Blog Mission Statement & Core Values

I’ve spent a lot of time during the last few months wondering what the hell Indoorsy Camper means.

If you were to go solely on the content I’ve created so far it just means I like to go camping…but I don’t like roughing it. Of course this is completely true, but it’s not quite ALL I want Indoorsy Camper to be.

I started this blog to prove that you don’t need to be an expert outdoorswoman to go camping and hiking. You can be a city girl who hates bugs and still manage to be a little outdoorsy. So I’ve written a lot of posts about camping, hiking, gear, road trip ideas and other outdoor posts.

But as I started spending more time outdoors I also realized that I also needed a creative outlet to give me balance.

Could I write about creative work on Indoorsy Camper? Is that confusing? Did I pick the wrong name for this blog?! All of this hemming and hawing led me to decide that Indoorsy Camper needed a blog mission statement and a set of core values.

Cheesy as it may seem a writing a blog mission statement will help remind me why I show up. It will help move me forward with one single vision and oddly enough it can spark creativity when I’m feeling lost or burned out.

Once I started to brainstorm where I wanted Indoorsy Camper to go in the next year it became clear to me.

I want Indoorsy Camper to help women find balance and happiness in their lives by cultivating their creativity and connecting with the outdoors.

I’ll admit when I read it out loud it seems nebulous, lofty and hard to fulfill. BUT I’ve decided that 2019 is about experimentation. I’m going to work towards this mission for a full year and see where it leads me. I’m going to keep an open mind and an open heart and let my path meander until I’m able to figure out where I’m going (or not, whatever).

There’s no need to put extra pressure on myself to make sure this little speck of the internet succeeds, because that’s not what this is about. It’s about figuring out how to create a space where women can rediscover their creativity. That might mean picking up a pencil and paper, trying a new recipe or learning to take better pictures of their kids.

I also want to help women figure out the best way for them to be outdoorsy. That might mean kicking it in their backyard with a can of cider (often my preference) or hefting a 30lb. backpack on their back and heading into the beyond. Quite frankly I don’t care how you do it, so long as there’s fresh air involved.

While I really love my new blog mission statement, I also decided I needed a set of core values to go along with it. These broaden the mission, give character to the site and quite frankly are the very same traits I am constantly trying to cultivate in myself.

In the interest of togetherness, I decided to list them in the we format. Hopefully you consider yourself part of the tribe and are going to come along for the ride.

If there was a group of us indoorsy campers around a campfire…or a kitchen island filled with snacks here’s how I would describe our core values:

• We define our own adventures.
• We believe you should create something every day.
• We are curious.
• We are good stewards.
• We practice gratitude.
• We always seek balance.
• We are kind.

That’s what an indoorsy camper is to me. So I’m going to do my best to make sure Indoorsy Camper the blog is a safe space to explore your creativity and choose your own adventure. A place where you can ask questions without fear. A place to practice gratitude and show kindness to yourself and others. And finally a place to discuss advocacy and figure out ways to take part in the preservation of our public lands.

Have you ever written a mission statement? Was it to guide your life or your business? How did you get started? And where did you end up?