All week I've been putting off writing about what Em and I talked about at She Speaks. Our topic was Defining and Refining the purpose of your blog. A topic very near to my heart. But the idea of writing all that stuff out was overwhelming. Luckily, I waited long enough that my little sister wrote about it. Better than I could have. It's two parts:
For me, I don't love to write. But I love what I write about--I've been nesting all my life. What about you? Why do you blog? Why do you read blogs?
hard to hear story from our session last week: Barbies and Blogging:
59 comments:
I originally started blogging just to share some of my scrapbooking ideas/projects. And then it turned into sharing bits and pieces of my life, sharing some needs of others (mostly sick kiddos that need prayers) & every once in a while I throw my beliefs in there. I hope I inspire a few out there, if only a little bit. I think it's a good release for all of us, to read about blogs and to blog ourselves!
By the way, I just tried your window mistreatments. I blogged about it here: http://meandmyscraps.blogspot.com/2009/08/window-mistreatmentsby-mistake.html
Thanks so much for the inspiration!!!
I find blogging reminds me of being multi-faceted. I spent several years working my business, hanging with other pet stylists, going to seminars, chatting on dog forums. Then I got my horses and found NEW friends on horse forums and so on. What I found is I had very few of those people share ALL my interests, I had friends on lists for parents of children with special needs. Each of these lists made me feel one-sided and 'flat'. It was stifling.
I am a FLYBABY so I was looking for ways to make my home more me without more clutter and started reading blogs, then I got one. Now I feel much more WHOLE...I have blog-friends with which I share much of my life.
I wanted to BE a writer when I was a little girl, then I got a science degree which sucks the ever-loving creativity out of you. Every now and then blogging reminds me I have a voice and that I didn't kill that little girls dream, completely!
Love that quote. I've had it on my sidebar for a while now. I'm not a good writer but I love to create. I can't really tell you what my style is because I have many. I just love all pretty things whether they are new or old. I'm only have a couple of people in my life that love to decorate so this blog of mine has helped and inspired me to continue to do what I LOVE.
I blog to keep myself motivated with my sewing, and I read other design related blogs for inspiration and motivation as well.
To share family stuff with relatives and friends who live far away.
(Meeting all the other nice bloggers and finding so many decorating ideas, great recipes, and inspirations have been the added bonus)
Cute video! Can't wait to meet you in person!!! I still haven't answered Emily's questions, either. But I am pondering them... Blessings!
because i love to create. and i love to learn new things. so if i can help others learn new things in the process of doing what i love. satisfaction and happiness occurs.
thanks for teaching me quite a few things yourself.
I am just going to copy and paste my comment from your sisters blog because... I am lazy like that ;)
I have been blogging for about 9+ years. I use to write for everyone else, to fit in and to be part of the crowd. Then my daughter came and she had numerous health issues, so it became about her and her special needs. Then cancer came into my life and it has transformed drastically since 2007.
When that happend, I realized that there were tons of people out there who were going through the exact same feelings that I was. Whether they have cancer, or undergoing chemo, or are just having a no good rotten kind of day. I write for them. I write for those who often question God but think that they shouldn’t as Christians. I write for those who are curled up in a ball in their closet wanting to die because it would be alot easier then living. I write for those souls who need someone who “gets it”.
I get it.. but more than anything.. He gets it.
-H
I left a comment on Emily's blog yesterday about this too.
I blog in order to celebrate the good things in life. I can get kind of down in the dumps. So I started it as a way to be conscious of the good things around me.
It has worked wonders for my spirit, but also has given me new confidence in my ability to reach out to others.
Some people have said they love my blog because there is so much variety. They never know what I will be writing about, but I actually do have a few reoccuring topics. And then some pot-pourri thrown in now and then, too! Just to jazz it up a bit!
I love to write. I've really only done poems (not that many) and a couple of short stories (very short). But I started blogging to share what God has been doing in my life...which means I share things about my family because He works through them and in them. I read others because it keeps me updated on friends and their kids and I don't mind reading about the sicknesses or whatever because it helps me pray more specifically for them, even though I KNOW God KNOWS the specifics. And I enjoy seeing all the crafty people (some of whom are friends) and getting ideas or just drooling over what they've done. A little envious, but only for the moment because I love where God takes me and what He gives me, even when it's not much. We moved from my hometown to LA because of my husband's job situation and had to pare down a lot, but it's nice to know we don't need a lot. We get by because we have what we NEED, thanks to Him.
