I’m celebrating my 75th blogpost! I started this silly little blog in November 2015. Why? I don’t know. Why not? Blogging is not for everyone. For me, I just can’t help it. I have so much shit to say. I dream and think in blogposts. I’ve decided to take a moment, step back a bit from my blog and share a little insight for my readers and fellow bloggers.
- Post Anxiety: I always get a little twinge of “OMG” before I publish a post. I’m putting myself out there. Not that a whole lot of people are reading it, but you just never know…How will the post be received? Will it resonate with the readers? Will it offend? Will it make people think? Will it fall flat? Will HR call me up and say, for the love of God woman stop this madness or you’re fired!
- Photo Shopping: It’s not just the words that matter, but the accompanying photo. This is the age of “Flash and Grab.” On the internet ONLY people. If you do that in real life you will go to jail. If your first sentence doesn’t rope them in, the photo will. I like to take my own photos, but sometimes I just can’t capture the message and I need to “borrow” someone else’s. Which feels a bit like stealing. Probably because it is. I appease my conscience by giving credit to the photographer in my blog. I’m sure they’d prefer a check for $25, but my undying appreciation will have to do.
- A-Musing: There is nothing better in this world than a good laugh. Even a chuckle. That’s pretty good, too. I like a good, funny, cheeky blog post. And I like the word cheeky. That is all.
- Over Sharing: Oh Lord, do we all know people who overshare! There is an art to “the share.” You want people to relate to what you are saying by making it personal, but there is a fine line. For instance, when I took a picture of my husband sitting on the toilet with the cat sitting on his pants between his legs, I didn’t POST that picture, because that is oversharing. I only described it in great detail on Facebook. No picture was necessary.
- One Post Too Many: I love my fellow bloggers! What a wonderful and amazing community! I even have BFF bloggers that I’ve never met, but I love! But here’s what kills it for me: excessive blogging. When a fellow blogger posts TOO much, I just can’t keep up. I cannot give you that much attention. I am acutely aware of this for my own blog. Nobody wants that much Deconstructing Doctor. Sometimes they need a break. They need to go to work. Make supper. Spend time with their kids. Likewise so do I. So I limit them. I do it for you.
- Monetary Confinement: Did I fantasize that I could somehow cash in on my wonderful and informative blog? Did I buy a book called, “Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income” and read it cover to cover? Why yes, I did. Then I started my blog and I felt that ads for drugs/junk food/hemorrhoid cream just didn’t jive with my sense of integrity. And I’d probably make $2 a month anyway. My integrity is worth more than that. It would take at least a couple hundred bucks.
- Pointless: Somehow my attention span has shrunk to about 500 words. More than that and I start muttering to myself, get to the point, already. I am so impatient. What happened to me? There should be a point. And it should be good. It should be worth my effort. Because to read more than 500 words requires me to hide in my closet away from my kids so I won’t be interrupted and I can concentrate. Except now they found my hiding place.
- Numbered Lists: Ef you numbered lists! 17 Ways to Make Him Notice You. 32 of the Funniest Marriage Proposals. 76 Pinterest Fails. I hate you numbered lists! I hate that you are not a nice round, whole number, in groups of 10. Like 10.20.30. So I am practicing a form of exposure therapy right here, right now by ending this particular list at number 8. And it’s killing me!
I love this. So helpful and reassuring to hear. Yes..I said like 7 times. Oh and thank you at least once.
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Haha glad to be of service😜
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Happy blogging, I’m glad you are here.
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Thanks!!❤️
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I worry about many of these things. Especially the one about doing posts that are too long or too frequent. I like to give people breaks from mine too.
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It’s like anything in life, too much of a good thing kind of starts getting old…
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That is true. I try to mix things up slightly. Like every once in a while I like to get off the couch and get something to eat. 🙂
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😜
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1. You are a riot.
2. Unsplash and PixaBaby are great to use for blog photos as they are under Creative Common Zero: https://unsplash.com/license. Just a CYB type thing. 🙂
3. I agree on over-posting. I notice on other social platforms if I post more than once a day, the followers drop like flies. How lovely.
4. I enjoy your posts – keep up the candid (and hilarious) writing!
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Thank you! I’ll check it out…
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I like this post very much. Every word of it. I’m with you about bloggers that post every day. Is that some kind of ego trip when they think that other bloggers want to see and read virtually the same thing day in and day out?
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Thanks! I have had to unfollow many a blogger because of them over posting. I lose interest. I guess I need a little mystery and a little break😊
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Yes. 🙂
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Can I admit I want to be on you list of BFF bloggers?? 🙂
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You are!!!!!!
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😊😊
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This was great! It made me laugh, so I had my husband read it and he laughed too! I can relate to it all. However, I have violated number 7 quite a few times. Do you realize that we have reduced ourselves to having an attention span to something like 2 minutes? But if you multiply that times lots of blog posts, it does add up. Who knows, maybe we are reading what is equivalent to a whole book each day by the time we are through! What an accomplishment… and a much better thought! 😉
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I’m glad you got a chuckle and your husband, too. If I had 5 minutes to myself, I might be able to read something longer, but these kids, I swear they can’t stand to see my sitting still somewhere with my attention NOT on them! I really do hide, but they find me! I say, don’t you have a father that can get you a drink/snack?
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I remember those days! And yes, two minutes are hard to find under those circumstances! Finding this time for yourself is important… even if it is just two minutes at a time!
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I’m working on it. Balance 🙂 Getting a break so I can enjoy them fully and be in the moment with them without feeling like I need to get away and get stuff done. My stuff.
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Yes, this is every mother’s challenge. And a perfect description of the ultimate goal! Later in life they will respect you more for having your own life and “stuff.”
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For number 2, you can narrow a Google image search to only grab photos that are “Labeled for reuse”. This way you don’t get in trouble for copyright infringements. It is under “Search Tools”, then “Usage Rights”.
I also thought blogging would be an opportunity to make money; however, that’s kind of fallen by the wayside. I can’t stand pop-ups and ads for shit I know I will never buy – nor am I interested in. My blog has become a “healing” mechanism for me now… If one person says a post helped them in some way, that is priceless.
Keep up the good work and thanks again for being a guest blogger on http://www.newnormalgal.com. I added you to the “Links We Love” page on my blog.
Xo,
Dana
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Thanks Dana. It’s funny how the blog morphs into something else as you do it. I agree, it is cathartic and it’s wonderful to inspire others, make a difference, all that stuff that is NOT about making money.
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Amen, sista!
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