I’ve had this on a post-it note on top of my desk for a couple of days. I read about it on one of the 105 blogs that I’m reading daily. ‘Though I have to admit that the question may have occurred to me without help once or twice. Yesterday I took a pen and wrote beneath it:
WHY NOT?
I am claiming my blog back.
I’ve been feeling a little down with the blog and the not-making music enough and the no-more-shrinking lately. (The reading of 105 blog feeds and the daily watching of two episodes of “Buffy, the Vampire-Slayer” may be a reason for this unproductive phase.) I felt all full of self-pity, constantly thinking, “Nobody wants to read my blogs, why am I doing this?” Each morning I open my stats before even checking my inbox and I go like, “Oh, only six hits!”. What I keep forgetting is that:
- While it is true that I do have two blogs, they are only mirroring each other. Same content, different language. So I might feel better if I didn’t see them as separate. So it’s not six hits, but twelve.
- Of course people won’t come to my blog daily, when I’m posting only two or three times a week.
- What I’m blogging about is not very mainstream.
- I’m not the world’s best writer. Especially not in English.
- There are hundreds of fantabulous bloggers out there. If I were not me, I’d probably read them and not me too.
Well, with me there always has to be a but, so here it is: If I were not me, maybe I wouldn’t care about the writing style or anything, if there were another blogger writing about the topics that are dear to my heart. In all my struggling with being creative on the side while parenting, cleaning, exercising, teaching and what not, I’d like to see other mothers like me. I’d love to read all about it and about the, “How do you do it?”
Of course I ‘d like to have lots and lots of readers. And I’m working on bettering the blog. So I’m reading copyblogger and problogger and Liz Strauss and Creating passionate users. I even subscribed to an eCourse to better my blog. This course has left me thinking. All of these resources are geared towards professional bloggers. They help you to make money from your blog. ‘Though I’d love to be paid for all the work I’m doing here, I don’t think this will happen in the near future. (Not with six plus six readers anyway.)
This blog is not a “product”. I’m writing what I’d like to read. This is why I’ve gone back to the “essay-format” that I started in. This is why I’m not blogjolting anymore. I love the thought of a group of bloggers helping each others and recommending each others, but I won’t point people towards other blogs only because somebody told me so.
I found that I enjoy bloggers more, who maybe don’t post daily but when they so they have something to say. Like Martina Kink or Jori DesJardins. I like bloggers who write about creativity and struggles and are authentic. Like Christine Kane. Finding her blog almost stopped me writing mine. She does it so much better than me. But this is like in music. It’s not about being the best. There’s room for a lot of bloggers. Even for a lot of bloggers not on the top 100 technocrati ranks. Even for bloggers with a ranking of about 660,000. (I’m flabbergasted! I just went to technocrati to look up my ranking and instead of 660,000 something, I’m 260,062. Or “Diapers and Music” is. “Windeln und Musik” just sank down from 880,000ish to 1,000,000ish.)
This would be even worth it if I only wrote it for the three of my friends who are reading this. But I like having six plus six readers. And I’m trying to get more. But I won’t spend my time to worry about readers and about my posting schedule and then become the member of yet another blogger network just to gain readers. And I know that the German blogging scene is a little smaller than the American one. And from what I read on other people’s blogs their blog taste is quite different from mine. Short posts about three times a day. Of course there is a lot of the “And then I had coffee and then I went to the mall and then I watched TV variety of blogging. Which I enjoy only if it is written extremely well.
Susanne,
I linked to your blog from daufiero’s and I have to say that this post really touched me. Each day I hope that someone will comment on the ramblings that I write. Sometimes I have a strong sense that one day’s post is better than another’s. There is something really fascinating about reading someone else’s blog. Now, to get over the pride of hoping that someone is thinking that as they read mine. I’ll definitely be following yours!
Susanne,
I linked to your blog from daufiero’s and I have to say that this post really touched me. Each day I hope that someone will comment on the ramblings that I write. Sometimes I have a strong sense that one day’s post is better than another’s. There is something really fascinating about reading someone else’s blog. Now, to get over the pride of hoping that someone is thinking that as they read mine. I’ll definitely be following yours!
I’ve been blogging at http://www.babylune.com since December and this quote:
“Nobody wants to read my blogs, why am I doing this?” Each morning I open my stats before even checking my inbox and I go like, “Oh, only six hits!”.
Hits very close to home for me too. I am a Canadian writer living in Germany and I feel a need to speak out because I am silenced here — by my work situation, by motherhood as I choose to live it, by being different but not foreign enough.
Probably, no one is listening, but I need to say it to cleanse myself too. It is an act of recognising our experiences.
I’ve been blogging at http://www.babylune.com since December and this quote:
“Nobody wants to read my blogs, why am I doing this?” Each morning I open my stats before even checking my inbox and I go like, “Oh, only six hits!”.
Hits very close to home for me too. I am a Canadian writer living in Germany and I feel a need to speak out because I am silenced here — by my work situation, by motherhood as I choose to live it, by being different but not foreign enough.
Probably, no one is listening, but I need to say it to cleanse myself too. It is an act of recognising our experiences.
Sorry to be so tardy with a comment! I’m here! I’m here! I wish I knew why my feeds don’t work sometimes.
Anyway, I don’t have anything smart to say, just to jump on the bandwagon and agree with what you’ve written.
I’m finding out about myself as I write in my blog (and I know I would never keep a private journal – I never have), and that’s really why I’m doing it.
If my writing improves, that’s a great benefit. If I connect with other people and learn something from them, even better.
Sorry to be so tardy with a comment! I’m here! I’m here! I wish I knew why my feeds don’t work sometimes.
Anyway, I don’t have anything smart to say, just to jump on the bandwagon and agree with what you’ve written.
I’m finding out about myself as I write in my blog (and I know I would never keep a private journal – I never have), and that’s really why I’m doing it.
If my writing improves, that’s a great benefit. If I connect with other people and learn something from them, even better.
People will care what you’re writing about, because you obviously do. That’s the key. It looks to me like you’re doing lots of things right. Hang in there. 🙂
People will care what you’re writing about, because you obviously do. That’s the key. It looks to me like you’re doing lots of things right. Hang in there. 🙂
GOOD ON YOU. nothing like doing something you set your mind to to make you feel victorious. and a script nonetheless. dude.
Excellent work. You really stuck with it and now you get a well deserved pat on the back.
Yay you!
Good job! it feels so good to reach a goal! yay for you!
Oh, girl. Sometimes I wonder how you pack it all into the days. Pretty soon you’ll be starting a blog devoted to doing Martha Stewart projects…and I’m scared. Hold me!
Thank you all for the pats on the back.
And Liv, I promise: no Martha Stewart projects. And I can tell you how I do it: a) not much TV, not much housework, c) all day child care …