Are you a Passion Blogger?

My name is Anna and I used to be a broke art student with a huge student loan behind my back, and now I’m a happy full-time blogger.

You can read my story here or check out the ultimate guide to starting a blog.

My Journey to Becoming a Passion Blogger

Of course, blogging is not always easy! Blogging is hard at times!

There is a huge learning curve, you don’t get paid for your efforts right away and you have to experiment (therefore make mistakes) in order to succeed.

And yet, I’ve been doing it every day for the past 2 years. Why?

I think that my blogging journey started and continued because of some life situations that happened to me. After all, there are some situations that led you to read this article too, right?

Situation #1: No Christmas for me?

We all get a job at some point. Usually, we then continue working for someone else throughout our lives. Working for someone else has it’s perks, but it’s far from sunshine and rainbows.

My family celebrates Orthodox Christmas (January 7), and in Canada that means normal working hours for businesses.

I worked part-time at a mall in a jewelry store while attending university. 3 months before my Christmas date I asked for a day off via email. But I messed up and said that my Christmas is on December 7. Oops.

So when the time came to celebrate with my family, I received a schedule where I’m working 10 hours that day. On Christmas, I’m fasting through most of the day while preparing 12 dishes for the feast. That would be not possible if I had to work!

Frustrated, I went to speak to my manager. He realized I messed up and left it up to me to find a switch. Unfortunately, with over 20+ coworkers, everyone seemed to have plans.

Long story short, I found someone to switch with me, and instead of 10 hours I worked 5 that day.

That’s when it hit me – I want to be MY OWN BOSS. How? I didn’t know yet.

Situation #2: No fun, no money, no freedom

When other people boss you around all day “Don’t stand here, stand there”, “Do these other 100 things before you leave home”, “Sell more expensive things even if they don’t want it” – no mood for fun left after, right?

Paychecks come and go, but the time spent never comes back. Time is the most valuable asset we have that you can’t make more of, and yet we treat it for cents, even if we don’t enjoy what we do.

Most importantly, working for someone else you don’t have the freedom to be in control of your own schedule and location.

My life’s goal is to travel full-time while helping others through volunteering or teaching.

Initially, I decided to achieve that freedom by becoming an artist so I can make money from any part of the world. Soon I realized that I’m still going to treat hours for dollars – that’s when I started researching other ways.

Situation #3. Making income online

2 years ago I searched for a way to make money online. Have you ever done the same? Usually, things like this pop up:

• Make $10,000 in the next 3 Days
• Secret Way to Make Money Fast and Easy Online
• Passive Money Machine – Get Paid Today!
• Make a $1,000,000 This Month With This One Simple Method

Meh… Scams.

I wasn’t looking for a way to make millions! All I wanted was to make enough to quit my day job and begin my travel journey.

Then, I stumbled upon an article by a blogger. I can’t remember who it was, but they said that making money blogging is possible. That it takes a while to get started, it requires work and learning, and that you could get paid by helping people from any part of the world as long as you have access to the internet.

BINGO!

A lot of work, not a get-quick-rich promise and I get to be helpful + travel? I’m in!

That’s how I learned about blogging. I mean, I knew about it before and even tried to run one. However, I was thinking about it more like a diary. And, this time, I learned that it could be a tool for change.

A Tool for Change

I learned that the first step is to pick a niche. Since I was passionate about art – that was the niche for me.

I knew that a lot of artists out there don’t go to art schools either due to lack of money, or because parents don’t allow for it; have a hard time improving their skills and feel lonely in their love for art.

After all, doesn’t everyone think of artists as Broke Loners?

Well, I had the pleasure to go to art school and meet many amazing artists out there who are the complete opposite of the cliche. Yet, the artists who don’t go – might never find out.

So I decided to start my new Blog for Artists that will be full of inspiration, tutorials, tips and so on. I came up with a name I liked, and that’s how yourartpath.com was born.

No Strategy = No Luck

I found my niche (or so I thought). Yet, since the beginning, I failed to have a plan for the blog.

My “Strategy” was to write helpful content and hope for the best. Not such a great strategy, don’t you think?

