Millions of subscribers to inner balance: the journey of three bloggers and their source of inspiration

Bloggers claim that classic Russian literature is an integral part of their source of inspiration. Its stories, language and profound imagery infuse emotion into creativity and allow them to create content that touches the hearts of subscribers.

Material prepared in collaboration with LinguaRus online school — a Russian language and literature school for those living in Russia and abroad, as well as a communication and language practice club for children and adults.

According to Victoria Nikolaeva, a lifestyle blogger with a million followers and a practicing psychologist in the field of transactional analysis, bloggers burn out for lack of recognition. “Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. There is no need to prove that you are the best – strive to be better than yourself yesterday,” Victoria advises on her social media.

“Beads of sweat appear on your forehead when you see that the video you shot and edited for three days, and a month ago you were looking for an idea, fails and does not get the views you hoped for. It can be compared to an old car that you fix and it won’t start in any way,” Victoria shares.

After blogging for a long time, Victoria realized that she did not understand herself, and it slowed down and did not allow her to go further. She went into psychology, went to college, and got into therapy with clients.

“My client reminded me a lot of my husband so it made me think about how much I don’t feel him and how much I want to change him, even though it’s not necessary at all,” Victoria shared. – So it is in a blog or in any other work – you often try to change yourself for work, thus harming your personality. There will be no results. You cannot be in harmony with yourself. Therefore, I want to share with you the rules to stop tormenting and burning yourself out.

Victoria points out that the first thing she has practically ruled out of her life is perfectionism and a meticulous attitude towards blogging, work and her life: “After all, it’s a creative process. Not all angles in an image can be equal. The second important point: accept only what is interesting and answered. “I’m learning to say no. Thus, I do not overload my psyche. “I take it all – if only it were” – we remove this approach.

Victoria knows that bloggers are almost always faced with the rejection of this profession by their relatives and their husbands: “The filming takes weeks, months. It is very important to include the family, to show the process so that they take your work more seriously, to accept their help and to remember to give them your love. It is also difficult for them to entrust you to “blogs” and attract less attention from you.

“It also helps me to recharge my batteries, to take a break, to calmly read Russian classics. In Russian literature, one can find an inexhaustible source of inspiration for creativity, see the psychologism of the characters and the versatility of the fates of the heroes, ”Victoria summarizes.

Producer Yulia Medvedeva maintains a blog with 1.2 million subscribers. She told how she uses atypical movements to jostle and inspire the stars over time, helping them to reveal their talents. “Sometimes my actions may seem strange, but it’s a cleverly thought out plan,” the producer shares. “Until a result that everyone likes appears, it’s hard to unravel my idea.”

“From my own experience, as well as from the observations of many parishes, I have noticed that from time to time there are setbacks in creativity. I’ve run a blog myself for many years, which has over 1.2 million subscribers. I write about my life, which is so exciting in itself that there is no need to pay for social media advertising and promotion.

According to Julia, burnout is easy to prevent by taking simple steps in time: delegating tasks, changing jobs, resting. Sometimes you have to entrust your monotonous affairs to specialists so that the routine does not exhaust you. This approach will ensure creative prosperity for years to come.

Julia also does not hide the importance of not doing everything herself. “Everyone is building up fatigue, but it’s easy to stop the process by attracting helpers. You don’t have to completely get rid of your favorite activities, but you can turn a single long-distance race into a relay race, says the producer. — For example, the flow of daily stories on social networks may be interrupted for a few days. The world will not collapse, but subscribers will wait.

Oksana Shishkova (but on social networks she is known under the pseudonym of Oksana German, which has a very long history since 2006) maintains a blog with 1.3 million subscribers. It is dedicated to finding your own path, finding your own motivation and discovering your purpose in life.

“Burnout… Let me tell you how it went for me. It is 2018 and I am actively starting a blog, studying a lot of information, learning how to process photos, create beautiful stories and write texts. I just took it all, – Oksana told about the beginning of her journey. — Start of barter cooperation with brands. Already in the summer of 2018 I started earning the first money. Advertising projects appeared more and more on my blog.

At some point, Oksana realizes that she lives like a robot: “I don’t live, but I exist. I don’t really remember our trips abroad, I hardly spend time with my family, I work constantly. Relations with her husband deteriorated. I was always tired and in the evening I had a headache from the exertion.

In 2022, due to the cancellation of many projects, Oksana could not answer the question herself: “What to do next?” She realized that she no longer wanted to live as before and could not: “We work, but life, emotions pass.

Classical Russian literature allows him to deepen the psychology of the characters and to understand their motivations and their sufferings. “Reading Chekhov’s works helps me understand the complexity of human nature. It inspires me to create content that not only promotes physical health, but also takes care of mental well-being,” says Oksana.

Now Oksana blogs in social networks and opens a family business in the market. According to the blogger, she learned to manage her time well, to relax, to delegate and to remove the concept of “I’m all alone” from her life.