What Makes You Happy When You Blog?
Table of contents for 7/Writing About Blogging
Lots of things make you happy of course. But what makes you MOST happy on a REGULAR basis in terms of your blogging effort? I have been wrestling with this question the past few days.
I hope that we can share some comments and ideas when this post is published. I really hope we can.
First of all it may help to look at this question in terms of the present moment. In other words if you say that down the road somewhere something will happen (hopefully) with your blogging and that will make you very happy most of the time.
Your happiness comes from imagining that day.
Let’s just toss that one out the window for the purposes of this post and concentrate on the present moment. What is it about blogging today that makes you happy on a regular basis?
There are a relatively small number of bloggers who are making a good income blogging. Do you think this makes them happy most of the time? I suggest that in many cases it does not. Once the novelty wears off there will be other needs to fulfill in order to be happy. Here is a post I read recently that was done by a very successful and brilliant blogger.
http://lorelle.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/blog-struggles-surviving-the-when-blogging-goes-bad-blues/
Blogging can be a pain even when you have thousands of readers. I know that thousands of readers would not make me happy for very long. Because being excited and being happy are two different things. And I feel like there is something about blogging that does make a worthwhile activity on a regular basis.
It’s not the excitement of a traffic spike. It’s not the income that it can potentially provide.
It’s the satisfaction that comes from creating something with ideas and photos. And then taking this creation and sharing it with someone. It’s the photo that makes me happy. It’s the idea that I have expressed in writing that makes me happy. And I can do these things on a regular basis.
I am creating something. And this creation may not be great. It may not even be good sometimes. But if it makes me happy then it is worth the time and effort it took to put it together. And when someone looks at it or reads it and has something to say about it, well, that’s just the frosting on the cake.
Cake is really good by itself. But frosting makes it so much better. And we all could live without another dessert for the rest of our lives. But I doubt we would do that unless we were forced to do it. Relationships and conversation are the frosting.
If I ever stop having these good feelings about posting something then it will be time to stop doing it. Even if there is a positive cash flow or lots of positive feedback. It really is that simple for me. I am curious about the notion of having lots of readers or making money here. But I actually don’t think these things will ever happen. And it doesn’t matter because the happiness that comes from creating something is more important. And frosting without cake can only take you so far.
It’s like the guy who loves his job and says only half in jest that he would pay someone just to be able to come to work every day.
Why do you blog? Have you sorted it all out? I would be very interested in hearing what you have to say about the subject.
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3 responses so far
Man, I can’t believe these pieces you are writing. It’s as if you read my thoughts. I’ve been wrestling with this ever since I started blogging to help create pre-awareness of “my existence” on the net…so that when my book is published I would have a following of sorts. Most publishers like an author to “be active”. In fact many publishers won’t touch a fist time author with out it. I’ve REALLY grappled with all this as I’ve always done things almost solely from my heart. Especially creative things. They particularly were not driven by money or shoulds or anything else.
So lately I’ve been trying to step back and see what I’m doing and why. And If I do it, or need to do it, how can I make it work for me. I’ve been reassessing a lot of things. I want the book to do well when it comes out, because eventually I will want to retire.
So there is a money reality there, but I’ll never be one to let that totally motivate me. It wouldn’t be enough. I’d die without true inspiration. So I am trying to think more creatively by asking myself how can I do what NEEDS to be done and yet hang onto Robin and her dreams, her vitality for life.
I’m thinking of turning my blog into a photo blog with “some” text or poems. It would be easier for me and more fun. Because I LOVE photography. Also, I’ve written and copyrighted hundreds of poems. So they are just sitting there unused. Then I might have a category for longer written pieces when the mood hits. As well as finding ways to expand my internet world beyond the intensity of Blog Catalog. Although, through BC I’ve met you and a handful of others that are wonderful, good, kind people who affect my life in a healing positive way. I do know that I can’t continue the intensity at BC that I have been going. I badly need to learn more about SEO. Don’t even know where to start.
I also have other projects that I am working on in preparation for my book, which are changes to my website — designing a WATCH & LISTEN section with sideshows, podcasts, my music and maybe some fun videos. I enjoy doing these things as they are creative and…”FUN”. But my life lately has been consumed with BC leaving no time for anything else. I seriously don’t know how people do it. Although I can vouch for the crew at BC, the 3 people who run it. They’ve been, amazingly helpful and kind when I’ve had problems. Maybe I’m just not used to so much input and output every single day. I don’t even watch TV. I’ve lived almost my whole life without TV.
I also want time to finish the sequel to my first book. I want time to play my piano and Native American flutes. Time to compose music and of course do nature photography, which is my deepest passion. I love to wake at sunrise and see the brand new day before everyone else wakes. I feel like the world is there for me alone.
Please forgive the length of this comment…if you can still call it a comment.
But you hit right into what has been going on in me ALL week. And it’s been a rough week so I REALLY appreciate you putting into words what I’ve been grappling with. Also, thank you for asking if I was okay. Boy, you are one perceptive cookie! Robin
PS I just realized I didn’t tell you what makes me happy when I blog. I told you all the things that were dragging me down. LOLOLOL
Oh well, that’s easy to fix. It’s people like you and that handful of others I mentioned that make me happy. That and finding my voice, myself, as I write something new, forever pushing the envelope of honesty…..whether the world likes it or not. How far back can push the oppression, the shoulds, the oughts, the supposed to be’s, the unmentionalbes, etc. How deep do I dare express what I feel and see? How authentic do I dare be? Those things makes me truly happy!
Our electricity went out again. The poor squirrels have not been listening to me apparently. So my laptop is running down quickly in this heat and the main thought I have after reading this great comment is that you are moving blogging into a new area with all of these ideas. Not so much the software as the attitude that goes with it.
What I tell myself because I am not nearly as good at the Blog Catalog stuff is that content that is different may someday catch on and things will just go viral. Or they won’t. And it doesn’t really matter. So just enjoy doing whatever you enjoy. If I stop enjoying a web activity I don’t walk away from the computer but i go to something else. There are so many facets of it as you have just described.
It is very absorbing and I am very fortunate to have a partner who does not require a lot of attention. She plays her guitar and enjoys her own computer stuff. And she loves reality tv. She got me watching American Idol and Jordin last year.
Hopefully there is time as we get older and the kids grow up. Not for golf or the other traditional things. But for this. It’s so much more interesting.
I am going to try this summer to learn HTML and CSS and pHp. It’s frustrating not knowing it. And more camera stuff. I have been using the auto settings since I got the thing. It’s all a challenge and fun.
I only hope my brain holds out. I finally figured out how to use it! It better not desert me now! lol.
Oops. Battery is going going….til later. Da