I’m rapidly approaching my one year blogversary, and what a year it has been. But we’ll get to that in June, when I’ve actually reached a year.
When I started this blog I wanted to encompass who am I as a person — High Heels and Shotgun Shells — City turned country, small town homecoming queen turned professional, tomboy/girly girl, and the brunette version to Dolly Parton’s Backwoods Barbie (I mainly just like the expression)
I wanted to write posts people could relate to, maybe put a little sunshine in someone’s day or even simply just to let my family know what the heck is going on in my life. As an agriculture writer and editor for a living, I wanted my blog to reflect me outside of the ag scene.
But agriculture, I just cain’t quit you. So the topic leaked into my posts from the beginning and I accepted it. It’s a pretty big part of who I am after all.
And somewhere in all that, y’all started actively reading, interacting and giving me feedback (Which I love!). I found myself suddenly, very conscious of what I was writing about, and began tailoring my posts to satisfy others. By nature, I’m one hardcore people pleaser, and it turned into this:
•Don’t be controversial.
•Write more about agriculture.
•Don’t write so much about agriculture.
•Everything must be butterflies and unicorn poop.
•Educate.
•Don’t educate, just be fun.
•Filter yourself.
•That will offend your family.
•Don’t be the obnoxious, twitterpaited girl who always refers to her boyfriend.
•Be yourself.
•Don’t be yourself, give the people what they want.
•Uhh… what do “the people” want?
I was desperately trying to fit this “blogger identity” and I didn’t know what that identity was exactly. So I’ve decided to forget trying to blog please everyone and carry on with my random all over the place writing.
My blog is my outlet, to discuss what I want to discuss, and to be me. A year ago I would have never EVER imagined almost 100 people would email subscribe to my blog, or that my Twitter followers would jump from 80-something to 477. Never EVER. Because of HH&SS I have met some AWESOME people, received some great advice, opened new doors of opportunity, gotten closer to distant relatives and in a very random way it brought me My Someone…
So I’m just going to keep on keeping on writing about outdoorsy/super-girly/redneck-tendencies/ag-nerdy/religious/love-mush/Okie/Kansas/Cajun/life-as-I-know-it/random things, and make no apologies for it.
Here’s a picture of a buffalo…
Have a fantastic day!
Dani Squared 
20 responses to “Finding my blogger identity”
You go, girl….just keep on keepin’ on. It’s YOUR blog, be true to YOU! Anyone who doesn’t like it can find something else to read!
Lol thank you! Especially for such a peppy first comment! 🙂
Glad to hear you plan on ” keeping on being YOU ”
Grand Dad D.
Thanks Grand Dad!
love the whole post but ADORE the “here’s a buffalo” line and picture at the end!
HeeHee thanks Brandi …I received several phone calls over my buffa-random.
I haven’t been reading you for the whole year, but I can definitely relate to the randomness of what you want to post. I tell people that I blog about our farm, family, faith and food with a lot of photography thrown in. Since I am nowhere close to Pioneer Woman status (not even in the same galaxy), I, like you, will just keep plugging away. I’m glad to hear you’ll be doing the same. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog. And there’s nothing more random than a buffalo photo 🙂
Thank you! I’m glad you relate. I see some blogs who stay with the theme and it’s very dependable of what you can expect to read. But, that’s just not me… 😉 I enjoy reading your blog too, by the way.
And, thanks. I felt like “Petey” the buffalo needed a place somewhere. He’ll probably pop up every now again.
Randomness is a pretty okay quality to have. That means you are not boring or particularly predictable. I have learned that I am a walking contradiction to myself. And when I say that people who don’t know me give me a very funny look, but my mom and my husband just laugh and say “yep that’s about right. but we never know what we are going to get with you and that makes it fun”. So cheers to randomness. About the worry of offending people….. I have my own thoughts about that. People tend to take things way too seriously first of all. And quite frankly I think it is okay to be offended and to offend others some time in life. Because you can’t always please everybody, and at this point we are still a free country and everybody is allowed to have and voice their opinions, right wrong or indifferent. It doesn’t matter. Plus if somebody offends me it allows me the opportunity to evaluate why exactly I was offended and if it is justified or not. I have had some of my hard core beliefs changed because somebody had the balls enough to stand up to me and say something that I really didn’t agree with. But it forced me to evaluate and really think, and possibly make a change of heart. The thing about that is that you have to be able to back up what you say with facts and real arguments instead of name calling and slander. That is the difference between a debate (healthy) and a fight/mud slinging contest (un-healthy). Keep writing though because it is great!!!!!
Love this, all of it! And I totally agree. Thank you for your comment and input!! 🙂
Your blog brings a smile to my face and for that alone I will keep reading. Congrads on the upcoming blogaversary!!!
I’m glad on both accounts!! And thank you!!
Haha, the buffalo picture is pretty great…just saying 🙂
😉 Hey, thanks!
[…] Finding my Blogger Identity (High Heels & Shotgun Shells): Danielle is so frank about everything she writes about. I was introduced to her blog by a friend I went to college with, and it’s great for me to keep in touch with what’s happening in agriculture and anything else. For bloggers starting out, we go into this venture with the high notion of exactly what we’re going to do and say, but things always change. We tend to forget the blogs need to be about us–who we are and how we feel–and just be us. That’s what people want to read. […]
Glad to know I’m not the only one who struggled with what to post/blog about! Keep being yourself!
I just started my blog and it is kind of hard to come up with topics to write about and also just to stick with it! I agree it’s just important that you stay you and write about what you love & enjoy – so that’s what I’ll be doing. 🙂 Love you blog and I feel that we can really relate to each other & our ways of life. https://injohndeeregreen.wordpress.com/
[…] how I said we would be celebrating when I reached my One Year Blog-iversary? Well the countdown is on. June 12, 2012 was my very first post. Knowing myself, with my fear of […]
[…] As I said before, when I started this — blogging — it was just for myself, just a way to document what was happening in my life. I didn’t picture people outside my family and close friends to actually read High Heels and Shotgun Shells, but I’ve met some really awesome people because of this, really, you all are truly fantastic. […]
Your style is really unique in comparison to other people I’ve read stuff from.
I appreciate you for posting when you’ve got the opportunity,
Guess I will just bookmark this page.