Then, I followed a lot of different “gurus” at a time and ended up not getting the results I wanted.

Not having a plan didn’t take my blogging biz anywhere, I felt stuck and ready to give up. But I didn’t, thanks to my boyfriend who supported me.

Following a lot of different “gurus” at a time made me lose focus. I’m sure if I just followed one at a time, I would’ve gotten some kind of results. I didn’t.

I wanted to know everything and learn from everyone. So I paid my price – a whole year of insane work and no major visible results.

Then I failed once again learning that selling products is how you make money blogging. I created 2 products I thought were amazing. During my pathetic launch, I made a sale for each of them and they were from one person.

I now understand that he was my true follower and so I didn’t have to “sell” him anything, he would just get whatever I offer (thank you).

But it’s not the way to build and grow a successful blog, and through these and many other failures I had learned my lesson.

All of these experiences allowed me to come up with a strategy that works for Passion Bloggers just like me. And I can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Situation #4. The Most Important Decision of My Life

Eventually, after many “failures” (or learning opportunities as I like to think of them) I had finally been able to make a bare minimum amount of income from my blog to self-sustain it and have enough left for a few of my other expenses.

Keep in mind, I live at my parent’s house so I don’t have to pay rent. My only expenses are for running my 2 blogs, buying food and clothing, going out, books (I’m a huge bookaholic), art supplies, and many other little things.

I was happy at where I am. Yet, I felt like something was missing.

I then left for a week to live in my boyfriend’s trailer that’s surrounded by water and woods. One of those nights we were sitting by the fire, the sky was clear and I looked up at the stars. I thought to myself:

“The world is a huge place. It existed before I was born and it will continue to after I’m gone. What will be left of my thoughts and dreams is +0 / -0. Nothing. Working at a job, I only change the life of one person – my boss, who I make money for. I want to make a bigger impact.”

Depressing? Maybe.

Yet, that night changed my life. I knew that if I wanted to make an impact on more people I need to be available for them. Through my blog. At all times.

So I made the decision to quit my part-time job and focus all of my time and energy on blogging.

This decision didn’t increase my income right away, but it did so much more for me:

• I was able to take full control over how I spend my days,
• Go on a one week New Years vacation with my friends (without asking permission from a boss),
• Dedicate more of my time to my loved ones and on self-growth.
  

It wasn’t easy with a limited budget.

But now, even if I would consider getting a part-time job again because it’s “easier” – I simply can’t do it. I do calculations in my mind of the time I will spend at work and the amount of money I will get VS if I spent that time creating value for other people and growing my income streams.

Most importantly, I value being in control of my life, and I feel that a job takes it away from me.

Not everyone can quit their jobs after making part-time income blogging. And not everyone will want to quit their jobs overall. And that’s OK.

To each is own, but having the choice is priceless.

Who are Passion Bloggers?

Bloggers that create value based on their knowledge in areas they are passionate about. They don’t just “blog and hope for the best”.

They have a STRATEGY. To make a change, help out others and change their lives forever they MUST have a strategy.

Because they create value – they need to succeed. If not, that’s a disservice to their tribes.

Our Manifesto

A Passion Blogger is a Different Breed Of Bloggers.
Strategic. Innovative. Helpful. Dedicated. And Free.

Passion Bloggers work along the lines with other bloggers. But they follow their passion and strategy. And they SUCCEED.

Passion Bloggers don’t just blog to “hack the system” and make money. They create VALUE to serve others.

Passion Bloggers start without a lot of money to spend on ads, but they have a CLEAR STRATEGY in mind to serve people and change both reader’s and their own lives.

Passion Bloggers take full control and responsibility for how they spend their TIME, what direction their FUTURE is going and how they achieve GOALS.

If you ask anyone what blogging is, they will tell you it’s a hobby or a diary. But passion bloggers know that BLOG IS A TOOL FOR CHANGE.

PASSION BLOGGERS
WRITE – to teach and inspire.
CREATE – value for others.
BUILD – tribes of passionate people.
EARN – income, confidence and freedom.

Passion Bloggers are motivated knowing that their blog is just one article, product and email away from the desired result.

I am a Passion Blogger.

Are you?