5 Lessons A Snowflake Can Teach Us About Blogging

We aren’t very familiar with snow in Atlanta. If we are lucky, it snows about two or three days each winter (about an inch or two each time), and it is usually melted after a few hours. However, this week it’s very different. It’s like we are living in the twilight zone or something. We have a lot of snow on the ground (it goes up to my ankles), and it’s not melting. School has been closed for two days so far, and there is talk of it being closed tomorrow too. It’s all so strange!

My fellow Bit Rebels writers also have some snow stuff going on in their lives too! Richard, in Sweden, is inundated with snow, as usual. The temperatures there are insanely low, and the snow is very deep. People in Sweden just incorporate snow into their daily lives in the wintertime. The schools and businesses don’t close like they do here. It’s all very normal for them.

On the other hand, Misty, my friend from the Philippines, has never seen snow in her whole life. However, Misty is moving to the States this week. She is moving to a city that is famous for having a lot of snow every winter. As a matter of fact, it’s snowing there today! Misty, I wish I could be there when you experience your first snowfall! I hope you have mittens, a hat, some warm boots, and of course, a big cozy winter coat.

While thinking about snow and what a big part it’s playing in our lives at the moment, I started to examine a single snowflake. They are so beautiful and such a fascinating aspect of nature. I realized that there are several similarities between a snowflake and blogging…

Snowflake Fact #1 – Chionophobia is the fear of snow or snowflakes.

Yep, apparently some people are afraid of snow. Similarly, some people are afraid of blogging. They are afraid of negative comments, they are afraid that nobody will read what they wrote and most of all, they are afraid to put themselves out there and write something that the everyone on the Internet could read.

I can understand these fears; I feel them every single day. I’ve had my share of negative comments, I’ve written some articles that I thought were decent that nobody seemed to like, and in some articles, I’ve really showed my heart and every once in a while, I’ve gotten slammed for it. However, looking back over the past 1,000+ posts I’ve written here, I can promise you that the statement, “Whatever doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger” is true. I am a different person now than when I started blogging. I am more confident, I have more self-esteem, and I know what it means to be true to myself.

The title of one of my favorite books sums this up so well… “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway!” That is the advice I would give you. Here are also a few articles that might help you with blogging fear: Chris Brogan’s “Conquering Fear Of Blogging” and Richard Darell’s “10 Reasons Negative Comments Could Make Your Blog A Success.”

Snowflake Fact #2 – They are always hexagonal, but they aren’t a perfect hexagon.

Snowflakes are not perfectly symmetrical since pollution, dirt and other things make them lopsided as they fall. The interesting thing about snowflakes is that each one is so pretty and inspiring, yet none of them are perfect.

That reminds me of… us! In my opinion, we should all care less about making mistakes in our blogging, and instead, care more about providing value to our readers. Nobody’s perfect and nobody expects you to be perfect. We are all a work in progress. If you look at some of the articles published in the early days at Bit Rebels, it’s very different than it is now. We’ve all grown soooo much since then. However, as Richard explained to me, we had to start somewhere and that’s where we did. Don’t try to be perfect, instead, try to be excellent!

Richard took this picture from the inside of his car on the way to his studio. Look a the temperature!

Snowflake Fact #3 – The average snowflake falls at the top speed of 1.7 metres per second.

That’s fast! Similarly, the blogging world moves fast. If you are trying to increase traffic on your blog, then timing is everything. If you post articles inconsistently, you may notice a dip in your traffic.

Some days it’s hard to get the motivation to write, other days, you have so much energy you could write ten articles. They key is to write some articles ahead of time on the days when you have a lot of energy, which you can publish on the days when you don’t have as much energy. You can read all kinds of tips to help you with this on Ink Rebels.

Snowflake Fact #4 – 12 percent of the earth’s land surface is covered permanently with snow and ice.

Can you believe that? 12%? That is a lot! That large area of the earth is a cold place, all the time. Add a little sunshine and warmth to your own life and the lives of others by writing articles that show your readers that you are a human being. We all make mistakes, we all drool sometimes in our sleep, and we all get spinach stuck in our teeth every now and then (if you eat spinach that is. Lol).

Be a human being. Don’t be like so many bloggers who are cold and impersonal, like those cold places on earth. Think about your readers, plan accordingly, and ask for advice when it’s necessary. Show some personality and leave an impression!

Snowflake Fact #5 – Every single snowflake is unique.

That’s right, no two snowflakes are exactly alike! When I think about this, it makes me realize that life is short. We should remember to stop and appreciate all the beauty around us whenever we can. Love your readers. I love our readers like they were part of my family. Without our readers, our blog would be an itty-bitty insignificant star in an infinite universe. Ok, well, maybe it still is that. Regardless, treasure your readers always, and thank them often. They will love you back. And when they do, in that moment, that is when you realize that all your hard work was worth it after all. #gratitude #smiles

Here’s another picture of the glorious snow in Sweden!

Via: [Weather – The Fun Times Guide] [Telegraph] Image Credits: [krivenko / Shutterstock] [Alinute Silzeviciute / Shutterstock]