Friday, August 18, 2017

Where to go from here? Thinking out loud.

I have to be honest: I'm in a bit of a quandary about what to do with my blog at this point. Is the age of blogging over? Have we all just shifted to other forms of social media like Instagram and YouTube and Snapchat and the like? While I'd argue that blogs have a certain place and fill a certain need in the vein of online communication, I know that I rarely visit individual blogs anymore unless I'm following from a post that I first encountered in another format like Instagram or Facebook. Is my behavior indicative of changing consumption practices, or are there people who are hungry for deeper, more personal, and potentially even more intellectual content? I just don't know.

While I've loved having my blog these past few years, I am having more and more difficulty keeping up with it and giving it the attention it deserves. Back when I blogged every single day - for more than a year, actually - my blog updates were something I planned and scheduled and took care of with the same kind of approach as my daily shower. It was just something I did that became sort of automatic. There's beauty in that because it became a habit that then turned into a written record of my life at that time. And it was kind of a challenge, a commitment, that I felt really proud for sustaining for a significant amount of time.  Then, at some point, it started to feel like I was struggling my posts were just not as meaningful as they should or could be and it became harder to create content that I thought was authentic. That's when I ultimately decided to step back and only blog a few times per week as the mood struck me.

Ultimately, I've become less likely to blog as time passes. Sometimes I just forget about it. Or there are lots of other things that are capturing my attention that seem more fun or more rewarding or more well-received. When my schedule gets really hectic (like this time of year), I prefer to spend my down-time just sitting on the couch instead of blogging or creating. Some of the time, I wonder if anyone is really reading my blog anymore. And the rest of the time, I stubbornly think that it's really a great place for me to keep track of my memories even if no one else ever reads it. I even get frustrated with myself for taking into consideration whether others are reading my thoughts. I mean, that's not why I originally started the blog, so I don't really want that to be the only reason I continue it.

The simple fact of the matter is that there are a finite number of hours we all have each day. How should I spend the free time I have? What really gives me the best return for my investment of time and effort? Is it blogging or podcasting or retreats or Instagram or Facebook or Pinterest or YouTube or online classes? And when do I spend time creating new content and documenting my life for fun if I feel stretched in too many different directions? Let's not forget about my full-time job and my family and my friends and the fella and taking care of my home/yard and... You get it; we all face the same challenges with managing our time and energy.

How do you decide what's worth your time? Are you reading blogs right now? (Even if it's not always mine since I've been a bad, bad blogger for several months now. Shame on me!) Are you watching more videos? What methods are you using to create and share? Maybe you're like me and have fizzled out with some genres of social media and added others. How have you decided what to pick and choose that fits your life best right now? I'd be interested to hear how these questions have impacted the way you spend your time. Because right now, I just don't know where I'll go from here...

15 comments:

  1. Hi Tiffany! I am a long time scrapbooker and started listening to the Scrap Gals podcast a few months ago after a friend recommended it to me. I have just fallen in love with you and Tracie and your absolute authenticity. I love the way you share every aspect of what it means to be a creative person and to live a beautiful life. I find you to be so funny, real and smart, and I always take away a new perspective after listening to you. I live in Louisville but graduated from WKU and love Bowling Green! Just wanted to let you know I love what you and Tracie are doing...thanks for sharing yourself and putting into words so many of the creative questions I ask myself daily! As for your blog, I added it to my feed several months ago. I love blogs and follow about 40 in my Feedly app. But I get it....I used to have a family blog for years but I had to let it go, for all the reasons you listed above! If you're not loving it anymore, I say let it go!

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  2. Do whatever makes YOU happy. That being said, I will forever love blogs. I prefer reading something rather than watching a video, but I know I'm in the minority these days. For me, thoughtful blog posts + podcasts + instagram = social media heaven.

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  3. I agree with Jill (above): if you aren't loving it, let it go. That being said, I miss the personal blogs and look forward to the few that are still doing it. I enjoy Instagram and podcasts, but reading someone's thoughts and ideas does seem different. I use a reader app, so it's easy to stay up on who is publishing, even if it is sporadic. What I am tired of is blogs that are really advertisements. I can find that information somewhere else. So, follow your heart!

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  4. Yes - I still read several blogs and stop by here every few days to see if the urge has struck you. But I "get it" that it's one more thing in the overwhelming things to do. I think you have to do what makes you content. If you're okay with letting your blog go, do it. I do want to however assure you that you will be missed because more of your personality and who you are comes through on your blog. More so than any Facebook post or podcast can do.

