Feature Picture courtesy of Holly Becker and her Blogging Your Way ecourse
New Year’s intentions don’t leap fully formed from my head like Athena from Zeus’ skull. They need to simmer a little. There’s no simmering during Christmas when the To-Do list is doubled and you have to put breathing on it to remember to do so. But on the 12th day of Christmas, I had something to say. I’ve been watching, reading, and listening to my fellow bloggers and there’s a trend I am very happy to see spreading.
The theme that’s spreading throughout the blogasphere isn’t too new. It’s called “slow blogging”, a concept I first fell upon in this post at You Are My Fave dot Com. Back in October. At the same time, I was taking my second blogging ecourse from Holly Becker, who in this recent post, Resolve To Be Happy, talks about a return to passion not automation. She’s been in the blogging business since blogging’s start.
So has Erin Loechner who writes the Design For Mankind blog. In this post from a year ago about slow blogging, says,”I miss the days when blogging itself was my muse. When the simple act of sharing something I stumbled upon was the joy itself and not a frenzied race to click link after link in hopes that I’ll have discovered something truly amazing.”
My gut says that when blogging gurus Holly Becker, Melanie Blodgett, and Erin Loechner say slow down and live your best life through your blog, they may be on to something. I intend to use this medium as an impetus. To create, inspire, befriend, take pictures, and complete my life. Blogging is a malleable medium. You can work diligently to create numbers, nay mass quantities of followers. Or you can feel the zen-ness of it all. I’m the latter sort of blogger.
It was when I read Britta’ post on Hudson and Hill that someone had made simple the pay-off. “It’s how I connect with myself and other people who are on the same path as me. I’ve found so much hope and inspiration and laughter from other bloggers, and this is my small way to join the conversation”.
I would desperately love to have more people to read what I write since I do want it to be enjoyed. And I also want to feel joy and wonder and gratitude. To let things evolve while doing my best to allow them to and not compare myself to the “producers”. I believe that if I build it, and provide quality content while always striving to improve my technical and writing skills, they will come.
So thanks to all these stellar hard-working dedicated women I have come across who are speaking out to create a climate that is about the quality, creativity, sincerity, and comfort of the posts we create. Sandra and Melanie, you are dolls. Kathy and Amy, you are my camp. Jane and Marg my faraway friends, you are also my inspirations. And all the people who jump in and out to say hey to me here and there, I see you and I hear you and you inspire me.
12 Comments
Bravo. Agree that blogging feels best when it’s done in our own way and meets whatever needs we have at the time – which is usually something like having a place to express, to share, to wonder, to explore ideas. That’s about the best of anything we could ask. How fun that the wonderful internet has appeared and allowed us to take our old paper journals to the world, and where like minded people – however many or few they are – can connect up. I love it that the minute I see your posts, I click them to see what you’re up to – it’s cool knowing that some do the same for me – including you, because sometimes you LIKE less than a minute after I post. And that’s the secret fun of sharing our journals. But our journals also have major cred even without others’ eyes on them. The act of journaling itself is a reward. A compilation of days, thoughts, ideas. How cool is that?
Extraordinarily well said my friend. Having you out there considering my writing worth the read means the world to me. I glad in a million ways for this opportunity. And I’m finally hitting my stride.Just you wait, more fun to come.
Love Ya’ So Much,
Shalagh
Thank you so much for mentioning me! Working at writing and creating things that mean something to me and hopefully something to someone else as well. I can’t believe that I kept up a 5 day a week pace of posting for a year or more. Now I can’t imagine what I’d have to give up to do that – time with my family and time to create. Just time to be more thoughtful about what I put out there.
Here’s to having real connections and taking the time to do what makes sense for each of us.
You got a big old “Amen” from me. I watched Eamon play piano tonight while the baby stood there and reached up to touch the keys and Mark sat in the chair next to them and I got that overwhelming gratitude feeling for knowing that I wasn’t downstairs fussing on the computer for a post. I’ve been banking them and scheduling them and forming them to my own happiness standards as well. And no, every day a week can not happen.
PS Thank you for your inspiration. You lead the way and shared your journey in those posts and I can tell you exactly which ones meant the most to me. One day, I hope to tell you in person.
Love,
Shalagh
Hi!
I’m also a BYW alum although I haven’t taken the last course (I’ve taken all the others so you can image how sad I was).
Just a quick note to let you know that I fully agree – slow blogging is “THE” thing right now, as it is really important to curate all the content you publish in order to please you and to match your likings but also to please the readers. Writing/blogging just for the sake of doing so and then spending the day checking you Google Analitycs rating is not healthy at all!!
Keep up the good work!
Warm regards from Portugal,
Ana
Yay for us Ana! I have had a dawning of understanding that I’m grateful for. Glad that I stayed with this blog, became a better writer for the practice, and am becoming a more fulfilled person through the craft. Curate, yes. My word of the year was edit but I believe curate is a more elegant version of this. No numbers churning, blecckk. I am so very flattered that you spoke to me here. Thank you.
Love,
Shalagh
haha- glad it’s a movement now. I’ve been doing that for years. I just don’t have the time to keep up with the sponsored posts and I want my content to be quality. Even if it means only posting 1 time a week. Thanks for sharing!
So Stefanie, if you have sponsored posts, which I haven’t got a clue about yet, does that compromise your slowness and quality content? Is making money by grinding and churning out posts the most unpleasant thought? Or is finding a true audience by creating quality and compassionate and thoughtful posts what makes real people stay to listen. Even if you only speak once a week? I think you have the answer. Thanks back Stefanie.
Love,
Shalagh
The languid way I felt the words in this post was so refreshing. I myself am not a producer. On no day will I be posting content 3 times a day. However, I have found lots of goodness and satisfaction from sharing life through my blog with those I know and with those I am coming to know. Thanks for this reminder that sometimes the simple wandering and exploration can be a means in an of themselves instead of a means to an end (numbers, analytics, followers).
Oh Patti,
Thanks so much for your kind comment. My husband is fond of saying, “If you’re not having fun, you’re not doing it right”. I feel yucky with hollow follows and weird ads jumping at me. I am just now understanding who I am as it relates to the rest of the world. And I am so happy we are on the same path together. Again with the thanks and “intentional intouchness”.
Love,
Shalagh
Clearly I’m a fan of the slow blogging movement as I’m commenting on this nearly a week late. It’s ironic that you brought up this topic as my usual “inspiration” hasn’t been working lately. So I decided to take a bit of a break. Sometimes pushing doesn’t make it work better. I, too, am exploring and choosing my content wisely. Go slow bloggers!
I have felt so much more creative of late Jennifer. If only I could smear some of this creative juju on your morning toast too.