A Little Peek Into My Design Process | How To Design A Logo

A Little Peek Into My Design Process | How To Design A Logo

Friday, 26 April 2019

     You may not know this, but aside from blogging, I also run a little side-hustle Etsy shop. It's called Jackie O My Shop. I began my shop when I realized there was a lack of affordable, high quality minimal logos available to purchase for my own site. As a small blogger, I understand that many are not able to spend a large sum on a logo, but are still trying to make their brand stand out. It became a goal of mine to offer people like myself options for a beautiful logo for little more than the price of a Frappucino.

Mistakes I Made While Blogging Last Year

Mistakes I Made While Blogging Last Year

Tuesday, 23 April 2019

     I spent forever trying to come up with the perfect intro to this post. Something inspiring, witty and down to earth to show how much I've grown creatively during my time writing. But honestly, I have no idea how to preface this article, and since the whole point of this post is transparency, it would be ridiculous not to admit that. So here's a quick rundown of the facts:

I've been blogging over 5 years, but Jackie O My is only two years old (and my longest running blog). I've been totally hands-on with my past blogs, and I've never been afraid to try new things or totally throw myself into a project. This has resulted in tons of trial and error. While I'm sure more "okay, that didn't work" moments will come after this, for the time being, I'm here to share some of the mistakes I've made so far.

How To Make Killer Mood boards

How To Make Killer Mood boards

Monday, 25 March 2019

Image sources: 1, 2, Pinterest.

     I love making mood boards. I first learned the ropes from reading DesignLoveFest; my understanding is that in the dawn of blogging, she loved to pair two images together and write about them. So adorably, refreshingly simple, I fell in love with her blog right then.

A Look Back Over The Past Year Of Jackie O My

A Look Back Over The Past Year Of Jackie O My

Monday, 31 December 2018

     2018 is coming to a close, so I'm celebrating all the accomplishments here at Jackie O My! I didn't achieve exactly everything I wanted to (not even close!), but I'm happy to say some opportunities sprung up that I never imagined, and I'm proud of the work I have to show for myself. So here's a little roundup of my five favorite posts of the past year.

Road-trips & Comparison In Fashion Blogging

Road-trips & Comparison In Fashion Blogging

Monday, 17 September 2018

     Totally just kidding, because I've never been on a road trip in my life. Far from snapping pictures in gorgeous, exotic locations, this photography adventure saw me taking photos in a drive-through and wondering if this is rock bottom, blogger-wise.

Remaining positive and confident in the fashion-blogging world is tricky. There's always someone (or thousands of someones) with better equipment, more talent, a better wardrobe...the list is endless. That's a lot to compare yourself to, and there are times I feel under constant pressure to step up my game. Sometimes more than possible.

It's useful to remind myself to take a step back and breathe. This is not a competition, and instead of envying other girls that find success with blogging, I should be applauding them and lifting them up. After all, they prove it's possible to follow your passions and find success with them, even if you start off with no experience. I received some helpful advice recently that I've been trying to internalize: Don't aim to be an expert, just aim to be better than you were.

How To Create A Beautiful Instagram Feed

How To Create A Beautiful Instagram Feed

Saturday, 16 June 2018

     Ah, Instagram! I've had a love-hate relationship with this platform for years. I've scrubbed my Instagram account and re-branded around a dozen times, struggling to create a cohesive theme that summarizes who I am to a world full of strangers. However, I'm happy to say I've made my peace with the app, and am finally proud of my account (although a few more followers wouldn't hurt, hint hint).

Writing Meaningful Content As A Fashion Blogger

Writing Meaningful Content As A Fashion Blogger

Tuesday, 5 June 2018

     If you've been following this blog, you may have read a post series I like to call Brand Love. In this series, I share brands and campaigns I consider outstanding. I like to think I've been pretty selective of the brands I've featured on my blog. However, life has been busy, and I have to admit to falling into the cycle of putting off long-format blog posts and whipping up a quick brand feature instead. For a while, I was posting multiple brand campaigns and Pinterest round-ups per week, and nothing else.

Let's be honest here: If I publish nothing but campaign photos, even if I offer my perspective, it's not worth it for you to visit my blog. I'm no longer providing a value to you, my readers.

I've decided to start holding myself accountable; it's time to bid low-effort posts goodbye. Here are some ways I've been trying to create a better blog, and my thoughts on writing meaningful content as a fashion blogger.

Keep in mind, though, that this post isn't meant to bash anyone. For example, The Cool Hour mainly posts campaign and brand photos, and I love that blog. These are just some ways I'm changing; you keep doing you!

