You may or may not have noticed my lack of posts the past month or so. I would like to explain...
Throughout my blogging career of about a year and a half, I have had a hard time finding a peaceful place where I am content and comfortable. I went from no one reading my blog and feeling inferior; to companies/indie makers sending me polishes to review, growth in readership, and the constant feeling of being overwhelmed. Along with the awesome opportunity to review polishes, comes the pressure to provide perfect photos within a short amount of time. What was once a hobby, started to become a job. Many bloggers enjoy the challenge of the business side of blogging...but I have found that I do not. I lost my passion for both shopping for new/exciting polishes and simply painting my nails. I have had bare nails for a week now and that is so not me :(
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to take a break from blogging. I am leaving the time frame open to give myself time to re-evaluate and decide if I want to continue. I yearn to have the days back when I painted my nails every night without expecting perfection. I hope to get that passion back during my break and come back refreshed and ready to share again. If I do return, I am going to keep blogging strictly as a hobby and paint my nails what I want...when I want. No pressure.
I want to thank you for all of your support. I have realized that what I like best and appreciate the most about blogging, are the friends I have made. I have said it before and I'm going to say it again....nail/beauty bloggers are the most supportive and friendly people I have ever met <3 We are all so lucky to have each other!
I would also like to thank the companies and indie makers who have taken a chance on me and provided me with some gorgeous polishes to review. I have always been so thankful for those opportunities and I will continue to enjoy wearing your nail polish. Good luck to each of you!
Even though you will not see new blog posts from me, you will still see me around. I will continue to read and comment on your blogs. I love to support bloggers, so feel free to email me if you ever need advice or just someone to talk to. See ya later!
Perfectly said Es! I love you and will definitely see you around!!! Sending positive virtual vibes and best wishes your way!!!! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks for being there for me Dani. You have been such a great friend:)
Delete:[ I know a lot of bloggers feel/felt the same way, myself included. Hope to see you around and your posts when things get better for your polish passion! I'll be thinking of you <3
ReplyDeleteThank you. Great job pushing through those feelings and continuing to blog. It takes a lot of effort! Thanks again:)
Delete<3
ReplyDelete<3
DeleteI think we all have hit that "overwhelmed" point somewhere along the line. I'm there right now as well. It's all about doing what makes you happy :) Hugs!
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding. I am glad I'm not alone!
DeleteEssie, I will miss your posts, but I totally understand how pressure to get out perfect swatches quickly can make nail blogging feel like more of a job! At the end of the day, you don't want to lose your passion for nails as a hobby, so you are doing the right thing!
ReplyDeleteHope to see you around, and all the best wishes! <3 Cait
Oh you will sure see me around your blog. I continue to be amazed by your skills:) Thanks for being a friend!
Deletenooo :( I really love your posts :( sad to see you go! goodluck in your decisions xxx
ReplyDeleteThanks for the support! I may be back ;)
DeleteAs so many have already said I think we all get that feeling from time to time. For what it's worth I've loved your blog and even more so getting to know a little of you. I'm glad you're able to do what's best for you and I hope to see you around when/if it gets fun again. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading my blog. I truly appreciate it! I painted my nails last night FOR FUN and it was awesome ;)
DeleteI'm so sorry that you're feeling so much pressure hun! Will still be here to support you!!! I hope your break will help you get some R&R and you will come back refreshed and excited as before! xoxo
ReplyDeleteThanks for being there for me:) I am hoping this break will help too!
Deleteaww :( I am so sad to see you take a break. But i understand if you need it! Being overwhelmed and pressured is no fun. I do hope you return with a more laid back take on it. Do it at your leisure and pace and just have fun with it! I know it's hard to accept but if it isn't perfect then just say what the hey, and post it anyway! Trust me the people that care don't matter because there will be plenty of people that enjoy hearing from you and looking at your manis regardless if they are not "perfect"!! I promise!!!
ReplyDeleteI shall try....but that is very hard for me :( Thanks for the advice though! Take care.
DeleteLove you sweet girl! <3 And see you later. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks for everything Melissa. I've LOVED getting to know you. Give your puppies a little pat for me ;)
DeleteI know the feels and bravo to being brave enough to take care of yourself!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was a very tough decision. It took a while to finally pull the trigger. I felt like I quit a job! Thanks for reading.