We live far away from family, so I started blogging to keep them up to date with pictures and what we've been doing. Facebook only goes so far!! :)
That quote hits home! I blog because I am passionate about design and it is a wonderful vechicle to share and receive encouragement and feedback. Thanks for sharing...again! Janell
Fun to hear your real voices!! I love that quote,too! And I can relate more to your passion than to Emily's.......I do want to make a difference in women's lives and I do love to be creative...perhaps that's why blogs are important to me. I don't really relish the writing part so much, so often I am unmotivated to get the blog post started. I do love the relationships I've developed thru blogging tho, and that's worth keeping up my own blog, to keep up with others.
Suzanne
0000000 Well, the kitty walked across my keyboard while I was reading comments. I guess he has something to say. :) he spells "meow" 0000000
I started Groggy Froggy because I was participating in a stitch-along and wanted to keep myself accountable. As I blogged, I made friends and learned new skills in other art areas. I am so fickle in my interests and blogging allows me to dabble in whatever is floating my boat this week...decorating, sewing, painting, spirituality. I am so inspired by other bloggers. I work from home so it really fills a socialization need as well. My friends are always just a click away.
I blog to share bits about my life with my friends and family and to promote our veterinary business. I find I love better to share about my family than my "job". I have found that I like writing about what I know and love.
http://almotaroses.blogspot.com/
http://bunchgrassveterinaryblog.blogspot.com/
im still thinking about why i blog. (and why i havent posted in the past 3 months)
all i know is im SO glad that YOU blog! while looking around your blog yesterday, i've gathered so many ideas! i cant wait to get down and decorate! i already did a little window mistreatment last night..i'll try and send you some picts.
thanks again! {my hubby even loves it} :)
I began blogging when I left my job as a writer to take a position as an archivist. I realized how very much I loved writing. I had been a journalist for years and never realized how much I would miss it. A year later I returned to journalism, but kept blogging.
My first blog, Six in the Country, was a hit or miss, blog about whatever I wanted sort of thing. Over the two years I wrote it, I realized that my favorite thing to write about was my reno projects that we were beginning to do more and more after DH got his new job.
Eventually, our life as Six in the Country had changed so much that it just didn't fit anymore. Our family dynamic had changed and so had I. It just wasn't who I was anymore, so I began my new blog, The Shabby Chic Cottage in April of this year.
It has been such a release for me! Instead of boring all my friends with all of my excitement about renovating and decorating, I just blog about it. And it's awesome to find other bloggers who do the same thing on their blogs -- like yours!
It's nice to know I'm not the only one out there who does a happy dance when I find silk on sale or find an old dresser on the side of the road. It's almost like when I found my "true" major in college -- I just felt AT HOME! And it's so wonderful to have inspiration and friendships from others who share the same passions in life.
i'm constantly amazed by the comaraderie of the women i meet in blogland.....
i love the creative outlet of blogging~ i do enjoy writing and i love to practice my photography as well.
chasity
and my typing skills are really improving as well ;)
I don't have a blog, but started reading my daughter-in-law's when she began 2 years ago. They live about 3 1/2 hours away so it is a great way for me to feel a part of their everyday lives. Her blog is geared to family and friends and so she puts lots of pictures, stories and videos of the kids. I feel like a know her better as a person because she tells about her fears, hopes, worries and beliefs. She has also written some touching tributes to my son and what a good husband and father he is and of course that makes me proud that I raised a wonderful young man, but also that he found such a wonderful woman to share his life with. Reading her blog led me to other blogs and now most of the ones I read have to do with decorating or design, because I am always looking for new ideas. Yours is great because of the ideas for getting a great look on a budget. Keep up the good work. Thanks for letting me stalk. lol
I blog our adoption process.
Our little boy has lots of "followers" and sponsors, that have expressed interest in following his path home. Besides, it's we all want a story with a happy ending!
You'll find Evan slathered all over the blog...but not my other two kiddos. It's an insanely weird feeling for me to have my kids direct pictures out there for all the world to see. I'll post pics of them but nothing truly face on. Little Evan is all over the 'net, so see him while you can!
I'm more of a private person, so blogging for me is like (what I can imagine) being naked at the grocery store. I love to read others blogs though! :0)
It's a great way to keep up with family...and the closest of ours is 5 hours away. Once he's home, we'll probably go private. :0) ahhh.....
