I am not a blogger.
One of my dearest friends on the planet asked me to join her at a Blogging Conference today (and I'm a sucker when a dear friend asks me to be a sidekick that includes the promise of a shared lunch at The Cheesecake Factory).
It was a gathering with "featured speakers" and "popular bloggers" and businesses promising free things in exchange for advertising on blogs.
I looked through the list of classes:
"Balancing Your Online Life"..."Search Engine Optimization"..."Make Your Blog a Work of Art"..."So You Want to Be a Millionaire"..."Advertising: You Are Your Best Resource"..."How to Grow Your Readership"...
and I just couldn't find anything that interested me.
Which got me thinking.
Maybe nothing interested me because I am not really a blogger.
I don't want this little outlet of mine to be about "buttons" and "widgets" and "followers".
I don't want to care about comments and readers and links.
I don't want to cater to advertisers and analytics.
I just want to be a girl who sometimes has something to say, who writes the silly as well as the serious, who writes just for the sake of writing.
And who puts it on a blog because even if there are just a couple of readers who enjoy it or who are helped by it, it feels more productive than just writing everything in a private journal that may or may not be read at some future date.
I'll be the first to admit that it's fun to have new people find my blog (and since I'm not searchable, I just assume you are a friend of a friend...of a friend. But, if you're here, let's just be friends directly. Cut out the middle man.).
I get a certain sense of fulfillment when I get comments (but feel no pressure to comment on this one), especially comments from my little brother (who, I suspect has stopped reading this post by now).
I adore giveaways (even thougth I stink at them).
But, I don't really ever want it to be about more than that.
More than what this is.
Don't get me wrong.
If others choose to take a different path with their blog, yay for them.
(and I'm super proud of some of my friends who really have made a little business for themselves. Seriously impressive.)
It's just not me.
My name is Laurel.
And I am apparently not a blogger.
At least not a "serious" one.
(but i am refreshing my design. don't judge me when it happens. i just really want a new look. and i think i'm getting bangs again. sometimes a girl just needs to "freshen up".)
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14 comments:
You know, I came to exactly the same conclusion as I drove home this afternoon. I learned one or two things but I realized the big wowie blog with all the followers isn't me. I don't think it ever will be me. But like you said, it's okay.
(And I love that I met you today! Thanks for the little chat! You are as sweet and kind as I thought you would be.)
i'm glad you are sticking to you - cuz whatever you are doing is AWESOME! i love your blog.
im not - nor will i ever be a pro blogger either. a lot of my friends were going to that conference as well and have pretty neat-o frit-o blog businesses. but i like an "advertisement free" blog. i've gotten quite a few emails from people asking me if they can advertise on my blog and i always think, "how odd!! i don't want to get paid for my blog. i wanna say what i wanna say how i wanna say it." but coo-coo-cachow and a happy dance for those that do. i'm glad you are keeping yours ...you. cuz YOU r the bestest estest estest. period.
I'm right with you. I just love to write and "blogging" gives me that outlet. Without the hassle of finding an editor/publisher.
Those other types of blogs... just don't really interest me.
i'm not a blogger and I think bangs would look wonderful on you!!
Aunt Linda
I'm commenting so you know I read the whole post...and always do. I'm just not a good commentor.
love bangs, but have to wait till this current *season has passed.
ditto on the blogging comments. blog cause you want to, not to win a popularity contest.
*season of humidity, it has taken over the season formerly called summer
When I read their program, I thought "wait, I thought this was the CASUAL bloggers conference!" I consider myself a casual blogger because I'm in it for fun and when I need somewhere to write. I could care less about stats, followers, sponsors, etc. :) We are bloggers. The REAL casual bloggers. :)
I'm glad you have things to say because I love reading your blog! And I'm constantly laughing and learning. Plus, how fun is it to read someone else's journal!?
Amen!
I have a friend who helped plan that conference and I had NO desire to attend. I blog because I like to keep in touch with friends and family (and post random pictures of animals in clothes).
I don't really have a desire to try and build more traffic or make money. I think it's kind of funny that blogging has turned in to that anyway.
I saw your comment on Heather of the EO's blog, and am actually the friend Amander is referring to. (She's also my coworker and one of my dearest friends.) We had a long conversation tonight about the conference, and she told me your feedback.
I wasn't really in on all the planning, but the owner of Mormon Mommy Blogs, and the cofounder of the conference, is a good friend, so I had some input.
And I am with you! And I have a decent readership, I get a lot of comments, and get people who ask me all the time why I don't have ads on my blog or make money. Because that's not why I blog. I love the sense of community and the relationships, and if I can make people laugh, then great!
I had many people come up to me over the weekend to try to get me to sign up to advertise for them, and I declined them all. I don't care about winning a free iPad if I have to pimp out their services.
I thought some of that stuff was interesting to hear about. And I have to say, there is a place for all kinds of blogs. Even if you want to make money. And that's OK. But there's a place for us too. :)
I think you might be getting a survey to provide feedback, in the next week or so, and I think this is great feedback for next year.
Laurel,
Thanks for you post!! I'm fairly new to blogging and found you via Heather of the EO's blog. I too attended the conference and was a little intimidated, but also impressed at the variety of workshops offered from business of blogging to the bloggers like you. Great writering workshops, amazing photography workshops and although very interesting info was offered to change up our blogs, I think the most important thing about the CBC was that it INSPIRED all of us in one way or the other to find our own place in blogging land and to be TRUE to who we are!!
Thank you for sharing your sweet thoughts and I hope you don't mind if we all come back often to read!!
Word.
The thing is you ARE a blogger. Just not a "professional" blogger, and that's totally cool.
You're a writing and connecting blogger and that's a really good kind :)
Hi! I followed your comment from Heather EO...I like what you had to say. I am new to blogging and love the freedom I've found in finding my voice. And by the way, I have the priveledge to know Heather "in person" and "in blog"--what you "see" is just as lovely as what you "read"...
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