I'm a creature of change, its no big secret. I love moving things around in my house, or moving houses! I change the color of my hair constantly, the music I'm diggin' for the week, what I'm reading, etc. One thing I felt I wasn't changing though was who I was representing online.
And that was me. Where was I, in my design?
I started reflecting upon the blogs I love so very much, the ones I visit daily, and while content was obvious- their design was what always stood out. I couldn't put my finger on it, I even thought I was having a brand identity crisis, but it finally hit me: my design was based upon my business and not my own lifestyle. Although that direction was great for a while and works incredible for others, my shop and my customers are not a direct reflection of me. And I needed to change that. I think as a business owner we get so wrapped up in what we present to our customers that it can seem like they are the only ones we make happy, when really they probably don't even notice!
Per my previous design I discovered: I am not gold or glitter, chalkboard menus, floral patterns or cute fonts. I am not my shop, I am not my creations. I have so many interests and one of them is the extreme passion I have to share independent and small business, handmade & local communities. I also love to share what is going on in my life, new explorations from our big move and so much more... I love good design and free of clutter layouts that can show off the content I so desire to share. But I was scared of how to make this all work- especially since my designer would murder me. Like as in we have never met in real life, but I firmly believe she would fly from Canada to Oregon and choke me out.
I found the design below by BlogMilk and instantly fell in love. It was pre-made, but I could customize it however needed. I messaged Dana and told her my ideas and I was so sad, because for the first time in 2+yrs she wouldn't be designing my blog. But change is good and although I'm not done with the design, I'm so happy how its looking so far. Thankfully I have a rad boss with some computer skills that he puts to use at 2am his time upon request, otherwise this makeover could have been a disaster!
If something is bothering you, locate the source and make a change. Don't be afraid to be yourself, or even have a 'self' away from your business. This community is (in my opinion) so over saturated with the same stuff that it can be overwhelming to find your own place, but there are no rules, there are no rights or wrongs. And as little as a blog makeover may seem, to me it meant everything. I think I'm finding me.