If The World Doesn't End In 2012...
This year will hopefully be a year of milestones for me. If everything goes according to plan, I'll be graduating university, starting grad school, and moving to New York all before the year is up. I'm excited and hopeful, and I can't wait.
In addition to finally taking on adult responsibilities this year, I'm going to be trying to make some serious changes to this blog. I've been blogging for almost 3 years now, and in that time, I've learned so much about the fashion industry and about the blogosphere, and the relationship between the two. I've made mistakes, and I've learned from them, and for 2012, I'd like to be more active about defining this space in a way better matches up with my interests in the fashion industry.
In October when I was at TVFU, I got some great advice from Teen Vogue EIC, Amy Astley. She said that in writing a blog, you should try to "create what you would want to see." As a fashion blogger whose focus is photography, there are a very limited number of blogs that focus exclusively on photography that I can emulate. Most fashion/photo blogs are street style blogs, and not necessarily what I want to aspire to. So for 2012, I'm changing that. I'm rebranding, defining the new Promiscuous Lola, and dedicating myself to being more creative about narrowing my focus.
So far, I have a number of things planned. I'm excited and nervous and freaking out, but the anticipation of finally being sure of what I want this space to be is as overwhelming as it is exhilarating. So, here are my blog resolutions for 2012. Two weeks late, but just as valid!
Refine/Rebrand/Refocus: I'd been thinking about rebranding for a while now, but I only just found the courage. So, now that I'm basically starting over this blog with a new identity, I have to spend some time refining what that means, and how drastically I will be changing direction. In changing over to the new URL, there were some glitches with the photographs. I have no idea what's happened or why, but since I haven't figured it out, I've decided to abandon the broken posts. In the next few weeks, I won't be posting anything new, just going through the archives and deleting all the broken posts. I'm going to try to salvage my more important posts, but my archives will be severely be gutted. I haz a sad now. But, at the same time, it's a new opportunity to start fresh, with all the information that I've learned about blogging and fashion in the last 2 years. We'll see where it takes me.
Street Style Photography: I've been saying for ages that I want to post more street style shots. Now that I have the time, the equipment and the experience, I really want to make a bigger push to develop my eye for street style. I've missed doing this for College Fashionista, and there's no reason why I shouldn't continue, even if it's just to keep my "approaching strangers and photographing them" skill nice and fresh!
Editorial Style Writing: Over the last few years, I've written for a number of online publications in order to build my writing experience, however in the last few months, I've found that there are a number of things that I want tot write about that aren't necessarily appropriate topics for those forums. I have a lot to say about a lot of things, so where better to say them than in the space that I've cultivated for me? This year, I'd like to take more time to expand on the issues that affect me, and are important to me, and to continue developing my writing skills at the same time.
Regular/Manageable Schedule: I've changed the posting schedule several time over the last few years, but this year, I'd like to develop one that is easy to follow even when I get overwhelmed with classes. I love this blog and my few faithful readers, and I don't want to alienate them by being unreliable. I have a number of features I'd like to retain, and a few more I'd like to introduce, so I'll be rolling them out by the beginning of February.
365 Challenge: I've been meaning to start a 365 challenge for a couple of years now, and I've decided that this year I'm going to DO IT! As a photographer, I should be training myself to be ready to capture any and everything around me, and I think that a 365 challenge is the best way to do that. It will force me to see the places around me in a new way, and to look for the interesting things in my environment. It will also help me train myself to always be ready to capture the things that are going on around me.
So there they are. Five, manageable goals for the new year. Here's to hoping I keep them!