· On Blogging

What the hell is my problem!?!

(Great first sentence, don't you think? lol)

I have been blogging for 7.5 years now, which included 2 hiatuses. I'm in the 3rd one now, as you can see. Or not see, rather. I am questioning myself a lot these days on the "why that is".

I could say that I found nothing interesting, during these pauses, that I wanted to blog about. But that would be false. If you could see my Etsy favorites (which are private, because I don't want to put my supplies shopping public and there's no way yet to separate those in the site's features)... So, if you could see my favorites, you would understand why this would be a complete lie. lol! There are over 4000 items (I'm estimating that 3000 are not supplies) I thought were heart worthy. So what the hell is my problem!?!

I could say that I got super duper busy and didn't have time to do it. Which would be true for the Holiday season (Nov-Dec), and also some weeks throughout the rest of the year, but those are scattered here and there, not in chunks. But my blogging reflects chunks. So what the hell is my problem!?!

I could say that I dislike blogging now. But that wouldn't be accurate. I used to HAVE TO BLOG ABOUT THIS AND THAT RIGHT THEN AND THERE after I found something note worthy, and that is not exactly the case right now, so that part is true. But I STILL do love the sharing aspect of blogging, of putting other people's talent out there in case someone else falls in love with something, making a reader giddy and excited, and helping a fellow artisan make a sale. That is beautiful thing that I will always just love helping on. So what the hell is my problem!?!

So... What's left? Views and interaction, that's what's left.

Once upon a time, a couple of years ago, when this blog was on a free wordpress.com platform and was called Creativadoration, I had around 500 views per day on average. WOOT! It felt good, and I felt heard, or rather, read. Comments were coming in left and right, and I'd reply to each one with pleasure. Since a lot of people were coming over to check it all out, it was very interactive. It felt like a pool of real, in this virtual world desert we are in. I knew there was hundreds (!) of people interested in what I had to share, waiting for the next daily post, that were ready and open to interact on it all. All the posts from then were transferred here, so the content has evolved of course, but the foundation of it is accessible.

I know that this is something that most bloggers deal with on a monthly (or weekly, or daily) basis. I know that I am not the only one checking stats religiously, or avoiding them when they are in a low streak. I know that they are just numbers, and not always accurate anyway because of bots. I know that I lack some serious SEO knowledge, and I could learn a whole lot on the subject if I just put my mind to it. I know that quality is better than quantity. I know that the few who still follow my blog really do love it. I know that it is better to help spark excitement in one person rather than none. I know, I know, I know. But the fact of the matter is, sometimes you feel like you're just speaking (writing) to yourself.

I've been blogging the same kind of way all this time: it being more about pictures than text (which makes sense, since I'm all about the visual), and it being more about other people's work than mine (altho I've been trying to write more personal posts just like this one (the "My Life" category), it's not going that smoothly (I have 3 almost done in the draft folder, but I seem unable to press the "publish" button)). I am like a lost blogger: sorta safe in what I know, sorta realizing that that's not working as desired anymore, sorta not knowing where to go next, sorta not knowing what else there is. But not sorta confused;  absolutely confused.

There are a couple of online classes on this (rediscovering your blogging style and passion and all), and since blogging is part of my marketing strategy (and I truly miss having a real passion for it too), it might be worth the investment too. Or maybe not. Or possibly. Or who knows... Or...

AHHHHH! What the hell is my problem!?! * Keep Calm and Blog On print by LivyLoveDesigns.