So today is my bookstagram birthday!! It marks one year in this amazing community and I couldn't imagine not having this in my life.
Starting my account has been one of the best life changing decisions I've ever made and I couldn't be more proud of myself for the way I've pushed myself and my creativity over this last year. I've learnt how to be much more patient with myself, it's become a lot more important to me that I recognise not everyone is going to enjoy my content and that I shouldn't measure my success off of how many likes or followers I have. I've learnt so much more than that through being on bookstagram that can't be measured and can't be seen by people passing through. But I know what I've achieved and I will continue to try to better myself as well as trying to become more inclusive and considerate to other people while having friends from different cultures and reading more diverse books.
I'm not going to sugar coat it, it's not been all sunshine and rainbows and I'll say that it wasn't always easy and I wont say that I didn't consider giving up because that's not true. In some places it's been a difficult year to keep up with the community and posting everyday but I'm so glad that I did.
I've spoken about this before on my account but I thought it was worth mentioning again, with my bookstagram account and book-worm status I felt pressured to read a certain amount a month and it made me disinterested in reading because it no longer felt like I was doing it for myself and instead just to say I read a lot. Now, I see that I shouldn't have let that happen and try to keep an open heart when it comes to reading so that I no longer feel the pressures I did.
Back to a happier note I have met so many amazing people from all over the world who I'm honoured to call my friends and new book family. It means the world to me to have the support that you've shown me through the last year and I hope that you will continue in the future.
I asked all of you wonderful people to help me get to 1k for the perfect bookstagram birthday and you did just that! A couple of weeks we hit 1000 people in our little family and I can't tell you how happy I am to have all of you.
Thank you so much! So happy one year to regal leaves I hope your eating a lot of cake in celebration and here's to many more!!