Celebrating 10 years of My Blurred World

Ten years ago, on the 4th of April 2015, to be exact, I clicked ‘publish’ on my very first blog post. A whole decade’s worth of ramblings, thoughts captured and memories made here in my corner of the internet.

It’s been such a whirlwind of a journey, one that started with my 16-year-old self desperately trying to find her place in a world that told her she didn’t belong. With a penchant for writing and a desire to bust some of the stereotypes I was coming across on a daily basis, a blog seemed like the perfect place to fuse those two things. Little did I know how significant a decision that would turn out to be.

Let’s reflect.

The journey

I’ve shared countless anecdotes on here and over on my social media channels over the past few years about just how transformative blogging has been for me. 

Writing has always been a huge cornerstone of my life, from the adventure-filled short stories I penned as a child, to the diaries I kept as a teenager, my thoughts rarely stayed in my head for long. My blog became an extension of the sentiments I was scribbling at the end of each day, the only difference was that I was sharing it with an unbeknown number of people on the internet…

My hope was to create the very platform I could have benefited from reading when I was younger and I can honestly say that I’ve delivered on that mission.

My Blurred World has evolved in so many ways over the years, both in terms of the posts I share and the way in which I write them. In those early days, my vision impairment related content was mixed in with beauty reviews, shopping hauls and list posts consisting of my favourite products at the time. Now, you’ll find far lengthier features, most of which take weeks to curate courtesy of the perfectionist in me. 

Every post I’ve written, and there are hundreds by now, have shaped this space into what it is today, one that still exists as a sort of diary to me, moving from capturing my innermost thoughts as a lonely student navigating her final days in school, to my university graduation, and the joy of the concerts I’ve been to. 

If you flick through the archives, you’ll find my burgeoning, baby voice in those early years, coupled later down the line with photographic evidence of that awful deep side parting I had going on in 2018/19 (there are some things I’m glad I can’t see). Whilst I cringe when looking back at those features, there’s something quite special about reading my younger self’s words and being able to recognise how I’ve grown and developed since then.

My blog has become a home to feelings I haven’t known how to convey other than in writing, from the grief of losing my eyesight, to notes on how I deal with that deterioration, musings on internalised ableism, belonging as a vision impaired person in a visual world and the fear of missing out in it too. Amongst all of that have been plenty of call outs for society to change its attitude when it comes to disability, I’ve shared what I think should be taught in schools, highlighted the fact that my impairment is not a tragedy whilst also giving space to the lightbulb moment that helped me realise that I’m not the problem.

To think that I didn’t put my name to any post I published in the first year or so of my blog’s existence out of fear of someone in my life offline coming across it, to now proudly sharing my work in multiple spaces is testament to how far I’ve come.

Admitting that I’m proud isn’t something that comes naturally to me, but ten years into this crazy journey, I am starting to own it. 

My blog’s tenth anniversary seems like the perfect time to declare my pride in what I’ve built, not only in terms of the posts I’ve curated but also the lovely little community that’s here to receive each piece I publish with such kindness.

The people I’ve connected with is what has made this journey for me. From the friends I’ve made to the people who return time and time again to read what I have to say.

Nothing will ever compare to the feeling I get when someone reaches out to say that my writing has helped them in some way. Whether it’s a fellow disabled person who can relate to a certain feeling or experience, or non-disabled people who have been encouraged to think about something a little differently, that’s why I’m still here sharing my story.

Countless redundant Google searches for stories like mine sparked my zeal to give voice to the feelings I was experiencing and I hoped, as I pursued that mission, that others would feel seen in the posts I was sharing.

It feels surreal whenever someone comments to say exactly that, but each message reaffirms my decision to create this blog in the first place. I still feel shocked whenever someone reaches out though, even ten years in. Plus, if you would have told my 16-year-old self that she’d be recognised in random places like train stations and a Taylor Swift concert years down the line, I’m pretty sure she would have fainted.

The opportunities

The advocacy that started here has extended beyond the pages of my blog over the years, another shocker for my younger self to digest. 

Writing my blog has been the launchpad to so many different branches of activism work; TV and radio interviews, panel appearances and more speaking gigs than I ever could have imagined myself saying yes to.

I’ve also had the opportunity to work with some fantastic brands and organisations over the years. 2018 saw me landing my first ever brand deal with beauty brand, L’occitane – I thought the email from the marketing agency was a scam at first, failing to believe that a company I already knew and loved would want to work with me. But with my detective hat on, a quick search on companies house remedied my scepticism and a few weeks later, I received the first payment for my work. 

Brand deals are by no means a regular occurrence but I’m so grateful for the collaborations I’ve been one half of over the past few years. I was crafting a list of those I’ve worked with in my pursuit of reflection and featuring names such as Microsoft Seeing AI, Sensodyne, The Guardian, OrCam and Theatr Cymru felt so surreal. 

I am by no means noting these names or experiences as markers by which to measure my ‘success’, but as someone who has questioned my place in certain spaces, and quietly wondered ‘why have they chosen me?’ It’s nice to reflect on just how powerful and sometimes life defining a ‘yes’ can be.

It’s safe to say that I’ve deserted my comfort zone more times than I can count by now, but oh how glad I am that I said yes to all the things that I have.

The impact

In these ten years, running My Blurred World has changed my life irrevocably. Not only has it introduced me to a community I never knew existed before, but it has also played a big part in the choices I’ve made in my life offline. 

I’ve learned so much, not only about the world of blogging and social media which lead me to a career in marketing and comms, but also about myself, what I’m capable of and what happens when I push those boundaries.

Receiving recognition for my work was never the goal, so sitting here with accolades from award nominations to wins, and being named as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK in 2018, plus one of the BBC 100 Women in 2020 is, you guessed it, surreal.

I’m definitely not who I was when I started this journey, and neither is my blog. My once weekly Sunday evening posts became more sporadic as I graduated into adulthood and started to juggle studying for a degree and a day job with my beloved hobby. 

Whilst life’s hecticness has somewhat restricted my writing, I’m so grateful to have a space I can return to whenever inspiration strikes. Writing will always be a form of therapy for me, my blog acting as a cushion for my innermost thoughts and despite the incredible opportunities I’ve been afforded, the comments on here coupled with messages of support on social media will always leave the biggest impression on me.

Which leads me to…

A huge thank you

As if this post hasn’t been cheesy enough already, I want to sign off with a heartfelt thank you for all your support. 

To share this adventure with such a lovely community means so much to me. Whether you’ve been here from the get-go or you’re a fairly new reader, thank you for being here. Your support will never go unnoticed and, along with my passion for the written word, will always be a magnet that pulls my fingers back to the keyboard.

I hope my posts continue to educate and provide reassurance in the same way I wished they would ten years ago. If they help just one person then that’s enough to fulfil my goal.

You’d think I would have run out of things to say after a decade long stint of advocacy, but rest assured I’m not done yet. As long as stereotypes and societal barriers still exist, there’s plenty of writing for me to do, so here’s to 10 years of My Blurred World and many more!

Elin x