If it's okay, I'd like to answer these questions on my blog. I am giving you full credit and am linking back to your blog, but is that okay? Please let me know by emailing me--ashley61985@gmail.com!
I love that you posted a video instead of "writing". Love your blog style :)
Blogging is my own form of free therapy. I am my own best friend and in my blog I am really talking to myself. Sometimes it helps me put things into perspective. Sometimes I get sad b/c i don't have very many followers but then I remember I am doing the blog for me and not one else (although I hope that it may help others who feel the way I do).
Oh I love this! I blog for my daughter. She has completely made me come alive and care more about the world we live in. So much that I want to share with other people.
My blog is my therapy, my creative outlet, and my outreach. I hope to inspire others to fall in love with their homes, treat friends and family to some good ol' hospitality, and dream a little bigger.
I read other blogs for therapy, creative inspiration, and a sense of belonging.
I love that you inspire my silly side! The comments I leave here are always a little more whackado than those I leave elsewhere. Thanks!
I wanted to blog after I was reading about all the women who were JUST LIKE ME. They have kids, love to decorate, enjoy their families and are real.
It started basically because I didn't really "fit" anywhere. I'm 22, so all the girls my age want to go out to the bar..party.. and all the moms who I know, don't want to hang out with me because they have kids my age! Too young for them, to old at heart for 22 yr olds..I was lost.
With my blogging friends they don't care what age I am. We have a common intrest, and they understand me. If I were to tell my friends about how I spray painted my bar chairs last night at 1 am they'd look at me crazy..
My blogging friends would ask what paint I used. :)
I was thinking, in regards, to your topic. I think refining your topic and redefining are SO different that it may require a two parter...
I would say refining would be if I decided my blog would oNLY be about one part of my life, taking away the facets and making it a business, a focus or a resource, where as redefining would be shifting direction totally. In my case they would be the same...but in many cases would lead you down completely different roads.
For me, the term REFINE makes me a little sick, it makes me feel like I AM back at college refining my work until it wasn't me anylonger. HOwever, there are ways to refine ones work without such feelings, I am sure.
Okay...so that was alot of yammering, but brain-storming is something I like and I thought a different viewpoint might help you with your job! :D
While I have always enjoyed writing, I started blogging to promote my business. What I immediately found was that blogging was a great way to reflect, process, categorize, create and communicate ideas and inspirations. I list all my favorite product sources in one place. If I see another blog I like, its also on the left side of the page for me to go back to again and again. A great idea, I usually write about it. I thought about design non stop before, now those thoughts are recorded for me to come back to. Also, people who blog are super nice, really cool and crazy encouraging. So I keep blogging b/c I love it!
While I have always enjoyed writing, I started blogging to promote my business. What I immediately found was that blogging was a great way to reflect, process, categorize, create and communicate ideas and inspirations. I list all my favorite product sources in one place. If I see another blog I like, its also on the left side of the page for me to go back to again and again. A great idea, I usually write about it. I thought about design non stop before, now those thoughts are recorded for me to come back to. Also, people who blog are super nice, really cool and crazy encouraging. So I keep blogging b/c I love it!
YEAH, I'VE JUST BEEN ASKING MYSELF THAT SAME QUESTION LATELY...
HUGS FROM MAINE
Cottage: Oh I'm so sad you have negative feelings about the word :refine.
to me, refining is almost freeing. it helps me narrow my focus and slowly turn my blog into what I really want it to be.
I loved this talk that y'all gave! Wonderful job! I think I write/blog because I love the variety of topics that I ramble about, and it simply lets me share this with others and get their thoughts. Kinda a rambling anwer!!
OK,I've had some issues trying to get to your blog this week! DOn't know what's going on. Sometimes it works...like now! And other times, I get a white box that says operation aborted! Weird! When this happens, the little address box thingie no longer has the B for blogger, but a cute little bird!! Any ideas??
Hugs!
Susan
I started blogging because there were some major changes going on in my life and I needed an outlet. I love to write and a blog just made sense. I also use it as a way to remind myself and others that while I may be a mom, there's more to me than just that, which is something we tend to lose along the way.
I love to read decor blogs (one in particular) and home school blogs. Both for ideas and inspiration. It also helps me feel connected to other moms. I've gotten support, encouragement and laughter from my blogging. Plus, look at all the wonderful, wonderful people I've "met." I've even met a few in real life, which has been amazing.