DeleteThat's too bad Essie! But if it doesn't give you joy anymore don't force yourself - who knows maybe in a few weeks you have found new energy and can't wait to blog again! Thanks for the fun posts :).
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading my blog! I hope to find the passion I once had for both polish and blogging. Talk to you soon :)
DeleteI will definitely miss seeing your beautiful nails and reading your posts, but I'm so happy that you've made the decision to do what's best for you. Polish should be fun for us, and once that fun stops, you know something must be wrong. I hope you find your passion again or maybe even find another passion that's fresh and exciting. I'm so glad that I've been able to *meet* you through this awesome crazy nail blogging world we're a part of. I truly hope that all the stress is lifted from you! You're the best, Essie! Don't forget that =)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Your comment means a lot. I am happy to have met you too. See you around!
DeleteWill miss you when your on this break but I hope you'll figure things out! <3
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa. You are such a supportive person in this blogging world. Keep it up!
DeleteEssie you are an inspiration!! I will miss seeing your beautiful pics and posts but like the others have said, I totally understand why you need to do this. I have also had a rough time recently where I feel overwhelmed with reality and trying to keep up with my blog, I have taken a more relaxed approach and gave myself some time to refuel. I wish you every happiness in whatever you decide to do...enjoy your break and we will be waiting for your hobby self to come back! xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteThanks and I am happy you understand. I'm sure most bloggers have points in time where they need to re-evaluate and take a breather. Great job taking a more relaxed approach. I hope I can do that some day too. Have a great day!
Deletelove and hugs. I will miss you, but I respect your decision. We ALL feel like that from time to time, sometimes for longer than we'd like to, but usually something eventually makes us go Ooooooh again. I hope you find your Oooooh xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking the time to comment. I sure do hope that I find my Oooooh again ;) You'll see me on your blog so..."see ya later" ;)
DeleteEssie, when I started out a few months ago, you were there offering me a helpful hand with quite a lot of topics & I am ever so grateful.. I am where you where once feeling frustrated and inferior as I try my hardest to get followers to my blog, but.. Seeing as how you are now where you are 'burned out', perhaps I will just keep it to a hobby as you said you would like to.. I do enjoy doing my nails and getting compliments on them even though right now they are few & far between, I don't want the enjoyment to run out for me.. I still have SOOOO many polishes to try yet & I have not even gotten in to the Indie brands yet. To sum up what I am saying is that you will be missed & the words you told me will continue on in my future posts. Always thankful to you.. <3
ReplyDeleteWow, thank you so much. I am glad I was able to help and perhaps this post helped you as well. Just remember why you started and try to stay true to that. I somehow got lost along the way. Take care and good luck with your blog ;)
DeleteHi Essie!!!! Cudos to you!!! Am so proud to have met you and become friends!!! This post and your decision reflect exactly what I always felt with you: warmhearted and considerate openness and authenticy!!! While I certainly will miss you I am still loaded with inspiration you gave me and you sustainibly formed my style in painting my nails and blogging!!!! Thank you for everything and see you round <3
ReplyDeleteThanks Christine....for everything! You have been such a great friend and I have loved getting to know you. I hope we can continue to talk through email and remain friends. Obviously, you will still see me comment on your blog:) Keep up the great work and I will talk to you soon.
DeleteI totally get it and you should definitely take a break if that's what you want. This should be something fun that you do for yourself, not another obligation. We'll miss you but hope to see you back again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding and commenting - it means a lot. <3
DeleteI'm proud of you, girlie :) This took some guts. I was just thinking about your introductory blog post in PaA... You're an amazing lady and I'm so happy and thankful we became friends through this hobby. You are truly a light in this community and I'm really glad you'll still be around... This just would not be the same without you :) :) ttyl :)
ReplyDeleteYou know, one of the hardest parts was thinking I was letting people down...especially you. You have done such an awesome job building your blog into what it is. You know I am your #1 fan and always will be. Talk to you soon...BBF ;)
DeleteEssie this makes me sad :( You were the first blogger I ever got to know. But as my blog grows and I get busier I totally understand how you feel. Sometimes it does feel like work. And if blogging is a hobby that isn't how you want it to feel. I hope you decided to come back to it at some point.
ReplyDeleteAwww. Thank you. You have done such an awesome job with your blog. I just saw an email this morning from Bloom.com with your mani on it! Congrats on your success...you deserve it. Thanks for your support and friendship. Talk to you soon!
