I’ve been blogging for over 4 years now.
Sometimes that seems like a long time.
Sometimes it doesn’t.
Several times a year I ask myself why I’m still publishing random drivel online for the whole universe to read. I don’t have a large following by any stretch of the imagination. I also don’t read many of the “big and professional” bloggers out there. I like the idea of going to smaller blog conferences where I actually know people but don’t really feel like forking over the cash to attend. I like writing thoughtful posts but with two mobile, energetic kids that need attention and/or supervision almost constantly I’m not left with as much time as I used to have to be able to devote to my blog. It’s frustrating.
I don’t exactly have a real niche, either. I don’t blog about politics or pop culture or review cool things. Nobody has ever approached me to advertise on my blog and I only occasionally share products I am currently in love with. I don’t promote my own business through my blog (though I attempted with On Autumn’s Wings I decided to pull the plug after a few months when I realized I don’t have the time to sew enough to keep things stocked and up to date with the seasons and it makes me sad but that’s another topic for another day). I don’t write book reviews. I’m don’t really perform anymore so I don’t have anything exciting like that to share either.
Though I do share photos I’ve taken my blog is a far cry from a photography blog.
Though I do occasionally share recipes I love my blog is not really a foodie blog.
Though I do share my spurts of creative sewing and other craftiness my blog is not necessarily a sewing or a crafting blog.
Though I do share goofy or interesting (at least to me) things my kids do my blog is not exactly a mommy blog.
The best I’ve been able to come up with is that my blog probably falls under the umbrella of “personal” blogs. In my mind that means my blog is sort of a mish mash of all things that revolve around me. Since I do happen to sew and cook and be a SAHM those things get included but I don’t feel my blog is limited to just those things. Some readers may disagree with this assessment but that is my view.
Anyway, back to my recurring question; why do I continue publishing the incredibly fascinating details of my life on the internet?
The things I come back to whenever I ask myself this question are always the same. I like having complete control over this little thing in my life. I can write what I want and make it look the way I want. Because of the things I write, to me, this blog is as good as a paper journal. It includes almost all the major events in my life in addition to many of the every day minor things. Plus, if I didn’t blog I still wouldn’t be keeping much of a real journal. I like having a hard copy of my blog, too. I don’t usually go back and read my archives online but it is kind of fun to pull the published books off the shelf and thumb through them. It’s priceless for my family. Finally, I love the people I’ve met through blogging. It’s a very social thing for me. It’s hard for me to get out and be social with the kids in tow and some days the farthest we go is to the mailbox. I still like adult interaction, though, so getting to communicate with other grown-ups online is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. I’ve met some of the most amazing women through blogging. They leave me inspired. They touch my heart. They understand the things I’m going through and are supportive. I laugh with them. I cry with them. Many of them I have come to know better than I know most of my in-person friends. Whenever I consider closing up shop the friendships and interactions are probably the biggest things that prevents me from going through with it.
Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere. This little corner of the internet has come to mean a great deal to me and I’m not willing to give it up. I consider it occasionally but the idea never lasts long. I’d miss it too much. Basically, what I’m trying to say is even after 4 years of blogging there are still things about my blog that make me feel insecure and unsure and I wonder if I should be doing things differently but when I really consider why I continue posting my silly nonsense I remember those things aren’t the reasons I blog anyway. This is something I do for me. It’s a good thing. It makes me happy.
And shouldn’t we all do good things that make us happy?
Wow – this sounds exactly like my own blogging identity crisis. I’m occasionally tempted to compartmentalize more, or even divide my blog into multiple different ones with different topics, but I just don’t blog often enough to maintain something like that, and my “interests” are too spread out. I’ve concluded that you really do have to keep an eye on the reason you’re blogging. For me it’s because I want to have a record of this crazy, important, blurry time of my life. And because I desperately need the words of validation and the friendships that it affords me.
Whenever I start pining for blogging fame, I take a look at some of the hate-mail/comments that “bigger” bloggers get and I’m perfectly content to be in the ubiquitous, small circle that I am in.
So, I’m with you. I’m hanging out in the non-categorical blog existence. I find it too valuable to give up, but too time-consuming to pursue further. If you come up with a solution for that, fill me in will you?!
Yes, yes we should.
I don’t think I could ever completely quit blogging just because I really enjoy the end-printed-product. That–and I don’t see most of my really good friends enough, so opening my world to them via Internet makes it much easier to maintain those “long-distance-relationships.”
Three words: You.Are.Awesome
Three more: I.Love.You
I swear you are reading my thoughts here. These are the same things I believe about blogging. And Life. If I were to sum up the Great Plan of Happiness it would be “Figure out what you want and choose paths that will get you that.” That’s my underlying theme when I blog.
I love your blog because, to me, it’s YOU. I love knowing all about what you’re up to, trying your recipes, admiring your projects, giggling at your kids silliness. Life is just busy, and it’s not always easy to keep up with people we love in real life as much as we’d like to. The fact that your blog doesn’t fit perfectly into any one category makes no difference to me– it is HSF’s blog and I enjoy it. The end printed product/journaling aspect is what keeps me going, and really makes it priceless, but it’s great having some social interaction with it along the way. And actually, it was you who introduced me to the bloggity world, and I’m grateful for it!
I’m so glad you are a blogger. I wish I could find something that was totally “mine” that made me happy, that wasn’t food!!
I thought your goals this year were very inspiring and I like how you had the small steps to how you were going to reach them. You are always full of great ideas!! (But most of them I am too clueless/unskilled to be able to even begin doing myself.) I’m glad I get to see what you and your family are up to and I love your creativeness and humor!
I have become kind of blog-discouraged lately when I figured out how much work it took to format my blog into a book.
I always wonder, how much “personal” stuff should be public, you know? Or will some post come back and bite my kids in the hiney in the future one day. I don’t print mine off or anything, but it’s my way of keeping long distance family in the loop w/ the kids…..since we don’t live by…..um….anybody.
I DO enjoy rekindling old friendships like AWESOME and incredibly smart math buddies…..and I smile remembering some funny things and I admire on how neat, put-to-gether, caring and talented person you have become. It’s fun to reconnect as adults…..because now we’re WHO WE REALLY ARE. Okay, off my soapbox, and off to clean the dishes……
Very interesting thoughts. Now you’re making me think! I love your blog for all the reasons everyone else has said, but especially because it keeps me in touch with the little details of your life since I can’t see you as often as I’d like and since talking on the phone isn’t very, well, visual! I hope you never stop!
These are the same thoughts I have all the time. You put them into words so much better than I ever would. It’s all the things that your blog is and isn’t that the reason I love reading it and getting to know you.
Seriously. AMEN to all of the above and more.
Yes, I totally understand and agree. If I called my blog a “random crap” blog, I’d be being generous. Sometimes I hear about people doing this or that with their blogs and feel weirdly guilty about not doing them. But then that seems like a lot of work. And I’m not really interested in adding more work to my life. And it wouldn’t be fun anymore. So…what’s the point?! And then I just end up sticking with the random crap on my blog and continue on with life. But I’m glad you blog because how would I ever have stalked you in Old Navy if you hadn’t?! I’m still a little embarrassed by that…
And I’m sorry about the Autumn’s Wings situation. I definitely understand what it’s like to have so many things/ideas to do and not enough time to do them. Eventually we will, right?!