This blog post is a personal story where I dive into why I started blogging, and the reasons behind launching Intricate Grace.
The internet contains a vast digital landscape. The information it holds is endless and can simply be overwhelming. Like so many others, I turn to it daily to find answers to one thing or another.
It’s crazy that it seems to have answers to everything, except for the times when you really need an answer to something personal. Just me?
Well, this was the case for me many times, especially after I became a mother and felt totally alone in the midst of postpartum depression. (I know there’s SOOOO much out there on this subject, but when I needed help the most, I found I felt more alone and just didn’t feel *seen* in what I found online).
This was also the case when I’d search for ways to make money online, or as a stay-at-home mom, and would run into sales pitch after sales pitch.
There’s So Much Information Online, Yet Somehow Not Enough.
It just seemed that everything I really needed help with personally, was just not there, and maybe I typed the wrong questions into Google, but either way. I feel like I just came up empty more often than not.
I’d say the official journey that led to my decision to start my blog probably started a little over four years ago.
To be honest, in the beginning, actually having a blog was nowhere on my mind. But it’s interesting how one thing or idea tends to pop up often, even when you’re looking for something else. This was the case for me and blogging.
It seemed every time I searched for ways to make money online, or pretty much anything I searched for, including questions involving motherhood or postpartum, I’d be led to someone’s blog.
It took a few years to pay attention, because I kinda had the idea that having a blog and having it be profitable, was a thing of the past. Well, it seems that’s far from the truth.
A Little Backstory:
Since I was eighteen, I did what pretty much any other person in our society does: I got a job. Then I got another job. And I continued to get new jobs or new opportunities within those jobs to help support the growing needs and demands that life threw my way.
Despite having dreams and aspirations of what I could do someday, I already felt stuck in the typical grind that’s normal in today’s society.
I found that if I went weeks with no variety in my work schedule, I felt like I was suffocating. Literally.
I just never felt fully content. Like, ever.
Selfish Mindset
Because of this, I was told by a few people that I had a selfish mindset.
I was found to be selfish because I wanted to have the freedom to travel and explore the world, and to TRULY LIVE life without having to ask whatever boss I had at the time if that was okay.
Well, maybe it was selfish. But we only get ONE life. So why is it totally normal in our world to submit that life to someone else’s dreams? Only to put your own on the back burner and *maybe* get to live it when you retire someday?
When I turned to the internet, I was inundated with information from other peoples -you guessed it- blogs. But I never really considered this an option for me until much later.
Time To Make A Change
When I found out I was pregnant for the first time after over four years of trying and dealing with infertility, I knew I had to make a change but never considered it was possible to have a full-time income from home, at least not without a degree or committing to a virtual job with the same hours and demands as those in an office…
I found out I was pregnant right at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns in the Spring of 2020. Ugh, what a year!
I will always be SO grateful though that my baby and myself remained healthy amidst the chaos of my job during that year. I was yelled at constantly by both customers and my boss. It was insanely stressful.
Even more stressful was the fact that we had moved back to my hometown the year before, which is a beautiful mountain town, but a small one nonetheless. When I say there are limited opportunities where I live, I mean it.
I found this to be true when I had to consider what was going to happen after my baby was born, and ended up with the knowledge that childcare was non-existent! I mean, sure, there are daycares, but the demand for these is so high that the wait list is up to two years at every given moment, then if you do get in, then the cost is pretty much your entire paycheck.
I guess it doesn’t help that I found I had some major trust issues and felt physically ill thinking about leaving my baby with a stranger. The only person I trusted with my baby was my mom, but she also worked (and still does) full-time. So that wasn’t an option either.
So without going into the entire nitty-gritty story that led to the tough decision my husband and I had to make: I ended up having to quit my job when my baby was born.
I quit my job with NOTHING lined up to replace that income!
It was probably seen as a stupid decision by a lot of people, but my boss wasn’t willing to work with me (I had to either continue to work full-time or not at all. After my legal FMLA was up of course ;)) so I felt like I just didn’t have any other options.
