how much sharing is too much?

August 8, 2012 separator Life

Confession time…

As a blogger, you have to find a balance between sharing your personal life with your readers and maintaining a level of privacy for yourself and your family and friends. Mostly, I’ve just kept my personal life separate by default because it’s easier that way. For my first three years blogging, Andrei was ‘The Mister,’ and I almost never posted any pictures of him or the rest of my family and friends. 

The more time I’ve spent blogging, the more comfortable I’ve become with sharing the occasional personal detail, but it’s still something that I find to be a constant adjustment – not something that comes as naturally to me as sharing a tutorial or blog better post. 

Point being, it’s sometimes easier to share nothing at all than to get personal and open up your ‘real life’ to the public. It’s a tricky balance, but I also know that I feel a much greater connection to a blog when I feel like I’ve ‘met’ the author in some way – something beyond tutorials or outfit posts. 

With that in mind, read on after the jump for some pictures from my “real life.”

What do you guys think? What are you willing to put out there to the public, and where do you draw that line? 

Do you feel more connected when a blogger shares bits and pieces of their life, or do you prefer to stick to the blog’s topic?


On a lighter note, these photos, all taken by me and edited using these actions, are from a recent boating trip I took with some wonderful friends. We do this little one-day getaway every year, and it’s something we all really look forward to.

Do you have any fun traditions with your family or friends that you look forward to year after year?



This is the closest you’re going to get to seeing me in a bikini on the internet. That, my friends, is where I draw the line. How much sharing is too much for me? There’s your answer!!!


I’m a sucker for retro packaging, and who doesn’t love an ice-cold, bright-blue, Santa-endorsed cream soda on a hot summer afternoon?



For some comic relief, enjoy “Three Ways Not to Get on a Floatie…” 

If you want to know the truth, I had enough photos from this tragic attempt to show you 21 ways to never end up properly situated on a raft. Thanks for playing the role of opportunistic photographer, Andrei… ;D


It’s not an early-morning, all-day boat trip without a mimosa to kick it off and greet the day. You’ll never convince me otherwise.



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  8. Great question. I think it all depends on why you blog. Each person must make that decision for themselves. That said, whatever the blog, I tend to be drawn to the ones who share at least something of their self. I like to feel I am getting to know the person, even if it is a blog about crafting or cooking or whatever.
    BTW, I love your photos! Athey are great. And I get to know a little about you.

  9. This is such a great question, and definitely something I have struggled with myself, so it’s great to hear what other people think about it. My mom always told me never to air my dirty laundry, and for the most part I stay true to that both on my blog and in my non-blog life. But because I find writing incredibly therapeutic, sometimes there is value in letting it out.

    So for me I appreciate a nice balance. There are some topics that I don’t think are appropriate for a public blog (only my option of course) like intimate relationship details, or stories about friends and family that might not want their “stuff” to be so out there. On the other hand, one of the things I love the most about blogs is that they are written by “real” people! People that are like me, people that are for the most part accessible, and that are looking to build a community around shared interests. It can get frustrating and quite tiring to read about that blogger who seems to just have it all – you know the one with the prettiest house, the best taste, the coolest job, the perfect husband… So sometimes I find it really refreshing to hear the not so pretty or glamorous stuff and be reminded that we’re all human here and that no one ever has it 100% together all the time 🙂

  10. I enjoy learning about a blogger’s family and interests, but, unless your blog is directly related (you write a kosher food blog and are Jewish or you’re an upcycler and an environmentalist), I don’t even want to know what your religion and politics are.

    1. You bring up a great point. Though politics or religion may be a big part of somebody’s life, they can also be very polarizing.

  11. Hi Lindsey! I came to you through my friend Beth who commented just above me! If Beth thinks you are great then you MUST be!

    As a blogger I struggle with this and find that I do occasionally share personal stuff but I typically try to tie it into my blogs them rather than just post random personal things. There are certainly certain subjects that are COMPLETELY off limits but i think the personal things help give your readers something to grasp onto and to relate to.

    I do a lot of food blogging and if my blog were 100% recipes my readers could just as easily go buy a magazine. The personal stuff helps them to relate to me and gives them that something extra that brings people to blogs!

    I can’t wait to explore more of your site!

  13. Lindsay, what a great post! I’ve been stalking you for several days, but this marks the moment when you become my current favorite blog crush.

    Expect me to over-share THAT fact over on the Arkansas Women Bloggers (www.ArkansasWomenBloggers.com) site & FB page, in case you see a sudden influx from other blog stalkers in Arkansas. We are planning our AWB Unplugged conference in a few weeks and wish we could adopt you as an honorary Arkansan to join us to discuss topics like this & share your other mad skills!

    Truly – great blog, love it.

    Best,
    Beth

  14. I prefer bloggers who do let us into their personalities and their lives SOMEWHAT. There are some that share info TOO MUCH. It’s a fine line.

  15. What an interesting blog post. On my blog, I’ve shared the occasional anecdote about my personal life – but a lot of it is just vague. I totally enjoy the blogs that have such a personal appeal where the authors share so much of themselves to their readers, but I’m naturally shy and quiet so revealing so much of myself makes me feel so “out there.” But, I suppose writing a blog means you are out there…so I recognize the irony. Maybe I’ll feel more comfortable one day and start sharing a lot more about myself…but for now, it’s strictly one-sided where I focus on my personal style and casual stories. =)

    xo,
    nancy

  16. Great pictures!

    Like others have mentioned, I think how open you are depends on the type f blog you have. I am a pretty private person, and I want my blog to be a source for tutorials to inspire people who are limited in time and resources. When I make things for my kids r for their parties t gets featured on my blog, but as part of a tutorial.

