Why I Blog


I've been blogging officially here since 2009 but unofficially I've been doing this since about 2003 in other places before it was even known as blogging.  You see, I'm a writer.  I don't get paid to do it.  I didn't major in it in college.  I'm writing a novel that may never get published and frankly I have no idea if I'm even any good at it.  All I know is that I love doing it and I have for as long as I can remember.  I've been keeping journals since I was 9 and I still have them all.  Something in me just always wanted to read words and write words and share words.  When I'm inspired I write.  When I'm sad I write.  When the world feels out of control and scary...you guessed it.  I write.  I write better then I speak.  I find it so much easier to articulate my thoughts in feelings with the written word rather then verbal.  Not to say that it's always easy to put my thoughts on paper.  Sometimes I draw a blank.  Sometimes I write something and I'm frustrated because it's not what I meant to say or how I meant to say it but I always feel a huge sense of satisfaction when I finally get those words arranged and out of my head the way I intended.

Aside from the writing part of it connecting with others similar to and different from myself is just one of the many reasons I love blogging so much.  At some point it wasn't just enough just to write anymore.  I found that I also wanted to share my writing and engage with other writing as well.  I'm not a journalist or an author so I blog.  I get to have my own little space with my words on it that belongs to me and anyone else that chooses to read it.  So many wonderful memories are here for me to look back on.  I think it's so cool that we all just put ourselves out there on the internet often for no other reason then just because we have this desire to do so.  I love it that there are so many of us in all different stages of life doing this thing we call blogging, connecting and learning from each other in ways that we never would have otherwise.

Blogging has changed so much in the last three years.  When I first started out it seems it was just about writing, sharing and getting a few comments along the way.  Then blog  awards with Q and A's and tagging started going around.  Back then you might see a giveaway here and there usually by one blogger at a time but now you hardly see a day when there aren't any.  There are group giveaways, linkups, sponsored posts, guest posting, blogger gift exchanges and social media linking.  Button swapping, blog sponsoring and buying and selling add space is all the rage.  If you haven't had a blog make-over yet you really should be looking into it.  The focus seems to have shifted to getting your blog noticed and increasing traffic.  Some blogs boast thousands of followers and more bloggers are generating an income.  Like everything else it's evolving and I think that's a good thing but there are lots of blogging trends I choose not to take part in.  Yes, I want people to read my blog but I don't view it as a business enterprise and I don't want generating followers to be my focus.  Blogging is truly an industry now which is great.  I'm just glad to be a part of it in some way.

Every now and then I get caught up in the numbers.  I compare myself to other bloggers and start to feel that what I do over here is pointless.   There are sooo many blogs out there with sooo many followers that I wonder how it's possible for me to stand out.  There are days I feel like I couldn't pull a blog post out my butt even if I wanted to and the next thing I know I'm inspired to do a silly confessional post or something will happen that I can't wait to write about.  I exchange some fun e mails with a fellow blogger or I see a post with this pair of shoes that I didn't know I couldn't live without.  Someone leaves a comment telling me that my post really resonated with them or a blogger writes something that tugs at my heart and makes me learn a little something about myself.  Then I'm reminded.  I do this because I love to and the way I stand out is just by being myself.  I can't be another blogger I can only be me.  I didn't start this to make money or to gain the most followers.  When I disentangle myself from blog stats and the never ending barrage of social media I remember that none of that really matters.   I do this because I want to and because I enjoy it and there doesn't need to be anything else.

 Why I Love Blogging  

Popularity and Blogging

Why I Like Being a Small Blog 


16 comments

  1. love this! i couldn't agree more :). I too love writing, always have, and a blog is a wonderful way to share that. great post!

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  2. ok, is it possible that this just might be my most favorite post from you ever? i absolutely LOVED reading this. wow. i'm not the best writer. in fact, i make TONS of errors. but i don't blog because i write well but because i enjoy having an outlet. enjoy sharing my life and having a place where my memories are documented for me to share for a long time.

    i am so glad that we are blog friends and that i've been following your journey for as long as i've been blogging :)

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  3. This is such a great post. You are so right. It's so easy to get caught up in stats or how many followers you have, or to compare yourself to other bloggers, but if you just remember why you blog in the first place, none of that matters!

    The wedding picture of you and your husband is gorgeous!

    Lauren
    http://laurensweetnothings.blogspot.com/

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  4. Found you just now through the link up. I agree with the others - great post. I couldnt agree with you more.

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  5. Beautiful post! I am so glad you love writing and enjoy reading what you share with the world!

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  6. Great post! I'm no writer or author but I do love to blog. I blog for myself as well as to document for my kids, sort of like a keepsake. I don't get involved in doing all the sponsorships and all but I think it's great that fellow bloggers are earning some $$. By, the way love the wedding portrait.

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  7. Great post! I too have been keeping journals since I was 9. Its one of the reasons I wanted to start blogging so I could continue to write :) Hope you get that novel published someday!

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  8. These are very similar to my thoughts as well! I'm okay with blogging evolving, and I just steer clear of the parts that I don't agree with. A lot has changed in the two years that I have been doing it!

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  9. Love your outlook on blogging! :)
    Your one of my faves girl.

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  10. Love this post! I think that remembering why you began blogging in the first place is important. It's easy to get caught up in the numbers but in the end, that's not what is important. I think you are a great writer and I love reading each of your posts! I am glad we found each other in this crazy blogging world! : )

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  11. This post came at a great time for me! I have been debating whether to continue blogging after my daughters 1st birthday and trying to explain to myself why I blog in the first place. But you summed it up pretty well, blogging is an outlet, its a way to document snippets of your life and glimpse into the lives of others who you could have only met thanks to the blog world. I love reading your blog and hope you continue to write about your life here on your piece of the blogosphere!

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  12. I love this post. I blog because I love to write too -- I always try to remember that!

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  13. i love that picture of you and MJ...so awesome. and it was fun to get to relive why you blog!

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  14. this is such a great post, you talk about all the history of blogging and how it's evolving. i blog because i love to write and just like you have kept a journal for as long as i can remember. i am not good at writing but i like to share my words.

    in participating this linkup i share how i want to be bold with my writing on the blog.

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  15. Fantastic! I agree totally--I blog (haphazardly sometimes) because I enjoy writing and connecting with others. Kudos to you for staying true to yourself!

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I really appreciate your comments! Thanks for being part of my blog.