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Blogging about Blogging
This is gonna be a long one. I have some actual thoughts in this head of mine for once instead of just weird GIFs.
Something came up at book club this weekend. One of my blogger friends said something along the lines of “sometimes I wonder what the point of me blogging is.” This made me think- a lot. Mostly because I think about that from time to time-especially when I’m in a blogging rut. Seriously, why do I spend my time doing this?
I fought with the idea of starting a blog for few months before I actually took the plunge and decided to go for it. I thought blogging was for people who were narcissistic and just wanted another arena for people to listen to them talk. The idea of someone thinking that about me really didn’t sit well in my stomach. I don’t want people to view me as someone who’s all about ME ME ME because I’m not. My life pretty much revolves around my family and friends and Max- I tend to come last in my spectrum of what I care about (my eyebrows of course are excluded from this).
When I actually did start the blog all I cared about was how many readers I had. I spent so much time reading the bigger blogs that all I could think about was HOW DO I GET MORE READERS?! I spent hours studying blog posts that went over tips and strategies and how to up your readership and did everything in my power to follow each and every one. Did it work? Sorta- I definitely got some new readers but nowhere near what I wanted.
I’m not sure when my mindset changed but after blogging a while I never thought about how many readers I had. I just knew I loved interacting with the readers I actually did have. Why do I care about the number if I have awesome people who CHOOSE to continue to come to my blog and read it?
So that brings me back to what the point of me blogging is. For me personally, blogging is about connecting with people. Living so far from my family is really hard but I feel like the blog brings us closer. It brings my family into my daily life, my ramblings and gives them a sense of ‘she’s ok.’ To me, that’s reason enough to blog.
But I blog for so many other reasons.
-The Community- The Chicago blogging community is incredible. Never in a million years would I have thought I would meet some of my closest friends from this little website.
-I miss writing. My current job doesn’t have me writing much (at all really) which is totally fine but I need a place to write once in a while. I mean I clearly have tons of important things to say….
- I like making people laugh- I don’t know what I want to do with my life and sometimes I don’t even know what I’m passionate about. The one thing I do know is that making people smile and laugh is the one thing I’m good at and really love doing. Life is about joy, about happiness, and if I can make at least one person feel that, I’m over the moon happy.
Sure blogging is weird and people make instant judgments on people who blog. How many of you have gotten the “oh you have a blog…?” snap judgment? Just because you have a blog doesn’t make you a narcissist or some weirdo who basically has a creepy website online.
I may not be a big blogger but I honestly don’t know if I’d ever want to be one. What I can tell you however is that the quality of my readers rock and you guys are one of the biggest reasons why I continue to blog. I don’t care what the big bloggers are doing nor do I feel the need to do whatever it is their doing. I’m oober happy for their success but you do you, I’ll do me. It’s my blog after all- I pay for it, I write it, I spend a ridiculous amount of time on it. Blogging can be a lot like high school but it’s because we bloggers make it that way. I’m not in high school anymore and you could not pay me enough to go back.
So basically all this is me saying I blog because I choose to.
That’s all the nonsense I have for now!
Thoughts?
**I hope this post didn’t rub anyone the wrong way/offend anyone. I totes didn’t mean for it to come out that way if it did.
46 Comments to Blogging about Blogging
i think this was perfect.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:06 am
thanks love!
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OMG I LOVE THIS POST! Can I link it and just say, “What she said!” because this sums it up exactly for me.
And to think, without a blog, I’d never have been exposed to your awesomeness
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:06 am
awww Bobbi you are too sweet!
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Great post! I don’t see how it could rub anyone the wrong way! I blog for similar reasons. But the first one is to be heard, and have a voice, since I feel I don’t get to express myself much otherwise. And secondly the community. I have met all of my besties from blogging! Can you believe it?! I don’t care about amount of comments, page views, blah blah blah… I just want to have fun and connect with people. And I need a place to vent. Hee hee. And post pics of Dates.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:28 am
gr8 comment! I agree all of my friends are from blogging too
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Yes yes yes, a million times yes. I have been thinking a lot lately about WHY I blog, and what I blog about, and who cares? Etc. Lately I keep coming back to wanting to connect with my other blogger friends. Some days, that really is the only thing that keeps me blogging. And I love making other people laugh and I wish my blog were funnier, but sometimes I worry my humor (sarcasm) wouldn’t come across and people would think I’m some weirdo or a big a-hole.