It was so scary. It still is! And unfortunately, it led to some major debt accrual. Which led to a lot of guilt.
It wasn’t an easy transition by far. So I had to get creative.
What Next?
I did several little side gigs that helped keep us “floating” such as:
- virtual assisting,
- teaching myself to do some web-development,
- doing garage sales,
- and even selling things on eBay!
(I’m happy to write a post all about these methods in depth if anyone’s interested. eBay is actually a great -and easy- way to earn some extra money, but unfortunately, my small town hinders my growth in this area a bit too).
All these methods of earning money worked in a way, but when I became pregnant again only three months postpartum, I ended up with two babies and not a whole lot of time on my hands to commit to clients needs or wants in the virtual assistant world or web-development gigs, so it ended up just being eBay keeping the bills covered. But even so, the debt still accrued and we never had anything leftover in the money department.
Things were tight financially. Super tight.
So, I devoured the information on the internet for what else I could do.
The True Beginning Of Intricate Grace & Why I Started Blogging
Blogging surprisingly kept standing out, but I didn’t believe this could really be an income for me.
If I’m being honest, maybe I’m still not entirely sure.
But I decided this year that I’m going to give it EVERYTHING I’ve got.
Blogging stands as a beacon in the cluttered world of the internet as a form of personal expression. At the very least, it’s a healthy way to share my thoughts with the world in hopes of helping others like myself find a way to support themselves financially, mentally, etc.
You may have read the About Me section, and are aware that I chose the name Intricate Grace because it represents what I intend to cover with this blog. Not only does it represent me, as my name is Grace and I consider myself fairly complicated ;), it represents navigating the intricacies of life in general and finding ways to face these with Grace.
I actually had chosen another name: GreySkye, which represents my two daughters. It’s a name I LOVE, but it was sadly taken. 🙁 So Intricate Grace was born. Hey, It works!
I intend to write all the things that I searched in depth for. To share my story on what works for me and what doesn’t.
So without further ado, let me delve into some more of my motivations and reasons I bit the bullet and launched Intricate Grace.
- A Platform for Expression:
At the heart of my decision to become a blogger is to provide information. Information that I felt was missing when I needed it the most.
It’s hard not to develop a sort of “imposter syndrome” in writing some of my articles, (Better Up has a great article on what imposter syndrome is for those who may not know what i’m talking about. You can check it out here) but I feel it’s important somehow to share my experiences, even the bad ones. Maybe in doing so, I can make someone else who feels alone or invisible in the chaotic world of the internet feel seen and understood.
In addition to information, my decision is also related to finding a way to monetize my blog. To tap into what others have claimed to “set them free financially”, to share all the “how-tos” that I find to work, and be honest with my methods since this topic seems to be a big secret online and has already taken extensive research on my part to get as far as I am now.
Let’s be real, since quitting my job nearly four years ago, I need to find a solid way to support my family and find a way to bring in additional income.
I believe I’ve been pulled towards this avenue in multiple ways because there’s something here!
I pray that it will pay off, and I also think it’ll be pretty awesome if I find an audience that can follow in my footsteps and change their lives for the better easily because I didn’t play gatekeeper with my methods.
Beyond the financial aspects, I find solace in writing. It’s a cathartic way to release some emotions and to express myself.
I don’t intend to just use this platform to dump. But when I was in the middle of some pretty low moments of my life, I turned towards the internet in my loneliness, only to find that I didn’t relate (not FULLY) to what others were putting out there.
So I hope to simply be what I was looking for in my worst moments. To use the power of my own voice and experiences to potentially help someone in need -authentically.
- Passion and Purpose:
Beyond the mere act of writing, blogging offers me a platform where I can pursue my personal passions, and keep a record of my experiences and what I find to truly work (and a reminder of what doesn’t) in my journey towards self-improvement. It’ll be such a bonus if it also saves someone else the headache it’s sometimes been trying to find ways to crawl out of survival mode.
