It seems like everyone is backing out of the blogging game. Tom, former owner of Waegook Tom, decided to take down his blog and end that chapter of his life. Katie Aune, a former travel blogger, also decided to end her journey as a blogger last year. The Internet doesn’t even hear from Sally (UnBrave Girl) anymore, but I’m hoping she’ll be posting soon about about her cat and non-cat adventures.
“When I first started this blog, I couldn’t stop working on it. I spent hours figuring out what plug-ins to add and what fonts to use and how to size my photos and, of course, writing – hours and hours of writing. I absolutely loved it,” said Katie in her last blog post, explaining why she was calling it quits. “And now, I just don’t. Writing a blog post or editing photos are items on my to-do list that I have no desire to check off.”
Are we all just too busy with life or have we just lost the passion and interest that once led us to start the journey? Is it not worth the effort anymore?
When my blog was hacked a few months ago, I went into an intense panic mode. I immediately called my hosting company and since I didn’t have one of their super expensive protection plans, the guy on the other end said something to me that I still think about from time to time. While he was very polite and kind, he said that since this blog seemed like a personal project and I wasn’t making any money off it, it might be best to consider taking it down (because of the whole hacking thing and because I didn’t have a super expensive protection plan and because no one was paying me for it). It was just a suggestion but it made me think, should I take it down?
After all, he was right. I wasn’t making any money from it nor was I planning on expanding it into an online business and turning it into some kind of super blogger online store where I’d make millions.
What was I doing anyway? It was taking me three million years to write about my 3-month experience in New Zealand. And I wasn’t even traveling anymore and OMG-I-DON’T-EVEN-KNOW-WHAT-I’M-DOING-WITH-MY-LIFE. Not that I ever considered this blog to be a travel blog, which is why I always introduce it as a personal blog.
Throughout the years, I’ve had my share of judgments on it – anywhere from a friend saying that I need to censor my content, change the name and design of the blog to a former co-worker finding the blog online and then comparing it to so-and-so blogger who is making money and questioning why am I not doing what so-and-so blogger is doing.
It’s always the people who have little experience or none at all who are quick to give unwanted advice. [Insert eye roll here]
While people always chimed in and gave me their two cents, I always did what I felt was right. And sometimes that didn’t come easy. And sometimes it came really easy. When I was actually considering taking it down, I went back to that very first day I published my very first post. I was afraid that no one would read it or worse, judge me for it. But the real reason I started was not to become famous or make tons on money, it was because I had words piling inside of me and I needed a platform to release them whether anyone read them or not. (OK, fine, I was actually hoping that people would read them but if they didn’t, I knew that I would be OK.)
My goal wasn’t to become instantly rich or famous or sell products or add on a blogger online store and start selling unicorns and what not. My goal was to write – whether anyone paid me for it or not.
Bloggy Intermission!
OK, guys real talk. So I am actually getting a few bucks for this post (take THAT guy on the other end of the line, ha!). I’ve been freelancing for Selz for a few months now and they offered me a few bucks in exchange for linking up a few of their popular posts. While I’ve declined invitations as such in the past (mostly because it never made sense or was completely off topic to what I write about), this time I felt like I could make it work.
So, with that said, if you are a blogger or thinking of starting one and want to eventually sell products or services with your blog, check out these cool blogger online store tips in the linked post on turning your blog into an online store! Or go learn specifics on how to add on a store to your site with these blogger online store eCommerce-specifics!
This info will come in handy when I decide to start selling t-shirts with my face on it next year. You guys would buy that, right?
Now Back To Our Regularly Scheduled Program!
After I published my first blog post, I continued to publish more posts. When I first started, I was scared to share it with anyone, but one day, while I was in the beginning journey of my year abroad in Australia, feeling homesick and terrified, I shared a blog post on my personal Facebook page where all my friends and family could see it. You see, if I share it, people might click on it and if they click on it, all of my vulnerabilities are out on the table. But by slowly sharing, I started unfolding into a more unapologetically, authentic version of myself with everyone. At some point down the road, it became less about whether people would read my words or not. It became more about being comfortable with the real version of me.