Oh, and I'm a HUGE voyeur and love to look at how other people live. :)
My family lives in Canada and I wanted a way to show them what we were up to each week. It inspires me to take more pictures of my girls and think of fun things to do so I can write about it. I feel it also inspires me to be a better mom after reading all the other cool mom blogs out there.
who is in the front row? Is that Jo-Lynne from Musings of a Housewife? I can't tell very well from the back of her head.
Wish I could have seen you two speaking together!
I started blogging so that my bridesmaids could comment on my wedding ideas and suggest things. It ended up being read by a bunch of ladies from my hometown, then my grandparents started emailing it to family and friends. Now it is just kinda a way to laugh at what happens in our newly wed life, get advice from women who have been married longer, share my recipes and decorating/craft ideas, and get ideas for cooking and decorating.
I started because no one in my "real" life cared as much as I did about decorating,themed parties and fashion. I wanted to connect with people who were as passionate about it as I was.
love the video...my sister and I were the same way with barbies!!
I started blogging because I saw so many awesome women, you included (in fact, I first found kimba then found you and it was all over then!! hehe), that inspired me and I was like..."hey, you know what? I decorate from goodwill too...I love spray paint, I think I could do this!" So I did it to share ideas with other awesome chicks, and to learn from them as well. I also loved sharing recipes along the way, photography, music, whatever. Its is awesome to connect with other women that have the same interests as you and can relate when you have a bad day because you ran out of black spraypaint! :)
What a great question!
I started bloggin because I wanted to have a more personal side to my business. I was going to open my Etsy about the same time, but due to many changes that have been unexpected in my own life, I have still waited on opening my shop.
I have however, enjoyed the friends, ideas, inspirations and laughs along the way of this blogging world.
I was just telling another friend today with this same question, that blogging has become a new way to scrapbook. I now know there are business out there that you can print out your entire blog as a keepsake. I have never been good at keeping a journal and still am so behind in my scrapbooks...yet this has become a personal part of my life. I would love to look back and see where I was at and the memories I would have from many of my posts.
So, why do I blog...for friendship, a way to share creative ideas, show new things I create for my business, personal journal, a way to release stress, women having connection and supporting one another...I guess too many reasons, but reasons enough to give me much happiness in doing it.
Thanks for sharing and giving us insight!
Hugs to you,
~Victoria~
I answered this on Emily's post, but have been pondering (a favorite word of mine lately...have been doing lots and lots of "life pondering" these past couple of weeks) this for a while. I think I got "lost" somewhere along the way this past year, and now am finally finding my true blog self again. And that's through being true to my ACTUAL self!!
And that video totally reminded me of me and my younger sis...the personalities and even the way we talk (minus the accents, but including "talking with your hands"!) :)!! Wish I could have been there! But I'm glad that you're sharing with us here. Thanks!
Stacey
I started blogging several years ago because our son was homebased taught and I was working from home.
I wanted to share our experiences and read about others.
These days it way for me to stay in touch with my blogging buddies, get advice and share thoughts, opinions and our lives.
Ok..I am so excited you did this! I enjoyed watching.
Since your sister wrote about it-I have been thinking...but I guess sometimes there are some things we do that don't require "why" or a "list" or even a "goal"...I guess it will just evolve...or maybe not.
You and your sister are so very cute and fun!
sandy toe
I blog to remember and to share. I read blogs for comfort and for inspiration.
www.5ericksonsplay.blogspot.com
I love the written word - mine and others. I love the interaction that I get from comments & commenting.
Why do I blog? Good question...why DO I blog?
My blog is a complete schmorgasbord of thoughts: thrifty stuff I find and try to makeover, recipes, crafts, thoughts on my favorite TV shows, books, and magazines, and funny stories about my family and life as a mom.
I started my blog b/c I stay home all day with my little ones, and while I've made a lot of friends through my MOPS group, I don't have that one special person (besides HIM!) to chat with. My sweet husband is NOT into girl talk, so my blog has been a wonderful way to network with people who have similar interests.
I feel like I'm finally starting to emerge from that rut you can get stuck in when you have small children at home. Blogs like yours have REALLY inspired me to stop being afraid to mess things up and give my best shot at creating a welcoming, pretty home that my family and friends can enjoy. It has been such a blessing for me to share this kind of stuff on my blog and receive feedback from it.