- The Joy of Community:
Honestly, I’m not someone who can say she has a “tribe”.
I have my few close friends, only one of whom lives anywhere close by. Then I have my mom and sister, my kids, and my husband.
I live a fairly isolated life, so the internet has at times been the only thing I *can* turn to. So if this is the case for anyone else, then maybe this can be a way to connect and share insight.
Since I live in a small area, and resources are limited, I am truly drawn to the idea that a blog can bring a community of like-minded individuals and potentially new friends!
There are so many people to relate to out there, so finding some fellow bloggers and readers alike can provide a sense of support and camaraderie that may be difficult to find elsewhere.
- Empowerment and Growth:
I desire to use this platform as a way to grow personally and to also allow me to help others where I can. I have people in my own life that can truly benefit if I am to be successful in this endeavor.
Well, I’ve given myself no choice but to prove to myself that I can be successful! There’s a whole world of people out there who are earning a huge income from this avenue, and they’re living their best life with the ability to give back to their families and communities. I desire to do the same. And I believe that I can!
Each blog post is a stepping stone in my journey of self-discovery, and empowers me to confront challenges, celebrate victories, and learn to navigate the intricacies of life with resilience and authenticity.
This is a fantastic catalyst for growth and pushes me to expand my horizons, challenge my assumptions, and evolve as a woman.
Why not follow along and see how it can do the same for you?
- Leaving a Legacy:
Blogging offers a perfect medium in which I can share my personal milestones, share the lessons I’ve learned and will continue to learn, and become a testament to my successes.
I do this for my family, but also as a way to reach my hand out to others like me who are desperate for change but don’t know where to start.
My goal is to have a clear path laid out for those who might want to implement things I’ve tried in their own life, with no gatekeeping involved.
It’s been so frustrating, and also somewhat devastating, to see someone claim that they changed their life for the better and want to show you how, only to have you forced into some kind of sales funnel or gatekeeping tactic where you then become a pinata that they keep hitting to get a “little more” from you in order to “help you”.
Well, I don’t want to be like that. So in full transparency, I’m outlining a few of my goals here:
I intend to monetize my blog through affiliate marketing and potentially ads.
Affiliate marketing has been proven to be a gold mine and it’s something that people are typically buying anyway, but by using a link on my page, a commission is earned that can help support my family and blog.
When I discover what it takes exactly to integrate these links, what works in getting them to bring in profit, etc. I intend to write exactly what I did to see success so you can too.
In addition to monetizing my blog, my goal is to put only information that is relevant out in the world, and not just fluff.
My ultimate hope is that I will become someone who can show the exact steps I took to go from knowing absolutely nothing about building websites, blogging, and monetizing to what I did EXACTLY to get it up and running and a source of actual income.
My why is my family. I do this for them. I’m doing this while eight months pregnant at the time I’m writing this post!
I’m not your typical go-getter. But I intend to make this work for me. To give my kids the life I feel they deserve. To help take some of the burden of finances off my husband. To set us free, and God-willing, help my readers do the same!
Conclusion:
In the overwhelming and information overload cyberspace known as the internet, I think I’ve found my calling as a blogger—an authentic mother, with major flaws and issues, who is willing to share the good and the bad in hopes to find fulfillment in her own life while hopefully helping someone else not have to go through quite as much trouble to find their own.
I can see how blogging can transform my life in profound and unexpected ways.
I’m willing to commit to growth, and understand that things probably won’t go exactly how I plan, but will be honest in documenting what exactly happens from here on out until I find my success.
As I start and then continue on this journey, I want to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to share my stories and my thoughts, and look forward to connecting with others in the process.
Check Out These Other Posts:
Is This Motherhood? Keep An Open-Mind.
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I love this post. These are issues I know I want to follow along with and also emulate. Great job Grace!
Thank you! I hope I can help, and thank you for following along! 🙂