If you haven’t noticed, I haven’t been very active lately. It’s not that I don’t have stories to tell or things to say because I have a lot of things to say. At one point, I had to ask myself, should I continue blogging? Why? And my answer is yes (for now anyway) because the words continue to pile inside of me and I still need a platform to release them.
For those who’ve been following since day one – thank you. For those tuning in for the first time – thank you. For those who were annoyed with me complaining about how I couldn’t travel and then bullied me into it– thank you. For those who stuck around even after embarrassing posts like this – thank you. For those who read and never comment – thank you. For those who do comment – thank you. For those who’ve sent me kind emails – thank you.
Thank you for reading my words because you don’t have to.
For the rest of this month, I’m working on one more link-y post for Selz (It’ll be good – I promise! Hint - it’s about following your dreams!) – one non-linky post about an experience from New Zealand (yes, I can’t believe I’m still writing about that ish – it feels like it was a lifetime ago! Someone bully me into traveling, again, please? Like right now. Thanks!).
Do you have a blog? Why did you get started? Why do you continue? Tell me your story!
I also feel like a lot of my favorite bloggers are stepping back and giving up. There was a period there when everyone was starting a themed blog and chasing the advertising dollar. But since I write 95% for my own enjoyment (5% for the potential fame and fortune, obvs!), I’ll keep it up until I’m no longer enjoying it!
Meg recently posted…Out of Print
Yes, I remember that theme! I never participated because any advertiser who contacted me didn’t seem like the right fit.
I’m glad you’re still enjoying it 🙂
Hey Priya! Looong response ahead.
I’ve had a few different blogs in the past. They served different purposes for the stage of my life I was at. My very first blog some years back was just stories about my life, always with anecdotes and stories that others could laugh at and identify with. It reminds me of your blog a little 🙂 though less adventurous and not as well written! But it was also kind of therapeutic for me, as I could rant about things or talk about life in general. I met a lot of people in real life because of my blog. Back in the day there were blogger meetups here in Sydney, and it was so great to meet others who also liked to write. I am still friends with many of these people, over a decade later!
I closed down my first blog because I felt I outgrew it. I then started a new blog which chronicled my own personal adventure, which was about wanting a change in my life, finding a new job on the other side of the country, packing up and moving me and my cat to a new place and life. My blog really helped me again in a therapeutic sense! I had readers and I didn’t feel like I was doing this crazy thing on my own, even though in real life I kinda was on my own. I really enjoyed this blog and I so wish I kept it. I ended up deleting it as I just became really busy. Also it was hard to gain a wider readership and some posts never got any comments. So it felt I was investing a lot of time into something that no one else seemed to be enjoying.
I started up a couple more blogs after that, because I always have a strong urge to write. I tried to stick to blogs with specific themes, e.g. wellbeing and spiritual journeys. But by then it felt that blogs were mostly redundant and the new thing was to get followers on social media by being associated with a product or by being super pretty and posting pics of yourself (i.e. minimal words).
So since then I’ve given up on the thought of creating a new personal blog. I would love to be a writer/co-contributor to a group blog, but these don’t seem to exist! And I don’t know anyone with the passion or energy for a project like that anymore. So instead I read other peoples’ blogs and enjoy this world from a distance.
I am glad that you have decided to continue your blog. You have a great writing style and stories/situations that are so easy to identify with. It is so hard to find authenticity in the social media world, so I am always grateful to find personal blogs like yours with new and genuinely interesting content. Please don’t give up!
Hey Mish! Thanks for the comment and sharing your story!
I think it’s important to know why you want to have a blog. It’s easy to lose sight of your reason why when you feel like people aren’t reading it or commenting on your posts. But if you are enjoying it and gaining some type of value from it, then it’s important to keep going for you. And even if you get busy there is no rule that says you have to post every week. You do it when you can.