Last fall I went to the Allume Conference and met lots of bloggers and writers. Many of them were friends of friends or they were familiar names/faces I just hadn’t met in person. But lots of them were simply brand-new-to-me bloggers. And even though the practice of dealing out business cards plastered with our blog URLs has gone by the wayside at these events, that didn’t stop me from making a list of sites and books to check out once I got home.

This also happens pretty much every time I log onto Pinterest or scroll through a linkup (like Works for Me Wednesday, ahem ahem). And then there’s my part-time job as editorial assistant for For Every Mom, where basically I spend all my time curating great content from women writing about ALL THE THINGS I like to read about. So whether I’m snapping photos of someone’s name tag at a conference, opening up a dozen tabs in my browser as I, um, browse, adding links to a spreadsheet or pins to a board, I’m constantly running across fantastic new [TO ME] blogs.

I’ve noticed that my reaction to the discovery of a new blog runs the gamut of emotions, from excitement to confusion to frustration to contentment. And, actually, I realized eventually (after much analysis, because apparently I have all the time and thoughts in the world to spare so much on this) that the stages a reader goes through when discovering a new blog were awfully similar to the five stages of grief.

Let’s break that down, shall we?

The Five Stages of Discovering a New Blog

Denial: What? What is this? Who is this person? How did I not know about this site? Wait, have I been here before? Her name is familiar, I think. Surely I’m not finding this for the first time now. Am I the only one who didn’t know about this blog?

Anger: Wait just a minute! Why am I the only person who didn’t know about this blog? Why didn’t anyone tell me? And good grief, how does she take such amazing pictures of dishes and tennis shoes and casseroles? WHO TAKES GOOD PHOTOS OF CASSEROLES?! And she’s so funny. Ugh, I wish I was this funny. That’s it. I totally hate her. (I don’t hate you, new-to-me blogger. Be my friend? Why won’t you be my friend?!?)

Bargaining: Okay, forget it. I must read everything she’s ever written and everything she ever writes from now on. Ooooh, she has an ebook! [Alternate: a manifesto! a cleaning schedule! a cookbook! a coloring page!] All I have to do is give her my email address? And commit to reading her every single post from now until eternity? DONE.

Depression: OH MY GOSH, this post is so beautiful. Just so moving and poignant and relevant. SO relevant! I mean, could it be any better timed with what’s happening in the world? And the way she connected it to ME and MY LIFE and MY FEELINGS?! Amazing. And better than anything I could ever write. (Side note: Why can’t I ever write anything RELEVANT and TIMELY?) Ugh. Double ugh. Blergh. Unsubscribe? No. I want to be like her, so I should keep reading. Of course I should. After all, I wish I wrote this very post. Why can’t I write stuff like this? SIGH.

Acceptance: Get a grip, Mary! Just enjoy the new blog! The world has room for both of us. I can learn from her. I can comment on her post and maybe someday we’ll be friends or maybe not, and that’s okay. I’m so glad I found this blog.

I joke, but finding new blogs works for me! My most recent discovery is The Lazy Genius Collective. I love it SO VERY MUCH and definitely went through these five stages when I found it a few months ago!

Have you discovered any new [to you] blogs recently? What stage are you in?

[Obligatory internet disclaimer: Say what? you ask. Am I trivializing your grief? Nope. Not at all, in any way. I know grief. Finding a new blog is not that. This is simply a funny [I hope] post about what it feels like to find a new blog.]

If this is your first time linking up with WFMW here, PLEASE read the guidelines I shared in this post. Highlights include linking your specific post, not the front page of your blog, and making sure to include a link back to this site in your WFMW. Thank you!!