I started my first Tarot blog in 2009. Not this one, the Chinese one. That blog has more than 170 posts, more than 500 subscribers, and host my free 188-page Tarot eBook.
So why start this blog? Why begin again? Because blogging as a business tool doesn’t seem to be viable in China. If I want to be a professional reader, I’ll need to start from scratch anyway, so I start this blog.
It’s only about a month since it gets started, but it already feels very different from working on my previous blog. Let me share my experience.
I’m Way More Focused
Back when I started my first blog, I had no clue. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t know what kind of a blog I want. I didn’t even know why do I want a blog.
But with this blog, my purpose is to eventually build my Tarot business, so my work life would be enjoyable to me: a lot of writing and Tarot reading.
I know what I need to do to get there: write posts, connect to people, get readers, offer readings, etc.
I also know what kind of looks I want, what plugins are essential, etc.
I’m In a Rush
Many times I find myself wanting the result right now. Often I would feel I want an established blog, with a lot of readers, and regular customers, right now. It makes me anxious when it doesn’t happen.
Guess that’s the downside of starting again. When you first start a blog, since you have no clue, you tend to have no expectation, so you are constantly surprised when your blog does grow.
But when you have already done it before, you would be expecting results, but they won’t come so fast.
It takes time to write posts, build connections, etc.
I have to constantly remind myself it is only natural that I don’t get visitors. It will happen overtime.
Life Is Unpredictable
Yes, I’m a fortuneteller who tells you that your fortune can’t be read.
I’ve always thought of starting an English blog but I never did it because I couldn’t write English. I spent my entire life in China. As good as I am at reading English, I don’t communicate in English, so I was not used to expressing myself with this language.
It was a huge barrier that I never planned to break.
Then I started practicing writing English because I heard selling erotica on Amazon is lucrative.
It didn’t work because I hate writing erotica.
But after months of daily practice my writing improved a lot, so well, why not start a Tarot blog?
I didn’t plan it, and I didn’t see it coming.
I have come to learn how futile it is to force our life to be what we thought it should be. Better to act on opportunities.
Networking Seems to Be a Must
It’s not just that I’m bad at networking. I basically don’t network at all. I could stay at home for weeks without talking to anybody and feel almost fine.
But I have somehow managed to force myself to at least start leaving comments on other blogs.
Because otherwise people have no way of knowing my blog exists.
In the end the Internet is a network of people. If people are to come to my blog, they must hear it from someone first.
So I guess I’ll keep doing it.
It’s Scary
I constantly ask myself whether I could make it. What if six months later I have nothing to show? What if I fail again? What if I keep failing for 2 or 3 years? Or decades? When will I stop being broke? Sure it’s nice to focus on a project I love, but when will I make money?
I’m so scared out of my mind that some days I would focus so hard on this blog I get stressed out and couldn’t sleep, other days I play games all day to escape reality.
I have no idea how I still haven’t quit.
It’s Liberating
Last year I worked as a programmer. Earlier this year I did some translation jobs. I hate them both. Not that they’re not fun. Programming is fun, translating is okay. But do these for someone else totally for money is unbearably boring for me.
It’s liberating not having to do something I hate.
The price though, is being broke and scared.
Is it worth it? I have no idea.