June 30th, 2011-2012: Happy One Year Blogiversary! Celebrating One Full Year of Chronic Curve

Happy Birthday Chronic Curve!

This blog turns a year old today! Incredible what a year’s time can bring. I started this blog for myself as a little outlet, not expecting much to come out of it. Yet here we are, a year later, having raised over $600 in a few months (and still going!), writing for magazines, working with other organizations, speaking to people all over the globe, connecting with others, and with over 10,000 followers, I cannot believe what Chronic Curve has become and how many opportunities I have been fortunate to discover.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the 10k+ readers that participate here on Chronic Curve, to other bloggers who inspire me, to my friends and family for encouraging me to keep writing, keep fighting, and keep holding on. And a ginormous thank you to everyone who has shared Chronic Curve with others. That is the purpose of this site, to share resources, support, knowledge, and to empower and embrace others. Thank you for helping to make that happen and helping Chronic Curve grow. I am so proud of this blog, of this journey. Here’s to an even more incredible year!

I’ll be doing a Q&A VIDEO along with some other important announcements tomorrow for the blogiversary, so if you have questions or comments, send them in by 6pm!

This blog and all that has become of it would not have been possible without the inspiration, help, and encouragement from the following fellow tumblr’ers. A big thanks to all of you for advice, encouragement, kindness, reblogs, signal boosts, and the advocacy/awareness/service work many of you do. 

Dr. Cranquis — urgent care physician blogger who was the very first person to encourage me to write about my experiences. You can thank him for my work on this blog and book; without his encouragement I doubt I’d have continued writing. Plus, his real life doctor-patient stories are hilarious and some of the information shared on his website is invaluable.

Lupine Lady — Lovely lupus warrior who always has excellent advice at the perfect timing and someone who I’ve found to have much in common with.

Project3x5 — a CRPS/RSD sufferer who always has a kind word to say, a contagious smile, and an equally contagious attitude.

ConqueringCrohns (previously crohnsandarthritis)— all around kick ass person and fellow Florida State Seminole in real life and online who is not afraid to speak her mind, write honestly, and make poop jokes to combat the difficulty of living with IBD. 

Disabledtalk — a must-follow for those chronically ill and healthy. Abolishing inspiration-porn, myths, and ignorance about accessibility and disability. 

Chronicallyscrewed— this lovely lady speaks words that may as well been written by me. There is not a single post I don’t relate to and while I wish neither of us had to post the things we do, it’s nice to know there are others in the exact same situation. A must-follow, and a wonderful person too.

Whatthejules — one of the first bloggers I followed here on CC whose honesty and  transparency I admire and respect greatly; a chronic illness blogger whose content you simply cannot pass up.

Missgingerlee — fierce, fabulous, and all around lovely person living life alongside Lupus.

Supermodelrevealed - a woman whose perseverance never fails to inspire me. Check out her blog and book!

Livingwithendo— one word: quality. Always kind, helpful, and honest when discussing sensitive subjects such as pelvic pain and Endometriosis.

These are just a small handful of the wonderful people and fellow tumblrs who have shared this autoimmune blogging journey with me, inspired me, or connected with me in some way. There would be over 50 people listed here if I included everyone, so if you don’t see your link/name, please know that it is not because you haven’t had the same impact. If you haven’t already, go check them out/follow.

When did you start your blog?

I started my blog in June of 2011, when I was very sick and very bored

How did you come up with the name?

I wanted a catchy, short name that was easy to spell and easy to remember, but also reflected my physical state and the blog’s content. Chronic was derived from chronic illness and pain; “Curve” came from my severe scoliosis and upcoming spinal revision surgery (which I had in September). Chronic Curve was born.

Why did you start your blog?

To be honest, I was just incredibly bored. I was in a bad flare, depressed, stuck in my room searching for something to do and resources geared towards young adults int heir 20’s and 30’s with chronic illness. I didn’t find what I was looking for, so I decided to create it. Plus, it doubled as something to put my energy and drive into, was something positive I could do and focus on that also helped others, and gave me a healthy outlet for the stress and psychological components that hang around when one is diagnosed with an autoimmune disease or chronic pain condition.

How did you start your blog?

I started with a really awful Tumblr layout. Eventually I used a base template but added my own HTML and coding to everything. At this point in time, I am considering transitioning to Wordpress. Blogger and Tumblr actually claim content rights to anything you publish onto your website. With Chronic Curve becoming something bigger than a little blog, it’s important that my content is not restricted or tampered with due to a host.  

What is your advice to someone thinking about starting a blog?

Be original. Don’t read other blogs and go write variations of the post(s) you just read. Never plagiarize. Share your resources. If there is an article or post you really enjoyed and you think your readers might as well, share an excerpt (with original author’s permission) and the source. Write honestly and don’t be afraid to speak up for your beliefs and opinions, even if they are “unpopular” or the minority. That said, write with some maturity and have respect for other opinions and beliefs, even if you do not necessarily agree with them. Be able to agree to disagree, and also be open to learning something new or gaining a new perspective from readers who comment on your posts or share their stories with you. Be kind and have respect— don’t encourage trolls; don’t be a troll yourself.