Something you might not know about this blog is that I’ve stopped monetizing it. No ads, no affiliate links, no sponsored posts. Sometimes I do a collaboration, but only if I get to do exactly what I want.
I don’t think there’s anything wrong with monetizing your blog, but it’s something I’m uncomfortable doing. I could explain why, but I’m afraid of coming off as harsh or judgmental, and that’s not at all how I feel!
I made this decision a little while ago, and I’m still trying to navigate the future of Mox and Socks. If I’m not making any money, why keep working so hard? Blogging isn’t always fun, and it’s frequently pretty stressful.
The thing is, I don’t know what I’d do without my blog. It’s become such a huge part of my identity, and it’s what I turn to when I get home each day. I love that I’ve developed some fierce photo skills, and I love writing posts that bloggers and fashion lovers can relate to.
I think I’d be remiss if I gave it up entirely, but I may cut back on some things. I’m not sure what things are going to look like around here, but I hope you’ll stick with me for the ride!
CHICAGO PETITE 
So glad you’re being true to yourself and your convictions with the direction you’re taking you blog!! I so admire that ♥ Also this look is darling—I love a topknot, and the black + camel + stripes is just such a classic look.
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Thank you! It wasn’t an easy decision to make but ultimately I feel pretty good about it. And I’m definitely going to get lots of use out of this look!
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I’ve not known your blog for long but I’ve looked back at what I would call ALOT-ALMOSTALL of your posts and I love them. I get inspired by your ability to mix and match clothing you’ve already owned or thrifted in interesting ways and admire your fashion posts that don’t usually include all new items. I also get inspired by your bravery. Your writing tone is non-apologetic and kindly assertive, and being your own model takes a certain amount of assertiveness that I look up to. I hope you continue your blog in whatever way works for you because I think I’d miss you as a role model. Please don’t think I’m a weirdo creeper … I just recognize that you may not realize what your readers come to your blog for and it may help you decide how to move forward. Good luck with everything!
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Thank you! I really appreciate what you’ve said. The way I approach blogging these days is by thinking about what I, as a reader, would like to see. For me, that means showing lots of ways to remix outfits, being honest, and not advertising. I’m really happy to hear that that resonates with you; that’s exactly what I wanted to do!
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I support this decision 100%, Devinne! I decided a while back to stop too, but not so much by choice as feeling like no one is interested anyway. I think I’ll figure it out and actually make it official, but for the most part, I always support people who blog for themselves 😉
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Thanks for the support! I want my blog to be MINE, and I just can’t stomach the idea of brands telling me what to post. So many blogs have just become advertisements, and I don’t want that to be me 😦
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I know what you mean when you say some blogs have become advertisements; those are not the blogs I really want to read. I don’t begrudge anyone their success but I have found that I really like following smaller blogs/instagrams because 1) I like supporting smaller blogs and 2) they feel more “real” to me, instead of just walking advertisements. I’ve always enjoyed your photos and even the non-outfit posts are helpful too!
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I know what you mean when you say that some blogs have become advertisements. I can’t help but instantly doubt what I am reading as soon as I see that an item was “c/o a certain brand”. With some blogs you can tell instantly that the person is only doing that paid post because of the money- not because it interests them or the reader.
It is a tricky topic though- and like you I don’t want to come off as judgemental about it either. (And BTW, I never got the sense from you that you were doing collabs without being genuinely interested in the product/brand!)
-Nicole
The Artyologist
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