I still remember the day I earned my very first dollar from blogging.
It wasn’t a lot, but it was a huge achievement for me. I told myself, “This is the beginning.”
How It All Started
It all began when I was scrolling on Facebook and a random guy sent me a message inviting me to join a platform.
I was hesitant at first, but I gave it a try. The next day, I actually earned my first dollar.
Back then, it was during the COVID-19 pandemic. I had no work and no school, so I had a lot of time.
I was always looking for side hustles that could help me earn money, and this was one of them.
Finding My Niche
At first, I started writing without any clear plan. I made it a hobby to share everything that was happening in my life.
I wrote about any topic until I discovered my niche. I learned that I was passionate about writing about personal finance, digital marketing, and authentic blogging.
I spent weeks learning more about these topics until I mastered them; learning from my mistakes, my experiences, and from others.
Eventually, I decided to start my own website on WordPress. I learned about SEO and other marketing strategies to grow my blog.
Although not many people were reading, I kept writing until I became consistent.
Growing on the Platform
After earning my first dollar, I decided to push myself to write more-sometimes every day. I also learned that being active on the platform paid more.
It was your activity inside the platform that mattered.
There were no days that I skipped using it.
I wrote more.
I commented and interacted.
I upvoted other users’ posts.
It felt like climbing a ladder to be known on the platform, and it was worth it because it paid off.
Why That First Dollar Mattered
My website has still been running until now. I still make updates sometimes just to document my life and progress in blogging.
I would say that my very first dollar mattered. Of course, it was little for some, but it made a huge impact on who I am right now.
It taught me creativity, consciousness, and confidence. Now, I am always trying to document my life through writing on various platforms.
Although I sometimes feel like a mushroom — I appear today but not tomorrow — the skills and valuable lessons I learned have stayed with me.
If that moment had never happened, I might not be writing online and sharing the knowledge I have through content creation.
Where I Am Now
I wouldn’t say I am living off blogging because now that I’ve stopped blogging consistently, unlike before, I barely earn money.
This is just a pure hobby and my own choice to appear and write sometimes.
This clearly became my skill and improved my creativity.
I never became rich through writing, but let me say this of the money I earned from writing before is still money today.
I mean, I still spend that money until now because I invested and saved some of it, and it made me some profit.
By the way, this is not sponsored, but this video also pushed me why I write online until today.
Originally published at https://marklaurence.net on August 8, 2025. All images are generated using PeakD AI Image Genarator.