Also, I agree, I don’t want to be a “big” blogger. I like being able to read and respond to every comment I get (even if I don’t always respond), and with a full time job and other hobbies, I get just enough comments right now. Any more, and I would feel bad about not having the time to read/reply to every comment. I would worry that I would come across as ungrateful.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:28 am
I love this comment and your honesty. I can always count on your blog to tell it like it is-and I love that.
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just so you know, your blog makes me laugh almost daily – probably more than Goud’s face does
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:54 am
<3
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I love this post. I think about this a lot too. Is my blog the ultimate exercise in narcisism?
When it comes down to it, it’s really hard to make friends as an adult. It’s really, really hard to make friends as an adult living in the suburbs without kids. I blogged for several years before I started writing about running. Only then did I start meeting people and making friends.
That is why I blog.
I also like the personal history aspect of it, too. I have my recipes, race reports and vacation photos in one place.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:54 am
True that! Esp for a food blogger it’s the perfect place to keep everything organized!
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Maggie Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 10:41 am
Yes, the personal history thing too. That has been very valuable to me. Which is why some of my race recaps or training posts are long and detailed; I like being able to go back later and re-read stuff I forgot about.
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Tremendous post!
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:55 am
Art you are dabomb.com!
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I am slowly learning that one of my passions in life is helping people. I originally started blogging to A. have a place to vent (livejournal), B. keep my family up-to-date on my life when I moved (my running blog), and now C. to try and help people who want to wear what they have in their closets and feel good about themselves (style blog). Of course I’d like to reach as many people as possible, but I agree that I’d rather those people actually interact with me every so often! And I want to be able to respond back. It’s so fascinating because if you read blogging tips they all say to reply to comments and emails. Yet, so many bloggers don’t do that. And that makes me wonder why they’re really blogging in the first place.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 9:55 am
I knew that was one of your passions the first time I met you-you’re so kind and accommodating to other peeps.
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Maggie Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 10:54 am
I agree as well. I hate bloggers who don’t respond to comments. THOSE are the narcissistic bloggers, I think. It really is me me me me me. Right now at work, I’m working on our new social media strategy, and my big thing is that we (our company) stop talking just about OURSELVES on social media. Have a DIALOGUE. This is SOCIAL. So I appreciate bloggers who do the same. Some write blogs that are so self-centered, I just can’t read them. Booo-oooring.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:28 pm
agree!
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Katie @ Livehalffull Reply:
January 25th, 2013 at 8:57 pm
That is my biggest pet peeve by far! You have enough time to ramble on daily but you can’t take a minute to say thanks to your readers or answer questions? RUDE.
LOVE. I think my purpose for blogging has changed a lot between when I started to blog and I moved to Chicago. To be honest, I don’t really know WHY I was blogging for the first year or so of my blog, but with everything that’s happened as a result of having a blog since I moved to Chicago, it’s pretty clear to me why I keep it up now — that’s where my friends are. I guess I’ve got a couple of friends that I made in Chicago outside of my blog, but it’s pretty rare that I spend time with them outside of whatever it is that brought us together in the first place (being on the same sports team, going to the same church, being in the same dance class, etc.). If I didn’t have this blog, I wouldn’t ever have people to hang out with in Chicago. Period. I mean, it’s not like I spend all of my free time with the blog friends I’ve made, but if I think back over times I’ve hung out with people in Chicago, I’d say the vast majority of them involved bloggers, whether it was book club, impromptu shopping dates, birthdays, dinners, whatever: I’d say 8 or 9 times out of 10, I was with other bloggers. I don’t think I’d necessarily be “kicked out of the club,” so to speak, if I stopped blogging, but it’s how I stay connected with my friends when I’m not with them, and I really value and appreciate that interaction.
Also, I never considered the possibility that someone might think I’m narcissistic for having a blog, so thanks for putting that thought in my head. See if I ever tell anyone I met outside of Blogland that I have a blog ever again.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 10:20 am
You always have the most thoughtful comments.
FYI you are SO narcissistic.
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you are the queen of gifs and i will continue to read if for no other reason than you are a the queen of gifs. go gurl.
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 10:20 am
I love being the gif queen.
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Great post Kels! I sometimes wonder why I blog and if people really enjoy reading me ramble on about my life. I’ve even thought about deleting my blog or making it private on a few occasions. It all comes down to the blogging community for me. When I started my blog I was living in Chicago and had maybe two local friends. I was lonely and looking for a feeling of belonging. Blogging has helped me make all of my good Chicago friends and has connected me with so many great people. There are definitely negatives to blogging but I don’t know if I could just cut myself off from such a wonderful community.
