FBFF: Labeling Yourself

Katy of Modly Chic posted a very interesting set of questions that I think we can all relate to as bloggers: labeling ourselves and others.

1) As someone who writes/blogs about fashion, have you placed yourself into some sort of blogging category? Sometimes my posts are about the latest trends - that's when I'm in "fashion blogger" mode. I suppose you can call me a "personal style blogger" whenever I create Style Posts. Back when my blog's name was Pen&Ink, my tagline was "Love. Life. Style." I may just have to bring that tagline back somehow because I felt like it represented me more than any label could. For simplicity's sake though, I don't mind referring to myself as a personal style blogger.

2) What keeps you from or encourages you to label yourself as a certain kind of blogger? The simple answer is that it's just way too difficult to pinpoint my blog into just one specific niche. If I absolutely HAD to assign a fixed label for myself, I'd be a fashion/personal style/vintage-inspired/lifestyle/cancer survivor/inspiration/literature and film lover/miscellaneous blogger. Quite a mouthful, isn't it? Still, I'm sure those labels don't even begin to encompass me and all the potential that my blog can have. I plan on blogging for a long time. Someday I'll have a house and I'll have to add "design blogger" to my already long list of labels. And when I'm married and start having kids, I'll have to add "married life blogger" and "mommy blogger" to that list. Even then, those labels still wouldn't be able to define me 100%. I feel like I'm way too complex of a person to label as just one certain kind of blogger. And you know what? I'm proud of that.

3) When picking blogs to read and follow, are you drawn to ones that indicate a certain group or way of thinking or being? I like to read and follow blogs that inspire me, plain and simple.

4) Do you think there are benefits in labeling yourself or others? From what I've learned about blogging so far, I know that it can be a lot easier to market your blog if you have a definite label and highly focused content that never strays far from your label. I'm Gayle, which means that I have every intention of breaking this rule. :) As Katy mentioned in her post, labels only really work to divide. I know I hated being labeled a certain way in high school and I still dislike it today. As I've mentioned, people are too complex to label and divide into neat little categories. You can label 100 people as personal style bloggers and I'll guarantee you that they're all unique and have their own differences and quirks. That is, after all, what makes us people.

5) Agree or Disagree - We're all just people; we don't need all the labels. I absolutely, positively agree!