Wow. Today marks my tenth blogging anniversary. I’ve basically raised a child and had my second-longest relationship* with NIA SPEAKS. Crazy. Here are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way.

When you take your thing seriously, others eventually will, too.

I started NIA SPEAKS at the end of my sophomore year of high school, and by the time I was in university, I hit the ground running. I was in a new city with a new population of people to turn into viewers––an audience that would go beyond the reach of my Facebook posts and promotion in other blog’s comment sections––so I knew I had to capitalize on the opportunity.

I pedaled my newly-ordered, poorly designed blog business cards all over campus. I had three too many fonts on the 3.5×2″ pieces of paper with a Dr. Seuss quote on the back (what?), but I was clear about what I wanted: eyes on my site.

I would hand my cards to people upon our first meeting––in class, in my dorm, at the market. I’d stick or pin my card anywhere I could find space. “Never look down on free publicity,” I’d say when placing my stack of cards next to those of physiotherapists, cosmetologists, and accountants. I had no shame. I had no reservation. I was serious about what I wanted.

That legwork, coupled with me rigorously promoting myself online, paid off. At school, most people who didn’t know me well at least knew me as “the girl with the blog.” The year after I graduated, a student texted me a photo of my blog’s URL on a classroom whiteboard. People knew I was about it, and that hasn’t changed. My viewership has continued to climb.

It’s okay to engage in pure hobbies. Not everything has to be a side hustle.

Monetization wasn’t a goal or even a thought when I started blogging. I simply wanted to create, and many of the people in my blogosphere simply wanted the same. As time has moved on, more bloggers are monetizing, and I’m all for it. Get your money, sis!

I’ve been asked over and over if I ever plan to monetize NIA SPEAKS. And to be honest, I’m good. Don’t be mistaken; I’m always looking for new ways to make money, and I’ve parlayed NIA SPEAKS into other paid writing gigs, but it’s nice to let this space simply be mine. I like that this space is free from the influence of sponsors, purely made from my voice, and unattached to any commitments I don’t want for it.

I think my generation has nearly been side-hustled to death. So many of us are always looking for new income streams, myself included. We take what we love, like, or tolerate and turn it into a business––and believe me, that’s fine. But I’ve learned that it’s okay to enjoy things to enjoy them. It’s okay to let your hobby just be your hobby––free for you to enjoy, free for you to pick up and put down as you please.

You can find friends anywhere.

Some of the coolest people you will ever meet are in the blogosphere. As I’ve said, I spent my super early blogging days all over the web in other blogger’s comment sections. Through NIA SPEAKS, I’ve been able to connect with so many people I would’ve never known. I’ve grown up with longtime followers and friends across the globe. I’ve known some of my blogging friends longer than I’ve known some of my other friends.

What’s more amazing is that bloggers’ connections are not limited to web. Over the past ten years, I’ve tapped into blogging communities that not only support each other online but have real-life meet-and-greets, networking events, and grind sessions. The support, camaraderie, and community we’ve been able to foster have been amazing and the highlight of my blogging years. If you decide to tap into the blogosphere, you won’t be disappointed.

Don’t write to say something. Write when you have something to say.

I went through a period for a couple of years in which I peppered good content amidst what I called “filler content.”

I posted often because I didn’t want NIA SPEAKS to look abandoned. I posted often to meet monthly quotas. I posted often because I saw full-time bloggers posting as often as three times a day. I posted often just to say something. But the filler content wasn’t good. It was only all right. It was mediocre, and I was raised to not entertain mediocrity. I was tired of writing just to say something.

Now, instead of just saying something, I write when I have something to say. Quality over quantity has guided me in these later blogging years. I now can go months at a time without posting, without feeling worried about putting something up. But when I do have something to say, I speak. When I post, it’s flames (at least to me). The freedom in this has been glorious.

Your voice matters even if no one is listening.

When I started this, I simply wanted a place for my voice. I wanted my ideas to be somewhere beyond my mind or the air around my mouth. That Dr. Seuss quote I had on the back of my first business cards? “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

It doesn’t matter if 10,000 or ten or zero people are listening to you. You matter. Your opinion matters. Your experience matters. Your voice matters. And as long as you’re honest, your voice will settle into itself. Claim space then take space. You are worthy of space, and you deserve to speak.

So speak.

*My longest relationship has been with my Starbucks Rewards card. Hey, boo.