DeleteOh no Essie! I love your blog posts and I remember that you were my very first comment ever on my blog. I won't ever forget how nice you were to me :) I completely understand the pressure to blog and the most important thing is to do what is right for you. If you don't enjoy it, then it's important to find something that you do enjoy. I hope you decide to come back but in the mean time, take care of yourself!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I just love your blog and your nail art is amazing. You are so talented. I only wish I could be half as good as you:) Take care!
DeleteAww Essie, I'm so glad that we had the opportunity to become friends because of blogging. I totally understand being overwhelmed. Hope you get some much needed R&R and you rediscover your love for nail polish. And you never know... one day we may see you back again on this blog. In the meantime, keep in touch! *hugs* <3
ReplyDelete~ Yun
Oh you haven't heard the last from me:) Thanks so much for listening to my whiny emails...it's nice to have someone to listen that knows exactly what I am going through. I honestly look up to you so much. You have such a successful blog and I know how much work you put into it....PLUS, your day job is stressful. You are an inspiration. Thanks for your friendship Yun!
DeleteThank you for those kind words, Essie. <3 Ha, I better not have heard the last from you. :P I expect to see you around often, my friend. :D
DeleteI'm sad you're taking a break, but you've definitely hit a transition stage and it makes sense to back off and figure out what you want to do and where you want to go with your blog! I think most bloggers go through this at some point. Just know that you will be missed and that your readers hope you come back in some way, shape or form!
ReplyDeleteThank you:) You are right about hitting the transition stage. I know lots of bloggers do make this into a job and make money doing it...I am just not looking for that. I truly do want it to be an enjoyable hobby and I need to figure out how to get back to that. Thanks for understanding and commenting :)
DeleteHugs to you
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteEssie, I love and support you no matter what you do. I hope that you get back to what makes you happy, blog or no blog! I look forward to talking to you in the future. I know I'll see you around!
ReplyDeleteThank you. I have enjoyed getting to know you. You are so talented with your frankens and I love seeing what you come up with. Thanks for your support! Talk to you soon.
DeleteTotally understandable! Just know us readers will miss you! I hope you find your peace of mind!! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. Your comment is appreciated :)
DeleteCompletely understand. I went through something similar recently where blogging just wasnt fun anymore. I took a month off, focused on my life and family. I completely stepped away from the nail polish community and then one day I missed it. I wrote up a quick post and found a new passion for it. I hope what ever decisions you make down the road are whats right for you and you are happy. You will be missed by many. I myself looked up to you and appreciated every piece of advice or helpful tip you gave me.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you were able to find your passion again. I hope that happens for me. Blogging almost starts to consume your thoughts and life. I would love for it to be more casual. We shall see! Thanks for your comment, it means a lot.
DeleteI love your pictures, so I will miss your blogging, but I completely understand. Not much fun if a hobby turns out to be work. I hope it won't take long until polishing your nails make you happy again (I'm just talking about the polish itself for now, feeling the urge to blog again will probably take a while, I guess).
ReplyDeleteThank you for the compliment on my pictures! I hope to find my love for it again. In the meantime, I can enjoy everyone else's blogs. Take care!
DeleteAwww, Essie...it's sad to see you go! I always enjoy your posts and manis, even if I'm not one to comment very often...I really hope you find that passion back and come back. I will be waiting! ;)
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you! <3
Thanks! It's awesome to know that you read my blog:) I see that people are reading the posts; but if they don't comment, I have no idea who they are:) I'll continue to enjoy your blog:)
DeleteGood for you ! Your happiness is most important :)
ReplyDeleteI hope to see you back soon, but if not, that's all good too
Thanks for understanding and for taking the time to comment! It really means a lot. Take care.
DeleteI will miss your really pretty nail designs. Hopefully you will find some peace soon in body and mind..if it's meant to be and blogging helps you down the road, we will see you hear again. The little income checks most get from blogging always are nice.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I never saw any income, but I feel like that would make it feel even more like a job! While that is where some people want their blogs to be..not I:) I hope to find my place in the blogging world again. I am sure I will miss the support from all of you:) Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI completely understand. You need to find you again. Sometimes we get lost in all the blogging and forget to keep us alive and well. We will miss you and your gorgeous manis! But we will also be here for you if you decide to come back. (Oh I hope you do!)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your comment:) Have a great day!
