My last post on this blog was over two weeks ago. That’s equal to about 7 years in blog years right? I mean, do I even “blog” anymore? The answer to both of those questions is yes.
However, the truth is that taking this hiatus, as small as it actually was, is what helped me remember why I enjoy blogging.
If you’re a blogger, when’t the last time you took a minute to remember why you enjoy it?
When you’re a creative writer, you begin to feel like you always have to be “on”. Like you have to be creative all the time and blog everything exciting and important. I think that actually applies to almost all forms of social media these days.
But what if we take a step back and really look at it. I, like many other bloggers, started writing as a way to be creative, to share my family stores, and just have fun.
If I could make some money along the way, then even better. But sometimes the fun just goes away. Once you actually start making money (and yes, that’s good thing because time is money) you feel like you have to perform and perform well. It can be easy to lose the magic of it all. Before you know it, you’ve hit a wall, and realize you need to evaluate if you even want to keep doing it.
When I first began, I didn’t think twice about going days or weeks between posts. I didn’t try to get it all right with SEO, or follow campaign instructions to the letter, or have perfect photography. But there was something so genuine about those early days.
I simply enjoyed just writing and sharing. Somewhere along the way, writing and sharing for fun turned into “I have to blog this thing” if I did anything creative. And the truth is, that’s just not the truth. So , I took a necessary step away to evaluate and remember why and if I even still wanted to be doing this.
I realized I needed to give myself a break, and so I did. Are my creative juices flowing freely again? Not at 100%. But they will.
Am I enjoying writing this just because I want to? Yes, definitely.
What have I been up to for the month of August then, if not blogging?
Well, everything else that’s important.
Hear me out, I’m not saying our blogging careers aren’t important, because they are. But so are other things. Our families and friends. Big events that take place. Guess what- we don’t actually have to blog or social media share them all in real time, if at all.
Here are some of the things that we’ve enjoyed this summer that I could’ve blogged about but haven’t. I snapped pics, but didn’t take the time to write or share much of it. Is that because they’ve not been important? Absolutely not, it’s because they’ve been even more important-
• Our friends from Australia visiting for a week, and then my niece and her family’s visit as well.
• My husband, son, and sisters birthdays that all are within the same week.
• Our new backyard pool and our first official pool party for my 8 year old. Which looked awesome, and my decorations were on point. And the part I’m most proud of? Not feeling like I had to photograph for Pinterest, and instead just relaxing and enjoy it.
• Getting my boys ready to start back to school, and then starting their first days of 3rd, 5th, 9th, & 11th grades.
• Spending my last few days with my daughter before driving her back to Nashville for her sophomore year of college. Then, moving her in and helping her set up her dorm.
• My 16 year old’s parent preview show for his marching band
• My 14 year old’s first high school football game
Will I ever blog about or share these memories online? Maybe! We’ll see.
So, have I remembered why I enjoy blogging?
Yes, I have.
I remembered that I love writing and sharing creative ideas. I also remembered that the world won’t in fact end if I or anyone else doesn’t share a post on their blog for days at a time.
When you’re a blogger remember that you are your own boss. You make your own timeline, you make your own rules. You can take a break any time you want and just enjoy life, family, and friends.
Most likely, you won’t even lose a ton of money by doing that. The ads will still run, folks will still find your page if they’re looking for what you have to offer. They’ll still click through affiliate links. All of that stuff will still happen. Will the numbers be as high? Maybe not. But it’s okay, it really is.
Understand me, I’m not saying anyone should abandon projects and tasks you’ve committed to for companies or campaigns. Don’t do that. But if you’re a blogger, writer, social media super star, give yourself a break every now and then.
Remember, we get to do that, and it’ll Will. Be. Okay.
Take a minute and evaluate- do you remember why you enjoy blogging? If the answer is anything other than yes, then maybe it’s time for you to take a step back for a minute too. You just may find that you enjoy it!
If you like this article, then you may also enjoy “So You Think You’re Not Creative? You Might Want to Think Again…”