Also, you make me laugh every day and I love you for it!
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 10:20 am
Tru dat babygirl!
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Katie @ Peace Love & Oats Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
omg you cannot EVER delete your blog! How would I keep up with you?!?! Seriously. I have a “friends” section in my google reader and it’s the first section I read through every day!
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Lindsay @ Running the Windy City Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:26 pm
I do the same thing!
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Great Post Kelsey! I wonder why I blog and even though my writing is horrible (hey I write grammatically correct papers every day for school) I love interacting with people as well. Your blog posts are always hilarious and put me in a great mood! Keep on bloggin
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
It’s your blog, do what ya want!
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I like this post! I think that my favorite bloggers are those that are genuine and authentic. You just can’t fake that. I love when I get readers organically. I like reading your blog because I like you. It really is amazing all the cool stuff that we can do on the internets!
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
can you imagine life without the Internet.
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There are a lot of times when I think blogging is obnoxious, but there are other rimes that I really enjoy it. I go through peaks and valleys with it, and lately I’ve been in a valley where I never want to write but I’ll read other blogs and just never comment.aube that’s what irks me, the comments.
I think you can tell when someone writes a blog for themselves and when they wrote it for others. And though I don’t really comment much here, seems like you’re writing for the right reasons. So keep doing your thing girl!
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Thanks girl! I think most bloggers go through those ups and down…and sometimes you just don’t feel like blogging.
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your post is totally different from mine! and I seriously love your blog (almost as much as you) because it’s funny! You have a great writing voice. P.S. Christmas comes tomorrow!
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Kelsey Reply:
January 24th, 2013 at 1:31 pm
it’s sorta similar? I guess maybe not.
merry xmas eve!
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Kind of love you.
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I really like this post. I mostly blog now because I like the community but it is also nice to know what I was doing last year. I guess blogging is a bit narcissistic and one of my friends used to say that blogging is just like an online diary. But I hardly ever tell people that I have a blog. I just think it’s awkward.
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Loved the post and the reasons you blog.
I blog because I like to remember what I’m up to. I often ready old posts and crack myself up.
My family is 13 hours away, so this helps them to feel like they are involved…even if it’s stuff they didn’t want to know about (grandma).
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Great post Kelsey! I may not comment on your blog all the time, but your posts almost always make me laugh!
I started my blog after losing 60 pounds as a way to record and share my weight loss journey. Now it is somewhere to talk about food and working out and to record the cool things I’ve done or people I’ve met. The blogging community has really kept my motivated and accountable. It’s introduced me to new people, places, ideas, workouts, foods, etc. I’m down 100 pounds now and I know that blogging and the community has helped me get there!
Maybe it’s weird and narcissistic, but mostly it’s fun. “I blog because I choose to.” – exactly.
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Love this post! I used to think I need to see how many followers I could get, but I realized I was doing it more for myself than anyone else. I didn’t have the time, energy, or probably even writing ability to be a big blogger and I was fine with that. THEN I started meeting tons of people through blogging and have been able to meet some of the most fun, caring, awesome people ever because of blogging which has been awesome!
You are awesome Kels!! LOVE your blog! Keep up the good work
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Well put! I started blogging to be able to feel a bit more sense of community– which I’m definitely building! And the writing & self-expression also resonates with me as well… words don’t always come right to me out of my mouth, and writing helps me to get my thoughts out a bit more easily.
Love the GIFs as well! Your blog makes me laugh every day!
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can i do you? JKKKKKKK. i loved this post SO SO much. i think i need to read this post once a month as a reminder for why i blog and to not compare myself to the big wedding blogs, or the other DC wedding blogs.
thanks kelsey.
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Luuurrrvveee this!!! blogging is really such a weird thing and it’s inexplicable why you keep doing it once you start, but once it becomes a part of your life…you just can’t stop. I get it.
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Great post! I enjoy blogging because it’s my creative outlet. I love messing around with my website (I’m techy at heart) and seeing my visions come to life. I also adore the blogging community and the many people I’ve met thanks to my blog! When you read someone’s blog you really get a peak into their minds so when you two meet it’s like you already know each other
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Thanks so much for this post. I’ve been thinking a lot about why I blog lately. Basically, what it comes down to is that it’s a way to hold myself accountable and the people I’ve met make it worth it. So, I’m just going to keep trying to not take myself too seriously and just write what I want to write. Because, in the end it’s my blog and if I’m happy with it that’s what matters!
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