For the last little while my
blog posts have required a lot more effort and motivation than I’m used to. I
post just to keep my blog active, rather than because I feel I have something
relevant to say, and I think this shows. I make every post pic-heavy, to make
up for the lack of writing. And while I love sharing the photos of my kids, I
find the whole act of blogging quite boring lately.
I’m not planning on chucking
it in – I don’t think that’s where this is going. I probably would quit, but
for one thing – I so love reading back over my old blog, from years ago, and
reliving those days of 2 kids and the life we were living back then. But I do
need to change things around here, so that this is a worthwhile thing for me to
spend time doing.
I’m writing as I think here.
I have no idea where this post is even going, it’s just happening as I write
it. And I’m ok with that, because I think that’s the only way I am going to
find my blog voice. Forget about polished. Just write what I think, as I think
it. Which I think is problem #1 with why I’m sick of blogging: My blog doesn’t
express my personality.
I’m almost 32. I’m finally in
a stage of my life where I comfortable with who I am. I know what I like, and
what I don’t like. I have very strong opinions on most things and I have no
problem expressing them, even if they’re different from others, because I know
I’m not an idiot and I give everything a lot of thought (actually I can often
tend to overthink most things) and at
the end of the day, I’m not so close-minded I can’t end up changing my mind
after giving it more thought. I remember reading, I think it was in Velvet
Elvis, that the Christian journey is one of constant wrestling with ideas, not
just a set of beliefs that are firm and unmoveable. I agree with that. There are
absolute truths of course, like what is and what isn’t, but it’s in how we respond to those truths that I
think we all need to be more flexible. The grey areas of life, like
breastfeeding vs bottlefeeding, or whether or not gay marriage should be legal.
We all have opinions, and I do too, yet I never talk about them on here. I find
that boring. Because it’s a huge part of who I am. I think about these things,
yet if you read my blog you’d never know it.
I’m not saying I want to get
all serious and start posting lectures about controversial issues. I hate
reading blogs like that. But I should be expressing myself more truly, and when
something is on my mind, just write about it and post it and not worry about
whether or not those of you reading this will be interested or agree with me or
remove me from your reading list.
Which leads me to problem #2:
I’m a bit of a comment-whore. I love it when I open my email inbox and find
that someone has left me a comment. It lets me know that people are actually
visiting my blog and reading it, and that I’m not just talking to myself. But
when I post something – or don’t post
something – with readers, comments, page hits, shares, followers in mind,
it takes away from the honesty of my writing. It means that I am absent from my
writing. And if I never really engage with what I’m writing, neither will
anyone else. So I need to stop checking my blog stats, stop thinking about how
to get more traffic, and most importantly stop censoring myself. I’ll just write
what I want to write and stop worrying about who’s reading it.
The blogs I love the most,
that I click on straight away when I see that they have a new post, are the
ones who do just that. They write whatever’s on their mind at the time and don’t
apologise for their views. Their experiences are real and personal, and yet so
typical to mums everywhere that by opening up on their blogs they create a
bridge between themselves and their readers. We laugh together, cry together
and pray together.
When I read those blogs, the
ones that feel as if they are holding a mirror in front of my face, a bunch of
things happen.
1. I feel less alone, because
someone is going through the same things I am going through. Whether its teething
babies, or questions of faith, or frustrations in marriage, it’s important to
feel like it’s all a normal part of life and you’re not the only one on the
planet having that experience.
2. Often I laugh at myself,
which really helps me see that experience in a different light and not get so
hung up on what is probably only a stage that will pass soon enough.
3. I am inspired – to do
something, to stop doing something, to change something, to create something or
just to enjoy what I have.
The interesting thing about
each of these blogs (the ones I’m thinking about as I write this) is that each
of them is different from the others, because they each have their own
authentic voices. Even if they all posted about the same thing on the same day
it wouldn’t sound the same. Which leads me to problem #3: I haven’t been
writing in my own voice. This is probably the biggest problem, and why I have
been finding it so hard to sit down and write.
Back when I wrote about getting back into blogging, I found it
inspiring to read a lot of other blogs. I found some that I really love and
still enjoy reading, but because I find their work so great it’s hard not to
get into the “I need to write like that” kind of thinking. I mostly read other “mummy
blogs” because that is what I like to read, and they all had certain things in
common. I felt that as a “mummy blogger” I had to be writing a certain way:
funny or cute stories about my kids; crafting projects; photography;
homeschooling; fashion; or tips for home making and all of that. I felt I had
to fit into one of these “mummy blogger” categories. I don’t craft, I’m not a
photographer and I don’t have the time or expertise to write tutorials. So my
blog doesn’t really fit in the “mummy blogger” world, if that is what it has to
be. I have lots of cute stories about my kids, but actually, they have their
own blogs. I’m not sure if I can stand to try and fit in anymore with my perception
of the “mummy blogger” label. Who cares?
