Okay, I know that title sounds sorta goofy but here's what it's all about.
I've noticed a lot of bloggers seem to write as if they spend all of their time thinking of witty or interesting things to blog about. So that made me think, "are they blogging about their lives or living for their blogs?" Do you get my drift?
I'm not saying anyone is totally living their lives consciously for blogdom, but I noticed myself driving Izzy to school today and realized that I was thinking about a topic for the blog and how weird that concept is. Mostly I just sit in front of the computer and yak about whatever is on my mind, but surely some people have their blog as a focus in their day-to-day lives a lot of the time.
Don't get me wrong I LOVE reading those blogs. I think talented writers can live and blog at the same time, but it made me wonder if it is just another layer we are putting between ourselves and living in the moment. (Wow, that last sentence was way too Sarah Jessica Parker ala Sex in the City!) What I mean is, has blogging changed the way we actually think? Do we bloggers now think in terms of catchy titles, accruing followers, and hording comments? (okay, I do think in those terms a little now... I have to admit it) or is blogging just this extra thing we do? Can I really be just me while I'm trying so hard to be funny and interesting for my blog?
Also, could it be a generational thing? If you are a teenager or a young twenty-something who grew up blogging, is it easier to fall into this "blog reality" than say someone older (quite a bit older in my case!) who has spent more time just being rather than blogging?
Or maybe it's just a personality quirk. Some people are natural comedians and storytellers who see the humor in life and can't wait to share it. Others have to ruminate and begin to slowly decipher things to share. I'm more like the "too busy just trying to get from A to B without tripping over my yoga mat to really think" kind of person. There are definitely all kinds of bloggers out there and probably no real answers to my questions, but what do you think? Do tell...
Blogfully yours,
Jan
11 comments:
Well, I think you know which category I fall into! I don't necessarily seek things to blog about, but if I see something funny, I instantly write it down as a blog idea. And then I have to come back when I have the energy.
When I first started blogging, I blogged daily, and about everything. It was definitely quanity over quality. But while my quantity has gone way down, I feel like my writing is much better.
Kristina, I was thinking of you specifically when I wrote, "Some people are natural comedians and storytellers who see the humor in life and can't wait to share it."
Don't EVER stop blogging, I wouldn't have anyone to make me say "ewwww" and "more more more" to at the same time!
Great blog post! I think there's probably a bit of each category out there. Some people even make money from blogging which usually means that they are incredibly talented and have a huge following!
At one point, i thought that i wanted to have a huge following and be a blogger. I joined SITS and followed some 'big blogs' out there and then I quickly realized that i'm not of those bloggers. I do it to keep my friends and family updated on my life and because it's fun to push my writing skills sometimes! And then sometimes, I like to poke fun at my life and share it with everybody else!
I do sometimes find myself thinking about what to write of but I never force myself because that's not blogging to me. To me i write better when an idea comes naturally.
Anyway, sorry for blabbering on. I just loved your blog post today. It's something i've definitely thought of and had actually wanted to blog about but wasn't sure how to so eloquently put it. You did a great job of doing that! Thank you!
Thanks Kav,
I am so glad we found each other in the blog world. That's one of the best things about blogging in my mind. People of like minds connecting around the world. BOOOYAH!
Hugs,
Jan
All of the above!
Blog has become an extension of my life and even though I haven't met my blog buddies, I certainly know them through their blogs and they know me through mine.
Some people are natural born story tellers with fascinating imaginations. Blogging is a great outlet for their talent and as a bonus we are entertained. I sometime wonder what I would be doing if I weren't blogging. Hmmmmm. Maybe my house would be a little cleaner? Or I'd read an extra book or two. But blogging should never take the place of being with family and friends. At least for me, it is a way of sharing the things I truly love.
Thanks for the thought provoking post, Jan!
Deanna,
Thanks for sharing your opinions with me. I agree with all that you said. A cleaner house I can do without (okay, a little cleaner than the garbage dump it is currently wouldn't hurt) but good friends and family? No way, that is my priority.
I'm so happy to have connected with you too!
Hugs,
Jan
I see blogging as multi-facented. Sometimes is like a diary or journal and sometimes its like I just feel the need to write something crazy.
And from time to time - there is some personal stuff meant to explain some things I've done or said.
I've seen some bloggers start out fascinating and get better with each post (such as Deanna) and others that are so consistent I think I would have to be flatlined to match 'em. Reading other blogs is sometimes entertaining, sometimes heart wrenching, and sometimes ... well you think, why did I bother with that?
p.s., I'd love to see Shiloh someday.
Hi...
in my opinion...Blogging is a tool and like all tools it is up to the individual how they use it.
Just like a paint brush...
would love to stay and say more... but time won't allow that today.
I too have written a post on this very subject. I used a playground as an analogy.
best wishes and I enjoy your blog.
Ribbon :-)
I see what you're saying (my husband says that a lot). As a novice in this blog thingy I am struggling with some of the same thoughts. Good to know I'm not the only one.
I do both. I will come up with great titles and awesome subjects while out. And other times I just sit down and write exactly what happened that day.
lol at the Sarah Jessica Parker bit, it really did sound just like her character.
I think that once you "become" a writer, everything you do sort of becomes fodder for your craft...just as it does for an artist. I'm not sure that's good or bad, just the way it is.
I supposed it might make you a bit more conscious of how you live your life...or it might remove you a bit from the experience. Still, I think it just comes with the territory.
Interesting to think about, certainly. Thanks!
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