Why I started 50 Shades of Shayna

Hey everyone and welcome back to the blog! Today marks a year since my website went public and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to share something personal about myself and the beginning of my Blogging Journey!

  Ever since I could hold a pencil I have written! I remember having competition's with my fellow classmates to see who could write the better story! This went on for years… I compiled notebook upon notebook with short stories and novels that I created, to this day I still have those notebooks! I even have a composition notebook that I used as  journal for most of my 6th grade year! This journal has extreme detail of my day to day life… that is how I liked to write my “diary” I guess. When the love of writing became apparent so did my love of Reading! Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxter Family Series became my first literary love and this is where I got most of my inspiration for a book series I created called “Sam and Sarah” when I was in middle school. This later turned into inspiration for a more sophisticated and a more well written book series called “Fight to Remember” that I began the summer before my Freshman year of High School. I remember sitting in my room with my moms laptop set up on my bed playing 94 FM the Fish while I sat at my desk with a pen and paper writing this story about early on set Alzheimer's. From there it kind of turned into a big important thing that went as far as creating a team to walk for the Alzheimer's Foundation! My Walk to Remember Team was amazing, I had a great experience with the journey that I was on, unfortunately that journey shortly ended. As of today I never finished the first novel. That was the last time I had a great idea for a book series, but I never stopped writing for fun even though I still had to do it in school. In High School I helped create the Writing Club, that sadly only lasted for a year, but was still fun while it lasted. After High School I started college and this is when the Writing for myself ended. Having a very demanding job on top of a full load of college classes and then getting into my first serious relationship pretty much all at the same time took all of my energy and I never really had a moment to fulfil that passion of mine. Although at the time I was so busy with ADULTING that I never really thought about it, not until I stopped going to College, got a new job, and moved into my own place did I realize that I had stopped preforming one of my first loves. Slowly I began to feel like I was not doing anything in my life. At least not anything that I truly loved and was proud of. (NOT TALKING ABOUT MINE AND BRANDONS RELATIONSHIP, BUT PERSONAL FULLFILMENT) Yes, I love and continue to work hard in my current career path, but if I am being completely honest… it is not what I am truly passionate about, it is not something that I can come home everyday and feel satisfied with. I continued to feel that way for awhile until one day I started doing research on Blogging and what it entailed. From there I sort of fell in love with the process and the thought of actually being able to share my life and experience's with the public.

  So last year I continued to fall into what felt like a rut… I followed the same routine daily and became, with lack of a better word… bored. I felt like I was not doing anything with my life that I truly wanted to do, something that truly made me happy. I came home from work, cleaned my house, and watched TV. That was definitely not how I pictured myself after I got out of High School. So one day I decided enough was enough… I needed to stop sulking and do something about it, I brought my blogging idea to life aaannnnddd then 50 Shades of Shayna was born. (Although in December of 2018 while I was still living with my parents, I had actually made another website with this same title on another domain, but I did not necessarily like it all too much. In that time of my life I was not ready to commit to a blog just yet so I waited until the following year and that is when I became serious about it.)

  In August of 2019 I began typing up short stories using WORD on my Computer so that way I would be prepared for when I found the correct domain to create and hold my website. These creative writing projects I called my Dream Journal because they all started with an idea I had in a dream that I took and made an entire story out of. If you are wondering… I have yet to post any of those stories. (Let me know in the comments below if that is something you would be interested in reading.) While writing these fictional stories I also was on the hunt for the perfect domain that would fit myself and the stories I want(ed) to tell. This is when SQUARESPACE comes into the picture! So far this domain has been the perfect fit, I love the layouts that are offered and how easy it is to access, as well as the simple navigation. Do not get me wrong I am still continuing to learn a lot about this form of blogging and everything that it entails, as of now I am thoroughly enjoying every second of it. Using Squarespace I brought over the name 50 SHADES OF SHAYNA, that I had created the year before, mainly because I could not think of any other name that I absolutely loved and kind of fit my personality. When I began to create ideas of what I wanted my page to look like and the content that I wanted to add… well… it was all over the place. (IT KIND OF STILL IS) Ultimately 50 Shades of Shayna became the perfect name for my website considering all of the subjects I wanted to cover, I basically do not have a specific niche that I follow but if you want to put a title on it, it would probably be a lifestyle blogger. (ALSO KEEP IN MIND THAT I WAS NOT YET ENGAGED WHEN I BEGAN THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS WEBSITE, SO THAT PORTION OF THE BLOG HAD NOT YET BEEN THOUGHT OF.)

  The next step was to create the Design of my website, this part was fairly easy… at least after I found the correct Template. After that the design and the pages just kind of made themselves. Following this I had to figure out what I wanted to place on my blog first. (as in the actual blog section of my website) Of course I went with the generic “My first Blog” but I think it went over well. After a few months of having my blog live and open to the public I still had not ANNOUNCED to the public that I had actually created this website. I kind of left a hint about it because I listed my websites link in the bio of several Social media platforms. I really hadn’t gotten much exposure from the time I made the page public until the time I told my social media outlets that 50 Shades of Shayna is a real thing! After that my numbers began to sky rocket! Of course they continue to fluctuate and I am no where near having a large audience, but the few people that I do reach make me happy and satisfied all the same. I was terrified to tell people about these pages that I have poured my heart into because I did not want scrutiny or judgment or hate, I wanted something for myself for a second to just reflect on and enjoy for my personal self. I never really got over my fear of letting MY public (FRIENDS AND FAMILY) know about this, but I got up the courage to do it and realized it was not as a big of a deal that I had made it out to be in my head. Either way I am happy with the process that I exposed myself to because it was what I needed.

  After making 50 Shades of Shayna public I had to get myself on a schedule and make sure to have interesting content that I love to write, but my audience will also take interest in. Some posts just sort of happened, they were not planned, but made for an interesting read. For example My Hospital Stay Pt.1 and 2. A lot of people read those blog posts. I wanted to focus on Home, life experiences, and of course my Wedding! So that is what I surrounded my page around. I then had to set a routine for my Blogs to get out of my draft box and posted. I started with two posts a week on Mondays and Fridays and then I slowly transitioned down to only Fridays. I did this because my life is not that interesting to have 2 posts coming at you a week and because I have other priorities that need my focus as well. I still wanted to give a great amount of attention and care to my blog while also taking care of my home, relationships, and work. Under special circumstances, like a series or an important event I may post more than once a week. During the process of figuring out what I wanted to write for my page and when I wanted to make the content available I decided that I needed to add a logo to the name, that way it will be easier to spot and I can start my own brand. I chose the Claddagh! It not only resembles my engagement ring, but it holds great meaning. I even had this symbol plastered on posters as part of my campaign for Homecoming Queen my senior year of High School. I first heard of this symbol from one of my favorite TV shows growing up, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The hands mean FRIENDSHIP, the heart means LOVE, and the crown means LOYALTY, three things that I want my name and Blog to represent. It became perfect! The rest of the story is on the pages of the Blog! So if your new here, check out my amazing journey on the rest of my website!

  No this is not what I imagined for myself.  I have always wanted to be a novelist and maybe that day will still come, but for now I enjoy bringing my feelings and life into words that I can read in 50 years. This Blog is sort of like my own little life journal! It has become satisfying to know that this magical time in my life will be forever etched here! My entire Wedding Planning Process I documented and I will forever have those detailed memories! Not to mention that I am still doing what I love… WRITING!

  Thank you everyone for the support and kind words! This blog would not be anything without my readers! Comment below if there is any content that you would like to see from me or if there is something that you would like to see more of! Thank you again!

  Love Shayna