I love my "real life" friends, but I'll be honest and say that most of them are just really busy. I love that my bloggy friends can easily step "into" my home via the computer screen and chat with me.
I'm hosting my very first blog party, "Decorating Dilemmas" next week (Wed.) b/c I have been so inspired by bloggers like you, Kimba, Jen (Balancing Beauty & Bedlam) and Stacey (Blessed Nest). I'm hoping that my friends will all join up and we can all offer helpful tips to each other, and share solutions we've found to our *dilemmas.* :)
Thank you so much for the time you spend on this blog. It is a real blessing to me. :)
I have to agree with Angie. I started blogging because I didn't have any friends who shared the same interests as me. I love to decorate and search flea markets,junktique stores and makeover things that I found for a bargain. I love shabby chic decorating and most people I now don't even know what that is! They think I just like white! I couldn't believe the amount of people I found who shared the same interests that I had.
I just starting blogging a few months ago and didn't think I'd like it as much as I do. It is a really nice sidebar to my design business and I have met the nicest people/bloggers ever. Thanks for sharing your story. Very cute.
xo,
cristin
I started blogging because I thought it would be fun to write about my outdated house that I bought and journal all of the changes. The "befores" were so bad that I knew that there was only one way to go...up!! LOL! I had no idea how many other bloggers there were out there, how much talent people have, how much fun it would be and so on. I like the idea of connecting with women all over the world who also like to be creative. You have mentioned that in "real life", you are introverted. So am I. I guess this is my way of being outgoing in an introverted way!! LOL!
Wow. Interesting question. Gives me something to ponder this weekend.
I blog because I use it as a fun {and easy} way to promote my GUSSY products.
I started blogging because I wanted to connect with people who enjoy the same things I do. I don't know anyone IRL that enjoys sewing, crocheting and all the gentle arts that I do. Through blogging I have been able to "meet" so many wonderful women with amazing talents. I love to read other's blogs and get to know everyone. I love to learn new things and to see what wonderful creativity there is in the world. Blogging has open the door for me. I am by no means a great writer, I just plug away and do the best I can.
I absolutely love your blog and all that you share with each of us. I hope you enjoyed your vacation.
I blog because my family doesn't understand me. They don't understand Dave Rasmey and the steps we took to become debt free, they think our faith and homeschooling efforts are weird. So I take pictures of our children having a blast. Because that's a language everyone can understand. And it makes them less judgemental.
You are so lucky to have a sister and parents that care about you. I love your blog.
I *just* started my blog and actually wrote my second post defining the purpose of my blog. It's basically to stay connected. My family lives far away and sometimes meeting up with friends is challenging. I also plan to share tips about my hobbies/obsessions.
Your blog is incredibly inspiring! Thanks for sharing all that you do and with such a great sense of humor.
I began my blog as a way of advertising my Etsy shop, but as time goes on, I realize it has evolved into something more on my journey to finding "me" (as opposed to "mom" and "hon").
I love to write, to create, to make beautiful things, to debate, to question, to notice, to cook, to discover...all of which I do within the pages of my blog.
I rarely mention my shop now, I'm making connections and stretching my wings in my crazy mish-mash blog that covers everything from life with boys, to favorite recipes, proud moments, sentimental musings, and current projects. My blog fits into no sort of catagory...kind of like me.
Oh, thanks for asking :)
I started my blog as a way to show what other directions my artistic heart wants to follow. I have a little company called Bunnies By The Bay. I love it. But I also wanted something just of my own. I love having my own blog.
When I first decided to start a blog it was because I had so much inside of me that I wanted to let out but no real place to do so. Before starting my blog, I had already been reading/following many blogs with topics I could relate to, some so eloquently written and just plain beautiful and creative. I almost decided to put the entire idea on hold for now, but I just needed someplace to express myself, and share or connect with others who might be feeling, thinking or going through the same things.
Thank you for such a timely and thought provoking post.
I have no idea why I blog anymore... I know friends read to keep in touch- but they never comment online- so it feels pointless to me now- unless I'm looking at it as a way to keepsake my children's memories, and then it's worth my while... :)
Ha! I'm kinda the same way - not crazy about writing but passionate about what I'm writing about.
Sisters are the best! Love you and Em bunches, Nester!
You and your sister inspired a whole blog out of me, and I'm hoping to re-direct and re-define my blogging purpose now!
http://thegoins.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-do-i-blog.html
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