation from the fact that I haven't worked out in the last 3 weeks and tomorrow is my first day back to school after the winter break. And I have a 1 hour swim practice tomorrow after school.😩😂 These are the workout videos I followed:

• Body Slimming Workout | POP Pilates for Beginners
• Flat Abs Workout | POP Pilates for Beginners

In grade 10, I joined two sports teams at my school. I joined the swim team and the junior frisbee team. Since I have more executive positions on clubs this year than the last, I think the only team I am going to be a part of, for grade 11, is the swim team. Which means that during those months, from March to September, when I don't have swim practice... that is the time that I need to get my butt off the couch and use my time productively.

Along with workout-related posts, I will try and find some awesome healthy recipes for you guys! 

If you have access to gym equipment, take advantage of that access and WORK OUT! Keep your body healthy! I can't stress how important it is. I constantly reminded myself of this in 2016 and never acted on it. But 2017's going to be different. Make it your year.

DOCUMENTING MY TRAVELS

I don't remember if I talked about it on the blog, but I will be going to Greece and Italy this March Break, 6th-17th. I don't think I can blog during my trip because we don't have much free time in our hotel rooms, as we will be making the most of our time there and explore the different cities! Also, I heard the wifi isn't very reliable, but expect posts when I come back! I don't think I've ever done an actual travel post where I'm outside of the city or the country, so this is exciting!!! 

SHARING MANY OF MY PHOTOGRAPHS

(Shoutout to my friend Amy for taking the photos you see on this post of me)

Photography is one of my passions. I love being able to freeze moments in time that we would keep forever. I know from experience that once a moment is gone, you're not going to get it back. Take advantage of that time. But luckily for us, in this age, we have these devices called cameras that allow us to control time for a single moment. I am especially excited to capture the beauty of Greece and Italy! My favourite photos to take are portraits, so if you guys are interested in seeing some of my work, I could also blog them as a separate post. Let me know in the comments below!

FASHION / STYLE

If you know me personally, my wardrobe consists of 4 colours (or shades if you will). Black, white, grey, and navy blue. Lately, I've been trying new styles that are out of my comfort zone. That also includes the style of clothing. I rarely wear scarves, gloves, jewelry, etc. But this year, I want to try new things! Also, you'll get insight into my favourite fashion pieces!

DESIGN / ROOM DECOR

I don't know if you guys know this but I LOVE ART. It has been one of my passions since 5ever. For a while, my dream was to become an interior designer or an architect. Unfortunately, I didn't take the architecture course at my school, so that boat has sailed. BUT I still want to find other ways to unleash my creativity and design interior spaces (a.k.a. my room?!?!).

I can't wait for what 2017 has in store for my channel and my blog!

Not related to the topic of today's post, but today happens to be my sister's 20th birthday!!! Happy birthday sis!😄

Blog Relaunch | The Start of Live, Laugh, Create!!!

It's finally here!!! The official relaunch/redesign of my blog, formerly allixx4, which is now Live, Laugh, Create! 💭🙊

(Do you guys like my new blog header? I designed it myself!😊)

When I first created my blog, I put little to no thought into the name of my blog and my initial thought was "oh, well my YouTube channel name is allixx4...". As I began to follow more blogs and became inspired to document my experiences more, I kept looking at my blog name and I didn't like it. It didn't scream... me, it was a just a screen name. If you guys remember my old blog header, under the text "ALLIXX4", I put "Live, Laugh, Create" in a smaller font. I always felt like that was my motto. I love living in the moment and enjoying what's here, right in front of us. And I love expressing myself through different creative outlets, like YouTube, my blog, social media, art, etc. Who knows, maybe there's a better blog name out there. But right now, this is what fits me and my personality. 

With the new name and design (kind of), is a new blog address/link!!! Unfortunately, the subdomain "livelaughcreate" was taken, so my new blog link is livelaughandcreate.blogspot.com! Don't forget the "and"!!!

NEW BLOG... NEW CONTENT?

There won't be a huge change in the content I will be posting here, but I definitely want to improve on my posting schedule. Being a high school junior puts me (and I'm sure a lot of young student bloggers as well) at a disadvantage. If you're my age and you're keeping up with your posting schedule, great job! Props to you!! But I'm involved in many extra curricular clubs and sports at my school, which is my fault, I put myself in this stressful situation. This means that my free time is LIMITED. I'll try my best, but please understand when I don't end up posting for a while.

I hope you guys like the change in my blog! New year, new beginnings right? This wasn't so much of a "relaunch" or a "redesign" as the main layout of my blog is still the name. However, I did change my blog name, link, some of the fonts for certain links/post titles. Small details... but I'm happy with this change. 😙

Goodbye 2016... Hello 2017👋🏻 | NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Another year for new beginnings.

The pictures you see above are ones that my friend Connie and I actually took on January 1st, 2017. We've made it a small tradition to go out, in the freezing cold may I add, and take pictures. Afterwards, we'd grab bubble tea from our favourite bubble tea place and talk for a bit.

So sorry, I forgot to make a post saying Merry Christmas to all of you!!! I hope you guys had an amazing time with friends and family over the holidays! But, I did post a video on What I Got For Christmas 2016! Check it out😊

I know that a lot of people have said that 2016 was a bad year, me included. For the most part, 2016 was filled with bad experiences and memories that I wish I could let go of. But I also had my highs, like turning 16, and winning regionals with my swim team for the second year in a row! I won't be able to forget what happened last year, but I want to look forward to what's in store for the new year. We've said our goodbyes to 2016, and welcomed 2017! Which means... new year's resolutions!

MY NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS for 2017:

• Get in the habit of sleeping earlier and waking up on time!
• Go for my G1/driver's license
• Get a boyfriend? (we'll see...😏)
• Read more
• Discover my passion for the future... meaning, narrow down what I want to study in post-secondary education! 
• Grow as a photographer by trying out new shooting techniques, going to new locations
• Be creative, don't do what everyone else is doing!
• Be a better listener, and try to see things from others' perspectives
• Take time to myself, relax and just step away from the chaos, even if it's just for a minute
• Avoid distractions and focus on getting work done (go to the library to study, etc.)
• Work out when I'm supposed to! 
• Take time to show my appreciation for friends or family
• Blog more!!! Document and share my experiences!

Those are just a few of my new year's resolutions. Of course there's a lot more, but those are the only ones that I can think of right now. I want to stick to these goals and I'm going to look back on this post as a constant reminder of my progress!