And that brings me to problem
#4: I’m trying too hard, and it’s killing the enjoyment of the whole thing. Back
when I was trying to find my “blogging mojo” I read lots of tips and advice about blogging. I followed the advice I
was reading, and when I did, I gained a bunch of new followers, so I kept
following the advice. I joined in linky parties regularly; I took more time “photoscaping”
my pictures; I even gave my kids blog names/aliases because that’s what the
seasoned bloggers said to do. It was good advice, all of it. But following it
has made me miserable and bored. Because I never wanted to be a “blogger”, I wanted
to be a writer, and blogging was a platform for it.
So I’m giving up blogging and
going back to writing.
I’ll still join in with linky
parties from time to time, when it suits me, but not all of them and I will
link up if I see one that suits a post I’m already doing, rather than creating
a post for a link-up. I’ll still share pictures, because it makes me happy to,
but not necessarily in every post. If I continue with #photoadayMay it will be
on my Facebook page – feel free to
join me there. And I’ll still enjoy
reading the blogs that I love, and new ones that I find, but when it comes to
my own blog I need to start embracing who I am. Some will enjoy my blog more,
some will not. But I’ll enjoy it.
I hope this comment doesn't awaken the monster that is the comment-whore! HAHAHA Never heard that term before, but I think its hilarious.
ReplyDeleteGood on you. If you spend so much time on it you've really got to do it for you. I read your blog for you, not for me, if you know what i mean.
Haha my mum just said to me on the phone that she didn't comment because she didn't want me to be a comment-whore lol.
DeleteThis has to be one of the best posts I've read in a while - there's nothing better than a bit of honesty. Your blog is yours alone and I know what it's like to be swept into the blogging river and you soon lose your way. I relate to this post in so many ways. Write from the heart because those are usually the best posts :)
ReplyDeleteAnd there you are.
ReplyDeleteYou, your voice.
Stop BLOGGING and start WRITING.
I love that!!!
What a fantastic post, cass. As you just started writing the thoughts flowed and came together in such a clear and profound way.
I for one am VERY excited to hear more of "Cass-unedited"
yay for you!!!
(I even got "goosies"!)
Amen! I've just read Widge's monday post and then yours and I've been feeling all those things and more! Hmmm a theme here. :) Have a lovely week. Hope you were spoiled rotten on mother's day, love Sx
ReplyDeleteah sister
ReplyDeletei see the growth here!!!
write write write
your voice
your words
are beautiful!
love and light
ps I now have you back on my blog roll and am looking forward to reading your writing..not following your blog : )
Well done for your honesty Cass. I so know what you mean about trying to fit in with the memes that are out there. Be you - and I'll look forward to reading You. Write what's on your heart, and trust that we'll be here to read it, and that what you share will touch someone out there at just the right time.
ReplyDeleteI'm new here but I like the way you think. The title of this post appealed to me cause a friend and I were talking about the same thing today, and I have been a little bit mojo less of late.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I'm learning though, is if you just honour God in whatever you do, it all kind of falls together. Not the way you want, but the way He does.
I wrote this exact post last year - like you, I stopped the linkies and went through my blog roll and deleted a whole heap of blogs that I was following and had noticed I was starting to 'copy'... I had lost my mojo, got bored and in the process walked away from 'me'!
ReplyDeleteI am back - albeit at a much slower pace these days due to new family additions :-)! It took a while to rediscover my voice, but it is worth it!
Good for you!
Hi. Stumbled across you from . . . well, honestly, I don't remember now! Maybe someone else's photo a day? It's not important. Really just wanted to say that I enjoyed this piece. I've lately been trying to be diligent with my blog, because I really do enjoy the opportunity to just write, but I've tried to remind myself that it really is for *me*. I think if I ever start forgetting that, I'll just reference back to this post. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI so get this! I feel a bit like this from time to time. It always comes and go, but underneath it all I don't think I could ever abandon my blog!
ReplyDeleteI found you via the Best in Blog linky and will be visiting again x
Love this - soooo good. xoxo
ReplyDeleteGreat post - great to hear the voice of the blogger not the 'show reel'.
ReplyDelete