Where to begin? That’s the question that floods my mind when I log into WordPress to work on my site. Or should I say work on my blog? pages?or posts? I’m sure there’s a site out there explaining the difference in detail, but I’m too confused to make sense of it. I think I’ll stick to calling “this place”, The Iceberg. It’s almost been a year since I began this journey into the blogging and TeachersPayTeachers world. When I started the educator in me needed a notebook, with tabs and plastic sleeves. Done. So as I maybe felt official and organized, I have also felt like I’m in a whirlwind. You know, with lots of questions and very few answers.
My original goal was to share my educational thoughts, stories, and make products of the lessons I’ve taught during my thirty years in the classroom. I have found that determining how content on the site should be arranged has been more challenging than expected. What content should be a “page” or a “post”? What should the “categories” or “tags” be? My filing system makes sense to me, but would someone else be able to navigate their path through my system? Could they find something they could get excited about? Or would want to purchase my products after reading about them?
What should come first the blog post or the product? Is the product the main component or is the blog post explaining the product the main component? It’s a lot of decision-making, which has occassionally paralyzed me, especially when doubt and fear come to party. What’s the right way to do it? The struggle has been real. It has meant two steps forward and three steps back for me. I feel like the Lord is using this situation to show me that having all of the questions with no apparent answers isn’t a bad thing. It’s not a time to place blame, but it’s just a place of being and as long as I don’t let it derail me, I’ll be okay. So what? I have to make decisions, it’s not life-threathening, it’s just a blog. Yes, I will get it wrong. Yes, there’s a lot I don’t know about WordPress. So with that in mind, I’m telling you and mainly myself ;-)…things at the Iceberg, will probably not look like someone else’s site. I will probably “do it” wrong, but I’m doing something. I’m learning and growing.
It doesn’t matter where you begin, the same determinations need to be made for either a post or a product.
Questions concerning your content:
Who is your audience? Is the content timely and up to date? What should the layout be? What should the style be? Should you include quotes? What font fits best? How long should the content be? How far into the depth of the topic should go? Am I just rabbling?
Questions concerning your pictures:
What should the composition of the pictures be? What should be the feature picture? What should the thumbnails be? What editing tool makes sense to you? What size should the picture be? Will it look good in any social media setting? Should it be a single shot or a collage. What filters would enhance your picture? Or would a filter intrude on your message?
Whew! I’m learning to be decisive without judgement. Plus, there’s always the “edit” button when I learn something new and need to revamp a post or page. That’s got to be the fun of it, don’t ya think? Maybe the “stopping and starting” moments are to be the highlights of my journey. These moments shouldn’t mean I’m a failure or that my journey is wrong. It just means I’m learning a new way.
Which works for you? Post or product first?
Until next time, happy designing,
