I'm back! For a variety of reasons, I took the summer off of blogging. Sheer busyness, in a way I have not been busy since my days at Camp Evergreen. Disinterest... I just got tired of thinking about what to write. But at the root of the disinterest is the real reason why I took another hiatus: self-consciousness. I reached a point when I realized that I needed to take a step back before I began writing for other people instead of writing for the love of writing. Fellow bloggers... have you ever obsessively checked your Stats tab to see how many people are viewing your blog?
When my motive for writing changes...
...and becomes about other people...
...then I am no longer being simply, authentically me.
I become dishonest.
And being simply, authentically me...
...and expressing that in words...
...was the reason I started writing in the first place.
5 weeks ago
8 comments:
I'm so glad you're back dear sister:)
Yes, I've done the same thing. The stats tab is evil!
You bring up such an interesting point! Since we are all casual bloggers, with no professional or journalistic credentials, I totally agree that we have no obligation to blog and that it's entirely our choice. Agreed! But I also have though about how if we're blogging, which is a public forum, we can't really be writing just for ourselves, you know? What do you think? Do you disagree? Agree? Wish I hadn't waded in with contrary opinions?
I'm glad you're back, too, and like it when you write ... regardless of the intended audience. (And I love stats; it's wildly unhealthy.)
In response to Kerry's question - I think bloggers are all closet writers. It's a public diary/journal. And though we are writing for ourselves, we are also writing because we somewhere we feel we have something valid enough for the/our world to hear.
Though I might not check the stats...I love looking at my clustrmap and seeing where the dots are growing or who might be stalking my blog from places I don't know.
I have a hard time dealing with the fact that I know some spectacular bloggers who post very intelligent things on their blogs and feel like I have to somehow compete with their scholarly or in depth posts. And when I don't feel like I have something that is at that level - I default to what I know best but even that is not enough. I was told by several people this last summer that they stopped reading my blog because I only posted about rugby. I was caught in a place of discontent. Am I sad because I write about something I am interested in or because no one can relate? Do I intentionally skip a post about rugby to start posting about music or something going on in my life to appease the Followers?
I don't know. I have no answers. Apparently I should have just made a blog post about this.
I'm totally obsessive over my stats counter... :S
It's like that song from Wicked (the musical): "Popular, I know that I'm pop-you-who-ler!"
Anyway, what I really want to say is, thanks for making me think :)
You could also write in a journal...
I am unsure what a blog is really all about. I loved blogging for quite a while, but haven't really written for about two years. I would be lying if I were to say that there was some really important reason for stopping, but really I don't know why. I have to admit, I miss it though. I found I used my blog as a bit of a diary. A diary of my deep thoughts, that allowed other people to give their feedback (although, I think it was mostly my Mom and one or two others who read it) so my deep thoughts became a little more refined.
I really just noticed you had a blog, when you stopped writing...
Here is my hope for bloggers:
- write from your heart - not to impress people
- write what you care about - not what you think others will
- carefully craft what you write - not to impress people with your writing skills, but to allow for strong communication
What you have written here in this post appears to be a really good post. Thanks, it has made me think...maybe I will write again.
Ah yes... my journal. Thank goodness that isn't posted on my blog wall. If I were being completely transparent about my "variety of reasons" I would say that the things I wanted to write about in the last three months have contained too much personal information to be blog-appropriate.
Which also addresses Kerry's agree/disagree... I agree! If we were writing only for ourselves, blogs would look more like emotional vomit and less like coherent thoughts :). Let's not confuse public forums and private forums. It's just that because I'm not a professional writer, I like to make sure that my motivations for writing are intrinsic vs. extrinsic.
J, i think your reasons for backing of are super solid, i have done that to many times however my blog is defs more on the side of conversation. i write like i talk unless its business and if its work then why is it on my blog. as for the stats never even knew one could be so creepy, i dont know if my blog is as creep friendly as yours..perhaps ill look into it.
happy you will be writing once and a while again
E
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