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  5. Yes, I am still a fan of blogs. I love to look at photos and read the stories. I remember you saying in one show on the Scrapgals that you plan(ned) to delete photos from old posting, because who would want to look at photos from 2014? I do! Often I find interesting photos by google image search. (Blog content gets high ranks by Google.)

    I am on your side: working full time we have to ask these questions: how do we want to spend our time? I totally understand that instagram is a convenient social media tool and delivers output much faster. A single blog posting with a hand full of photos and a short story takes me 2-3 hours to publish.

    The reason why I never gave blogging in 7 years is the positive side effect the blog provides: it serves as my photo archive. When I am abroad or looking for a certain photo, I find it online on my blog, because that's where I published all my favourite photos over the years.

    I don't know how well instagram or similar apps work as an archive. The blog is the archive of my favourite moments. And I love to tell stories.

    You can tell stories - short stories - on instagram, too. To me the way the comments appear on a blog have more style. Our comments here remind me of old school letters to the editor, whereas comments on instagram flood the space like a pool of words,no order, no "threads" within the Re: to earlier comments ...

    The blog is a space you can always come back to, even after months. (as long as you don't pay monthly fees ;-)

    Funny thing: The reason I came here is that was searching for Tiffany-content. First I went to Youtube, could not find any, then I came here.

    As long as you keep on publishing, I am fine with any decision your heart makes!

    love, Paula

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  6. I still read and love blogs! I've been blogging for 6 years and will keep going as long as a just one person reads. I love everything about it as a way of expressing myself, a way of sharing, a way of keeping in touch with family, and a way of memory keeping.

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  7. I enjoy reading blogs, but finding good content is getting harder, and I too hate advertisement heavy ones. Personally I love the Scrapgals podcasts because it feels like you two are in the room with me scrapping. And I can't read a blog while scrapping! So I guess I would prefer to keep the podcast going, and hope one day to attend your retreat. It sounded amazing! Thanks for what you have been doing, and I just hope you manage to keep at least one outlet going.

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  8. I still read blogs but don't always comment. I am sure they are a lot of work. It takes a lot more time to write it than for us to read it. I think it is easer for bloggers to snap chat, instagram, Facebook, YouTube etc. Less time and minimal preparation. If blogging does not bring you joy than stop. I will miss it.

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  9. I don't find following other forms of social media as worthwhile as blogging, mostly in part because they all become too commercial sooner or later. I have not blogged this year and I miss the opportunity to talk in that way. I have tried talking that same way on Facebook and I feel that the audience's tendency is even less interaction. I think things will swing back to blogging in the next few years.

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  10. I appreciate all you are doing to participate and encourage this industry.

    For me, I first check Facebook and then my Feedly feed. Instagram, I will check occasionally and YouTube even less frequently.

    I am still blogging once a month for my own memory keeping purposes.

    Thanks!

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  11. You should absolutely do what makes you happy. If the blog could still sometimes be a place to record a story for later until you have time to scrapbook it, then that might make sense. I still read blogs regularly because I'm a words person as well as a visual person (which Instagram feeds nicely). I had paid for Typepad since 2003 (relatively inexpensive since I had helped beta test the platform years ago) and recently decided to stop paying for it because I wasn't using it enough. The blog is still there (downgraded to a truly ugly default template), but I don't know if I'll use it again. I've thought about transitioning from a crafty blog to a book-related blog . . . but then I wonder whether it's worth the time, since I post reviews on Goodreads.

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  12. I found your blog when you were blogging every day, and I loved getting to know you through it. The freedom of what topic you choose to write about/how much detail you go into, makes blogging more special than something posted to instagram, at least in my opinion. I'm not on Facebook, and I find it sad that many blogs I used to read are no longer updated. I understand the time issue; however, I will miss your posts!

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  13. I love your blog!!! I will miss it if you decide not to continue at some point. I loved all your videos while on your trip so you may want to consider vlogging as many people are doing that now. ANNE Hoyle

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  14. I just wanted to chime in and say that I'm glad that you're still blogging for now. Blogs are my favorite form of "social media" (if you can call them that? not sure...). I love reading longer-form posts and stories, and honestly, other forms of social media are very intimidating to me. It seems like you have more control with a blog. I try to keep my blog updated, and I will continue to read and follow your blog as long as you choose to keep posting :)
    ~natalie from vegetablog.wordpress.com

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