A blogger’s letter to self

Dearest Blogger Self,

You’ve betrayed yourself, and I’m warning you to take note of the following things in order to get yourself back on track.

Yes, it is true, March weather has been kicking your ass.  It has affected all your normal optimistic moods.  This morning’s four inches of wet snow no doubt add to your blues.  But it hasn’t been just the weather getting your moods down.  It’s your overall approach to blogging that you should take a closer look at.

Tomorrow is April and the snow will be gone, and you’ll feel better.  And no, I’m not joking either.  You’re going to take your sorry ass outside and get some fresh air.  If Copper can do it, so can you!

 

I do need to commend you as I share my critique.  What’s been working in your approach to blogging is your commitment to writing.  I congratulate you for showing up every day and writing, no matter what.  You haven’t faltered, even though there have been days where I know you didn’t feel like writing at all.

I watch how you grab your little black book, read the inspiration prompt, and prod yourself into writing.  The words you type on the screen begin to rise, like the yeast in a bun slowly raising before it is ready to bake in the oven.  You should be proud you cook up words to write about every day (as corny as they may be).

You’ve also given yourself a time limit.  That’s a good thing because, oh my, those perfectionist tendencies of yours need limitations. If you don’t, you’d be tweaking every post until eternity and never get anything else done.

You’ve gotten over tracking your stats and post likes.  Good for you, that was stressing you out and definitely not a healthy way to approach blogging for fun.  You’re getting out of your comfort zone, too, but not quite enough.

You’ve gotten brave by writing posts for word prompts or a fellow blogger’s prompt.  You’re getting better at incorporating them into what you want to write about for the day, instead of just writing solely for the prompt.  I see your favorites are Cee’s photography challenges, Linda Hill’s writing challenges, and the Daily Word Press word of the day or weekly photography prompts.  The advantages of these prompts are you get to meet fellow bloggers and they challenge you to be less introverted.

I see both are helping you.  But you keep wanting to hide in the safety of the house for your inspiration.

The problem I feel you have with the prompts is that you’re limiting yourself in a way.  Aren’t you writing only to be read by other Word Press bloggers when you do that?  Which, by the way, I see you have grown very fond of doing.  It’s become a strange addiction.  I bet you love hearing from WP bloggers, because, frankly they are the only ones who are able to easily comment on your posts or like the posts for that matter.

But, I wonder, is that what blogging is all about – just blogging to meet other bloggers?  I’m obviously sharing a critical perspective on what I see you doing.  And, yes, I’m not a pro-blogger who understands the world of blogging.  But, I feel like you’re betraying yourself by that particular limitation of Word Press.

Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach. – Tom Robbins

Your writing only for Word Press (blogger) readers doesn’t match up with your original goals for this blog, does it?  Isn’t it okay to modify those goals to meet other bloggers or to gain followers and to meet people?  Sure, but are you on track with what you originally wanted for your blog?  It seems a bit messy if you ask me, even if you gain followers by going that route.

I see you do have other followers on Google +, Bloglovin’, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.  But do you hear from them as easily as you hear from the Word Press followers who happen to be WP bloggers?  Didn’t you want to write a blog that more than just fellow bloggers would read?  Did you understand what this was all about when you got started?  Are you sharing something you, yourself, value with your readers, or are you just writing to fill the expectations of the WP prompts you’re participating in?

All adventures, especially into new territory, are scary. – Sally Ride

Didn’t you start your blog to make a difference by encouraging readers to find their quirky side in life, free it, and have fun with it?  That’s what your About Page says you do.  But do you do that?  In the process of focusing so much on the tight limits of the WP daily prompts, have you betrayed your wishes for yourself in writing about freeing your own quirky self in an empty nest world?  Maybe that’s too limiting in and of itself?  Who knows, but you should stop and re-evaluate what you’re doing.

Reflect on how far you’ve come, but don’t stop there, you’ve got more room to grow.  Do you see the warning signs of your fears glaring back at you when you look in the mirror or reflection in the window?  Stop hiding, challenge yourself to revive your original intent of this blog.

What is it I suggest you change?  First and foremost, dear blogger, I’ll get you started by telling you to stop betraying yourself and stop blocking your desires to free your quirky side.  Get busy, go find it, and set it free.

Get over being an introvert who has taken a safe route of writing just for word prompts.  Instead, write for others and for yourself about the things YOU want to write about.  If the prompt fits, use it, but if not, go with what you wanted to write about that day instead.  Be brave and be true to yourself.  There are readers out there, like yourself, who wish to free their creative and quirky sides and they will read your posts.

Get busy doing what you originally wanted to do with this blog.  Your quirky bun of creativity is ready for the oven, get on with baking it, and enjoy what you cook up for fun!

I look forward to seeing you and this blog’s intent to be quirky on the other side of March.

xx