A friend of mine recently asked me why I blog. "Is it just to vent? Is it because you like having an audience? Is it to hang shit on other parents, especially helicopter parents? Is it just for fun? Why bother with blogging? Doesn't it take up a bunch of time? What's the point?"
When I started this blog, I intended it to be an uber-cool food blog like the cast of thousands which make up the rest of the Melbourne food blogging community. I was going to have cool recipes and restaurant reviews and extreme close up pictures of orgasmically good chocolate. I think I might have written a post or two like that and then came some crushing realisations: blogging about food is really, really boring, AND I'm not any good at it, AND I spend all day with food already. So without my really realising it my food blog became a mommy blog and then a talk-about-coping with life-blog and then a "whatever occurs to me to blog about" blog and there it's stayed. (Even with attempts at giving it a theme and all.)
So it begs the question, if my initial purpose for blogging was to be like all the uber cool kids (and let me tell you, in this I have failed spectacularly), why do I still do it?
Hmmm.
The truth is, I'm not entirely sure, other than I just kinda like it. I always fancied myself as a bit of a writer and this is my way of releasing my inner frustrated journalist. Plus it is cheaper than therapy and a lot more socially acceptable than, say, mud wrestling in Nutella. If that's not enough, the occasional kind (or funny as hell) comment I get reminds me that I'm not alone in this whole parenting-is-only-for-crazies business. So that's why I blog.
And now you know. And I am wanting to know - why do YOU blog?
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Why?
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5 comments:
I am too tired after a night with sick kids (and no sleep) to spend time crafting a good answer.
Off the cuff, I think it is to feed my identity, as an entity apart from that of Mother and Wife.
Mostly I blog about crafty stuff - my creations and experiments. These things were my sanity in my early days as a mother, and blogging about them gives me a way to connect with others, creatively while still at home for my kids.
I mostly post for myself - just to get the words out, to keep in practice, and to give myself a little structure.
But more importantly, it's to avoid my mother-in-law's long phone calls asking about what we did that weekend...'Read it on the blog!' I say, and she does! Our calls have been much better since I started - she's already up to date on the little stuff before she rings.
Love your blog, BTW. Been following for all of NaBloPoMo - nice work!
I love your reason, Jenny - my family ALL claim they only know about my life via my blog, and my friends claim they know what is happening based on my facebook status updates. Perhaps it's time I moved away from a computer?! :)
and Claire... your blog is just a pleasure and a joy, so I think you blog just for my enjoyment.
M
It's interesting you should write about this as I was thinking about it myself just the other day. I came to the conclusion that, for me, it's a social thing as much as anything else. It's a big ol' corny cliche but (for me at least) the blogging "community" is such a friendly and inspiring place, and I get a huge amount of pleasure being part of it. On the flipside, I love to read so many blogs, not just to look at all the pretty things people have made, but also because I am nosy and like to see all those little snippets of other peoples' lives!
Rachel x
Thank you so much Em, you made my day, (which is sadly all about Gastro and Nits today - which is not going to be celebrated on the blog :-) )!
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