The idea of uniqueness has been on my mind lately both as a blogger and one who reads blogs. A few weeks ago, I opened up my bloglovin feed and with every scroll it was a post about a particular launch ; same thing in my instagram and twitter feed. I knew it was lauch day da. I clicked on several of the posts and it was pretty much the same product review focused on packaging, color etc (there was nothing in posts I could not find the product description on the manufacturers' website). Last week, I stumbled on a post on the same product by another blogger that was quiet different that everything else I had come across. Of all the posts I came across on that product for several reason - it was not lost in maze of launch day and you could tell she had taken time to test the product and her review was filled with tips and notes I could not find anywhere else. Just yesterday - while catching up on a blogger group I belong to on Facebook, I stumbled on a post by another blogger that was eeriely similar to an idea I have been working on for several weeks. I refrained from reading her post - I did not want her content to influence my post and I delayed my posts a few more weeks. 

Just to clear up any confusion, I don't have a problem with blogger groups or product reviews. I belong to several blogger groups and I love each one and I don't buy any beauty items without watching or reading a review on it.  I just think a a result of the information flow, being unique in our creative process has become an uphill battle. Today I thought I will share some ways I am trying to navigate this and keep uniqueness in this space. I will love to read your ideas in the comment section.

DON'T READ EVERYTHING THAT POPS UP ON YOUR FEED. This can be a hard thing to do. A good bit of us became bloggers because we enjoy reading blogs, but if I see a post on my feed that seems eerily similar to something I am working on or planning to write - then I don't read the post until mine is published. This way nothing about that post taints or influences what I write.  

BE INSPIRED BUT SWITCH IT UP. There is nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from others when you give your voice to it. I aboslutely love this post by the overseas escapes and it inspried me to write a similar post. When mine is published, it will have nothing to do with Europe and the title will be different. Her post inspired me to put together a bucketlist list (mine might be 50 items or less - it is still in process), but that is where the similarities will end. (Don't forget to give credit in those cases).

DON'T BE TOO INSPIRED. I know that sounds counter to point 2 (and even point 1), but hear me out. There is such a thing as being too inspired. You read a blog post and you think , "how fun, I should do that ?". Before you dive in, ask yourself, Is this something you can uniquely speak about (or has the inspiration post said it all).

UNFOLLOW AND CLEAN UP YOUR FEED. Before I started blogging, I heard a beauty blogger I admire say she does not follow other beauty bloggers. Initially, I thought that was conceited move, but as she explained her reasoning I understood her reason. She did not want their review to affect her review video/post. She wanted her reviews to be be uniqiuely hers. I tend to agree with her with her decision. I don't not read travel blogs, but I limit the travel bloggers I follow so I am not bombared with inspiration and lose my blog personality. 

IT IS OKAY TO DELAY (or ACCELERATE) PUBLISHING. Depending on what you blog about, this may not be applicable. It is okay to skip launch day (if you can). Talk about the product another time or in another setting. Launch day is always saturated with product reviews. If you really want to share a product review, do it before the launch to build anticipiation or maybe delay it a few days (or weeks) so your post does not get lost in all the launch day review posts.

Now, over to you - how do you keep maintain uniqueness in your creative process ?