Loose Change is a series of blogposts by members of the UK Money Blogger community where they let loose on a financial issue important to them.
This week Bear from Save Like a Bear shares why she wants to help others with their finances, even though blogging comes with personal challenges and a wider responsibility.
I started my blog to help others. The only thing is, it took me six years to launch, so that’s not especially helpful…
The thing is, blogging’s a big responsibility. It’s a big responsibility to yourself to show up, but it’s also a big responsibility towards any soul who might stumble across my brain goo. Money blogging needs to come with a legal disclaimer, after all.
I had no reason to fear failure. If a blog flops in the woods and no one’s around to read it, did it really flop?
We have no reason to fear success either. My persistent thoughts were that I wouldn’t have time to update (disappointing to readers), or time to respond to urgent money questions (also disappointing). That I would tell readers my plans and not follow through (how ineffectual. Disappointing. Not the behaviour of someone in control of their finances, surely).
How do you know you’re successful? Someone seagulls you, by flying in and crapping on what you’re doing, and then flying off again even though they weren’t who you were trying to help anyway. Someone trolls you, or acts like you’ve betrayed them by getting some eyeballs on the information you posted to get eyeballs. This means the other scary thing about publishing a blog is that people might actually read it(!), and have an opinion. They might also take action based on your words, for better or for worse.
I’m basically Spiderman. With great power comes great responsibility.
All bloggers are spiderman without the tights whether they’re telling people to detox with lemon water (not scientific), or invest (a better idea in my opinion, but I’m not a financial advisor, so don’t just take my word).
However, you can’t help anyone if no one knows your resources exist, so I’ve taken director Matthew Vaughan’s attitude to creation: I’d rather someone disagree with me violently than be ambivalent. Apathy, ugh. There’s a difference between being controversial for the sake of vanity metrics though, and taking a stance because you think it will make a positive change to someone’s life.
Success is a luxurious problem. Not having enough time is a luxurious problem. Having a platform and the power to influence is a luxurious problem.
If it feels like there’s too much content to catch up on, too many loved ones to reply to, too many strangers to reply to, too much on our shopping list, too much on our fitness to do and our personal development to do… Perhaps this isn’t a problem at all. Perhaps it’s a gift and an opportunity.
If we’re privileged enough to have competition for our attention, then we don’t need to be afraid of choice. We don’t need to be afraid that we’re inventing something that will run away from us. (One way to get fitter for free: picture your blog, or your money, or your money blog. If they always seem ten feet ahead of you, best start chasing).
I started my blog to help others. Any time I hold myself back because I’m afraid of failing or succeeding, I’m really holding back anyone that I wanted to benefit from my writing. I must remember at all times also though that someone might actually make a financial decision as a result of those words.
My spidey sense tells me someone needs help with their finances, so excuse me while I go put on my suit.
Articles in the Loose Change series are written by members of our community. The views do not necessarily represent those of UK Money Bloggers or other members.