    Since my online time is so limited I skip over posts in my feed that are personal in nature. I just don’t have the time (or the interest….I don’t even like mot reality TV!). I go to blgs for inspiration and to learn new techniques, not read about someone’s life, so that shapes the way I write as a blogger, too.

    Great topic! I say you should do what feels natural to you!

    Morena
    http://Www.morenascorner.com

  17. Funny thing is, I was never really concerned until lately – my blog has been picking up steam at the same time that I am going to grad school to start a new (totally blog un-related) career. People have started to write about me elsewhere around the internet (interviews and such) and I’m suddenly a little bit worried. Should my last name be connected to my online persona? Do I share too much? What if my professors and future colleagues see my blog? I guess the bottom line is that I can strive to keep my lives as separate as possible, but there’s always gonna be a little cross-over. I don’t write or share anything online that is embarrassing or not true to my character or personality, so while people may think it’s a little strange that I have a blog, I don’t think they’ll think any less of me for it : )

  18. I share parts of my life, moments I have experienced, memories I love and want to tell my followers. But I take care, that it’s nothing too personal, ’cause that’s part of my privat life and, for example, nobody needs to know, if my boyfriend and I are together or not. Or where exactly I live and in what school exactly I go. These are things which belong to my life outside of the blogger world.

  19. I’ve always shied away from sharing too much my personal life on the web. I’ve seen so many people use information other people share to hurt them, so that has kind of made me not want to share so much. When it comes to niche blogs that I read I prefer to content to be about 85% “business”.

  20. These pictures are beautiful – looks like you had a proper summer getaway! (and I agree with Ashley, your hat is great!)
    I started blogging not too long ago and as of yet haven’t shared any very personal information. But I guess it’s a natural process where you open up once you get to know your readers better and start connecting with other bloggers, i.e. you don’t interact with complete strangers anymore.
    As for now, I’m happy to share everything with my readers that I would tell any ‘real’ person I just met.

  21. I think it depends on what you are trying to accomplish with a blog. There are many blogs that want to be a “go-to” source for tutorials or information, and then there are blogs that fall more into the lifestyle category. When I think about all of my favorite blogs, every blogger shows a personal glimpse into their life – I guess that is how I feel a personal connection to the blogger. Showing personality on a lifestyle blog makes more sense than it does on a purely informational blog.

    I just started getting more personal within the last year or so. I was trying to be too much of an information hub, and it began to feel inauthentic. That’s when I realized that no one would feel connected to me if they didn’t know who I was.

    With the new incarnation of my blog, I want it to be a source of encouragement for women trying to balance an indie business and motherhood. I know I can’t do that effectively if I don’t share pieces of my own experiences.

    So that being said, I do draw the line. I won’t show the front of my house, because I don’t want people to know which house is mine! I have included my kids in a couple of posts, but that is just to show that they are real 🙂 I mostly try to get the back of them, and not their face in photos I post. I don’t regularly share their names, although I may have once or twice. I absolutely will not take a picture that shows the inside of my kitchen sink! I also don’t include pictures of me that have cleavage. I’m not a prude, it just makes me uncomfortable having that on my blog.

    I think you did a really great job with this post! You showed personality, without getting too personal. I love your hat, by the way 🙂

    Okay, sorry that was so long-winded, I’ve just been thinking a lot about this subject myself.

    1. Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Ashley! I agree that you have to try to stay really authentic.

  22. I used to be concerned about privacy on the Internet, but then figured I really have nothing to hide. Also, I doubt anyone is that interested in me to want to use my personal information in nefarious ways. That said, I am sensible about what I reveal and what I don’t. Since my blog is my personal journal, it is of little use to me if I don’t reveal my personal life. If others enjoy reading my prattle, then that makes writing it even more fun. I think it all depends on what the purpose of your blog is. If it is to make money, it will be different than a non commercial blog.

  23. To be honest, I don’t like when “beading” blogs get personal. Am such a beading junkie, I just want to see pictures and conversation about beading. I get very disappointed to open up my favorite blogs and see something other than beading.

    1. Ms. Stephanie, I’m quite flattered that I made the blog-reading cut amidst all your beading blogs – thank you! 😀

  24. First of all, I LOVE your nail polish choices- they are so trendy! Also, these pics are just plain fab.

    Oh, such a great question…..for a while, I like you and hesitant to post about my personal life. After a while, I found it to be therapeutic for me to write and I am amazed at how many people can relate to some of the things I’m going through. For me personally, if I enjoy a blog, I want to get to know the person behind it, so I LOVE personal posts (just no TMI ones!). 🙂

  25. I don’t think there is any hard & fast rule about sharing– I’ve got blogs that I adore that stay away from personal topics all together, & other faves that are nothing but personal life!
    Personally, I don’t like whine fest type blogs {but then, I don’t know anyone who enjoys hearing people complain all the time}…end result? Do what you feel comfortable with & don’t worry about the audience! The best blogs are ones where the author feels at home {then we viewers do too}–

    http://aclosetintellectual.blogspot.com/

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