DeleteI totally understand how you feel! I also experienced blogger burn-out... Enjoy your free time, and if you come back to it, great! Maybe stick to only one platform (like Instagram) and see how that feels? Best of luck, xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteYes, perhaps I can ease back in with one platform. I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for your comment!
DeleteOh no, Essie... I mean I totally understand... the pressure is getting to me too, but I'm trying to go through 'good weeks' and 'bad weeks'... I will so miss your posts!!! I hope when you come back (I know you will!!!), it will be completely on your terms.. that's what blogging should be about to begin with, just fun for you, not an obligation. Will miss you, girlie!!! And your wonderful cakes!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Gosia:) I agree, it needs to be fun and it wasn't anymore. I hope I can get that back. Talk to you soon!
DeleteLovely log! I'm your new follower. I would like ou to follow me! Kisses
ReplyDeletehttp://how2befashion.blogspot.com.es/
Thanks.
DeleteHi Essie. I've commented on your blog a few times when you used to post cakes and I think I commented on some nail posts too. Even though I'm not much of a blogger, I kind of know how you feel. I got so burnt out on Facebook that I deleted it 2 years ago and never looked back. It was sooooo "freeing" - I imagine that's probably how you're feeling right now. Hopefully, you'll get your nail polishing mojo back and just polish for you & maybe share with your friends sometime. :-) Enjoy your time off from blogging. :-)
ReplyDeleteI know exactly how you feel about Facebook. I actually deleted my personal one in April of last year and I haven't looked back either. it was very freeing and felt kindof like this:) Thanks for understanding!
DeleteSending happy vibes your way! You've got to do what's right for you...I hope you find your happy place soon =)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for reading and commenting. It means a lot :)
DeleteWishing you the best. Nothing worse than something you love becoming a chore. I hope your passion is rekindled and better than ever.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for taking the time to comment. Take care.
DeleteSee you soon Es! You're definitely a big inspiration to me, and I was so excited when you shared one of my posts on your Facebook page! I hope you find your love for blogging again.. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Your work is beautiful and I was happy to share it. Keep up the great work, I will be watching!
DeleteI just realized that when I read this my comment didn't go through...stupid mobile! I'm so glad to still see you around, whenever I see your name I get a little smile going. I'll miss your lovely nail poses & hope to see them again when you're ready to come back! XOXO
ReplyDeleteThanks Stephanie. In the mean time, I'll visit your blog often!
DeleteJust want to say that I totally understand what you are going through because I sometimes experience the same thing. Nevertheless, I do hope you come back soon, I love your swatches and nail art posts! ^^
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! It's nice to know people understand. Take care!
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ReplyDeleteMiss you beautiful Essie! You are so talented and it was always fun reading your blog posts. It's great to focus on what you know in your heart is right. I wish you all the best and hope to see your awesome work again once you are ready. XOXO - bellagee :)
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteI was so sad to read this but completely understand. I only wish I would have discovered your blog sooner but nevertheless am glad to have found you. I've enjoyed reading your posts and seeing your pics. Thank you for all the dedication and effort you put into your blog and for sharing that with us. Have a great weekend! XX, P
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for stopping by. I will continue to watch and comment on Youtube - I really enjoy your videos. Thanks for taking the time to do what you do!
DeleteBeautiful Essie, I am so proud of you for following your heart! There's nothing like the feeling of doing something because you truly want to. What an unbelievable and amazing journey you've been on; we were the lucky ones to watch you bloom into an amazing nail blogger. I secretly hope that your passion returns, but I know that whatever you decide to put your heart into, it will be brilliant! All of the best and we hope that you'll pop in, time-to-time on Bellashoot:) Biggest hugs! xoxo
ReplyDeleteWow, what a nice comment. Thank you so much. I enjoyed contributing to your site and will still enjoy it even though I'm not posting. Thanks again!
DeleteTake as long as a break as you need. I love your blog and if you decide to come back, I will be very happy! Decide what's best for you first!
ReplyDeleteThanks for understanding:) Take care.
DeleteI understand not wanting to continue a blog when it becomes more like a job than a hobby. Been there with my main blog...I hope you do come back to this hobby, though! ♥ Enjoy yourself!
ReplyDeleteThanks! I have been enjoying just wearing nail polish for fun and not stressing over the look of my nails and cuticles.
DeleteI miss you! <3
ReplyDeleteSending happy vibes your way! You've got to do what's right for you...I hope you find your happy place soon :)
ReplyDelete