Quality posts vs. quantity

Brand Love posts do require time; I need to contact brands for permission to use their photographs, choose the campaign I want to feature, resize the images, research the brand, and finally write and polish the actual post. However, it's not nearly as time and effort consuming as taking my own photos. But is it worth it to "save time" and write several posts rather than one well-planned and thoughtful post?

I really resonated with this quote from Sophie Davies of A Considered Life:

Blogging culture encourages writers to produce content daily with a rolling editorial schedule that can leave bloggers feeling overwhelmed and drained. There's so much noise online, why add to it?

It's far more important to create purposeful content that contributes to your mission and its message rather than sticking to a blog schedule because you feel obliged to publish a certain amount of posts per week or on set days. Creating mindful content means having a clear intention that provides value for its readers. 

Yes, there is so much noise in the blogging world, and we all want to be noticed. We tend to get a spike in traffic when we publish new content, but pushing for those views at a rate you can't keep up with is not advisable, in my opinion. Your content will likely be lower quality which can lead readers to feel duped, and your content to get lost in a sea of posts.

My advice? The best way to grow is to create a body of work you're proud of. Take a step back, focus on the posts you most want to work on, and write them properly. Focus on quality and your work should grow organically.

Being mindful of my impact

Consumerism is a huge part of the fashion blogging community. Whether a blogger identifies as a fashion Instagrammer, beauty guru, lifestyle blogger, or something else, we're often giving readers the impression that we recommend products or brands. Now more than ever, in fact, with the rise in affiliate programs, sponsorships, and brand ambassador titles, sometimes we're essentially telling people what to buy.

Here's where I'm a bit torn: I love talking about fashion and clothing, but the knowledge of wasted resources and unethical manufacturing processes weigh heavy on me. While I think fashion can be a wonderful thing, I don't want to contribute any more than necessary to thoughtless consumerism. It may seem counterproductive, maybe even hypocritical, to blog about clothing and brands while preaching anti-consumerism. I'm not here to tell you what you can or can't promote on your own channels. But for transparency's sake, I'm going to be mindful that everything I share on my blog is something I would purchase myself, and (fingers crossed!) hopefully I can avoid promoting brands with overly-questionable practices.

Using more of my own photos

There are times when I love taking my own photos, and times when I hate it. It can be a lot of effort, and it's so frustrating when they don't turn out. Even the weather can affect my blog editorial! It's so tempting to fall into the routine of using campaign photography every other post; your blog looks fantastic, and it's easy. Unfortunately, you one day find your blog looks just like every other fashion blog or magazine that has featured the same photos. There's nothing to pull your readers in, because these photos can be found elsewhere. You have to offer something from your perspective. Something new.

I definitely recommend using your own photography over stock photos, at least 50% of the time. It's more effort, but why run a blog if you're just pushing out low effort posts to avoid work? When you take your own photos, you've already provided value to your readers in the form of your images; that can really make the rest of your content stand out.

So am I going to stop posting about brands altogether?

No! I love featuring unique campaigns. In fact, I have some Brand Love posts scheduled in the upcoming month. However, I am definitely going to limit this post series to an occasional post. I'd like to create a mix of content for readers so it doesn't hurt to mix a bit of eye candy in with the more valuable content!

What are your thoughts on providing value as a fashion blogger?

How To DIY Your Brand Design With This Free Template

How To DIY Your Brand Design With This Free Template

Wednesday, 2 May 2018

Brand Inspiration mock-up I created. Photo sources: 1, 2, 3, 4. Logo: Naomi.

     Since starting a design board on Pinterest, I've been noticing a lot of beautifully made brand boards. I found myself thinking 'hey, why don't I have one?'. These boards are typically created by professional designers, but today I'll show you how you can DIY your own brand design kit. You can use it as inspiration for your branding now, or use it as a starting point to help a professional to refine your style later. Let's get to work!

5 Photography Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Outfit Post

5 Photography Mistakes That Will Ruin Your Outfit Post

Monday, 30 April 2018

     My favorite kind of posts to write are outfit posts. I've been photographing my own outfit posts (no photographer boyfriend here!) for about a year now, and while my photos are still by no means perfect, my skills have drastically improved through trial and error. Today I'd like to share the biggest lessons I've learned in my time fashion blogging. All of these tips are beginner-friendly, no technical skill required. Here are 5 photography mistakes I used to make that will ruin your outfit post.

1. Not taking enough photos:

You can follow every photography tip and trick out there and still come out with nothing but unusable photos. There are some things you simply can't plan for, from gusts of wind to blinking. The best practice is to take more than you'll need and choose the very best ones. I usually take around eighty and choose eight. I use the continuous shooting mode on my camera to capture multiple shots of the same pose to ensure I'll have one that's just right. Of course, how many pictures you take is up to you - just keep snapping until you feel like you have a few great shots.