Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Tiara Talk: Are You Out?

This post probably isn't about what you think but I think the question still fits.

When I first started blogging I didn't tell very many people from my "real life" about it. Maybe three. MAYBE.

It was my "private" endeavor. I wanted to see if I could do it. I wanted to see how I would be received. I didn't want to tell the world, at least my little world, about it then be a huge flop.

I didn't want everyone to see me fail.

And there was something else...something I still can't quite put my finger on. Not quite embarrassment or shame. My shyness getting in the way again? Maybe. Basically, at least as basic as I can make it, I didn't want to come out as a nerd/geek. At least any more than I already was known.

A hundred or so followers later I got brave. I wasn't failing at this. People were in fact listening to me. I got comments. I made friends in the blogging community. I was getting a little less shy every day. I was reaching out. So I went public.

Kind of.

I linked Typing Tiara up to my own personal Facebook page, listing it as my "job". [At this point in time Typing Tiara had its own page as well.] I advertised a bit on my page, I did posts about it, I mentioned blogging. A few people were interested. I was proud.

I also got a really bad dose of negativity from someone ( a supposed family friend), I won't name names, that basically told me this was a waste of my time. As she said, there was a time to read and a time to get off my butt and contribute because living was not free. That why people were out there struggling to put food on the table, to get jobs, to do this and to do that I was being selfish. I was being a child. I needed to get a real job [I had been trying, the job market's tough!] and stop wasting my time with books. I was reading too much. 

I think you guys get the picture. Needless to say I clammed right back up, after promptly removing that person from my list of friends. 

My Aunt [my mother's sister] and one of my biggest supporters in my reading and writing since I was a kid got me a pretty awesome present for Christmas last year. A lovely tote bag with Typing Tiara's logo on it. Right now its hanging on my wall. I haven't taken it out yet. I smile at it every time I see it but I haven't taken it to school though I really wanted to. 


I guess I'm afraid of people passing judgement. Of there being more people like the one on Facebook. And I know there will be, I'm not that naive. I also know I'll have support. One of my professors knows about Typing Tiara, even mentioned it in my Creative Writing Workshop last semester. But since that one event, with that one vindictive person, I've been hesitant to be out and open about Typing Tiara with my little world. I don't share nearly as much on my own Facebook page and I pretty much never mention Typing Tiara in conversation.

What about you guys? Are you out? Does your "real" world know about your blog? Do you raise your blogger flag high or keep it as a strictly online pursuit? If you are out about being a blogger and proud, how do you do it? How do you handle the nay-sayers?

12 comments:

  1. coming out to the blogging world was extremely scary. But I've found so far that their is more supportive people than mean ones. I also found out who I really wanted in my life when I came out. It's hard but it gets easier.

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    1. In the blogging community itself I completely agree, I've never found a better community online. Its the offline folk I have to deal with that make me nervous. They are not nearly as understanding about the endeavor. Which is sad really.

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  2. I live in a different country where the native language is spanish, but I read and feel more comfortable with english so telling my friend about blogging about books is just kind of awkward. But other than that, everyone in my family knows. I got my brother to do the background image of my blog, when I got my first author request I told everyone, and they were all very supportive.

    My problem was actually the deciding if I should even start one. It took me a good month just to finally do it. Then when I did, blogger banned my account cause of some spam crap, and I was like "See I knew I shouldn't have done it." But once I got it back I decided "What the hell I'm doing this" xD

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    1. That's really cool. I love that everyone was involved, in their own way whether it be helping you with your blog or just being a support team. I have a few really strong members of my own support team, the rest...well, you can read that above.

      I debated over the decision too! Totally agonizing. Then I just jumped in. And I am SO GLAD. I have met some of the most awesome people through this. The book blogging community just can't be beat.

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  3. Very cute tote! Enough people know I'm a blogger. I don't really tell people I have a "BLOG", rather I say it's a website. I have too many blogs to keep up with that I don't bother telling people about it.

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    1. Thank you! I'd feel misleading saying that Typing Tiara is a website as of right now but it is an easy solution.

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  4. I'm a strict person of not mixing my real life and book life. Being in high school, I'd get mocked for life if people ever found out I was reading over 100 books a year and that I blogged about books. And I enjoy having my own little book life with my bookish friends who don't judge me. I like it this way. Maybe when I go to college, where people won't be so judgmental, I'll be able to let others know that I blog, but I just don't at this point. I'm fine with keeping my blog life and my real life separate, honestly. Although, I do think it would be a good idea for you to branch out a little, especially with that adorable tote that you have! <3

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    1. I don't think you'd get mocked for life. I wasn't a book blogger during my high school career but it was out that I was a huge reader. I went to a fairly small school though so that might have made it easier. For the most part everyone knew everyone.

      I enjoy having the side life too, to some extent. I love having my little blogging retreat with awesome friends like you around. But every now and again, especially when I'm particular proud of something on Typing Tiara I almost want to shout it from the hilltops. xD

      Thank you! <3

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  5. I may mention I review books in passing, but I would never give a card to someone I know in my personal life, including family.

    I'm 23 and have a job and live on my own, but if I ever stop by my parent's house on my way to a book event, my mom will always make a comment about spending too much time on books. I know if I show anyone my blog they will judge me, so I don't share it unless it's with authors or other bookish people. I'm so bad, I even take books off the shelf when people come over so it looks like I have less.

    But honestly, if book blogging makes you happy and you enjoy it don't let other people get you down. For every person who tells you it's a waste there are probably 20 more book bloggers who think you are awesome.

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    1. I've never taken books off my shelves so it looks like I have less though I have dealt with something similar with family and friends believing I spend entirely too much on books or simply have too many so I can understand why you'd stash your stash so to speak.

      Thank you for the advice! Blogging does make me happy, I love having my little niche in blogosphere and overall I'm really proud of what I have accomplished with and through Typing Tiara.

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  6. Wow hun, I'm so sorry someone reacted that way, that's rough. I've pretty much always been open about book blogging since it's my hobby and I think everyone deserves to have a hobby. Being in grad school means that a lot of people around me think that you should be spending every spare moment working, so they get jealous/judgemental about anyone that takes the time to have a hobby, but so far all my friends have been supportive. My parents love to read, so they were probably as proud of my book blog as they were of me going to grad school, but that was just me being really lucky.

    Really, there will always be bad apples and people who think blogging is weird, and I certainly chicken out sometimes, but I hope that you feel all right having something that makes you happy! Really they are just jealous that they don't ;-)

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    1. You are so right. Everyone DOES deserve to have a hobby. Especially when its something that they love and it isn't hurting anyone else.

      I'm not even in grad school [yet] and I know that feeling. You're really lucky to have friends and family that support you. My Mom isn't a big reader, or wasn't, but she is slowly becoming one when she has the time. I love being able to share that with her. And to share my reading with the few [very few] friends I have that will crack a book open outside of class.

      That last line "Really they are just jealous that they don't" really got to me. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment because you really have helped me to feel better about the whole thing. I do love Typing Tiara, I am proud of being a blogger, and that should be all that matters.

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