I feel like it's been noticeable on this blog too. I look back at my posts over the last few weeks/months and I honestly find very few of which I'm proud of. They're fluffy. There's nothing to them. I can't even remember the last time I really had to think about the content I'm creating other than finding some stock photo to put words on so I can make said post "pinnable."
There is so much pointless noise on the internet, when does it get to the point when I'm just adding to it? Do we really need more?
I'm tired of writing things which are mediocre. I'm tired of putting up a blog post for the sake of being published so I can keep things consistent.
There are a couple of different blogging philosophies out there. None of which are right or wrong, just different.
My friend Nate, who is pretty awesome, only writes when he has something to say. There might be months in between his writings, but they are always good. Some bloggers only write when they feel the need to.
On the other hand, there is the philosophy of writing everyday or keeping a certain schedule so your readers know when to expect something on your blog. (Another friend, J Money of Budgets are Sexy, who is actually one of Nates best friends, and is also completely awesome, goes with this philosophy. Along with a ton of other bloggers I know.) Not every post will be brilliant, but at least you're writing everyday and consistency helps gain readership.
I love that I've been writing somewhat regularly. It's a great challenge to try and think of new things to write everyday and have creative spins on topics. But have I really been all that creative? Am I just adding to all of the noise already out there?
Because does it really matter? Does the world really need another "this is what I did over the weekend" blog post or another Instagram photo of Starbucks? Not really.
I know people,enjoy my blog, and I, so grateful for the people who tell me so, it's awkward so,writes when people, in "real life" say they enjoy it, but it's awesome too. Or when someone on twitter says they really liked something I posted. It's great.
And honestly, I love reading about the lives of my favorite bloggers. I like their random posts of what's happening in their little corner of the world, even if it doesn't serve much purpose. I love the random friendships I've made through blogging about stupid stuff.
Yet, I can't help but feel like I could do better. I could write better and less frequently. Or really think out five great blog topics a week. Or even if there's a better use of my time all together.
Because in the grand scheme of things, this blog doesn't really matter. And neither does yours. (Nate wrote about this once, which is a slight inspiration for this post. You can read it here: http://natestpierre.me/2011/08/18/why-your-blog-doesnt-matter/)
Yet, does that mean we just quit? Do we just give up? Because I'm tired of writing shitty content. But I don't want to stop either.
There's a quote by Ghandi that I love. "Whatever you do will be insignificant. But it is important that you do it."
Does it apply to this?
What are your thoughts?
That's a wonderful Gandhi quote. Thank you for sharing your insecurities. I happen to agree with the quote. Also, the more you write, the easier it will become to be creative! Diving in is the first step to swimming. Keep on keepin' on!
ReplyDeleteGreat quote. I think...write whenever you want to. And write authentically. Those are the only "rules" worth following IMO- for whatever that is worth! Personally, I enjoy your blog (was actually wondering this week how you were doing since I hadn't seen anything from you recently). Sometimes you need a break, and sometimes you need to get out & live in order to have something worthy to write about. As far as I can tell, your blog seems to be more of a hobby- not a business. And hobbies shouldn't be tiring or make you unhappy, they should be enjoyed! I hope that you are able to find spiritual rest & rejuvenation, because that "tired" feeling is tough.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI totally hear you on this one. It's tough to answer because yes, I miss writing every day, but I have been writing more in my journal so I can't feel too bad about that. On the other hand, I feel like my blog was a great way to keep friends and family in the loop sometimes when I didn't necessarily have time to catch up with everyone as often as I'd like to. It's hard to get back into it when you take a break, but sometimes you need to give yourself permission to take a break so you can recharge...whether that means not writing at all for a little bit, just writing with a paper and pen for a while, or whatever your break needs to be. If you need a break to get recharged and find more inspiration, do that. If you need to focus on other means of writing for a little bit, do that. Just don't give up writing forever because your writing is wonderful to read!!
ReplyDeletei've been feeling like that too. what i do: i take breaks. i've also cut down on posts; i'll sit down and begin to write, then i get bored or my inspiration runs out so i save it and come back to whenever. i have about 15 unfinished drafts that i may or may not get to.
ReplyDeleteeither way, blog when you want. that's the way i've been approaching it! i still read my fav blogs and comment but i also dont' fret if i don't get to them every day.
-kathy
Vodka and Soda
I'm actually about to do a post about blogging- I've noticed that a lot of my favorite bloggers have either stopped or slowed down, and I'm sad that 20sb isn't the hotbed of activity it used to be. I have no plans to stop blogging, though, and I was thinking about it- why do I do this? And the answer might be different for everyone, but this is it for me: I blog because I love to write. And even if no one's reading it- it's still writing and it's still enjoyable to me.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what your reasons are for blogging, but maybe go back to them and see if that can help you determine how to move forward! I really love reading what you write, for what it's worth.
Also, the pointless noise on the Internet, in my opinion, comes from Twitter and Tumblr, not blogs. I find Tumblr pointless and haven't join and even though I deeply dislike Twitter, I'm on it solely because I want to keep up with my favorite bloggers. I wish there was a better way to do so.
Yea, it worked! I'll see if I can remember what I was going to comment on those other posts the times it didn't go through.
DeleteI totally get it. Somehow, at the very start of the year, I blogged five days a week for a couple of weeks in a row. And then I was like "Hmmm, I wonder how long I can keep this up?" I was aiming for all year. I made it as far as my birthday, mostly because I planned out my topics ahead of time. But the sense of relief I felt on my birthday when I went "Eh, screw it. I'm not writing a post today" was INSANE.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to post 4 times a week now, but if I miss a day here and there, it's not the end of the world.
Nadine shared this post just as I'm in the middle of drafting some similar thoughts. I struggle with deciding to write for me (which might be record of what I did this weekend and then only writing whenever I feel like) versus writing for others (pinnable, shareable, consistent, etc). I'm adamantly against writing "noise," so it makes the struggle even more difficult!
ReplyDelete