Anyone who is reading this is probably well aware that maintaining a blog is not easy. Anyone can post randomness once a month and call it a blog but to actually be consistent is really hard. Add to that the need to interact and be a part of the community and you practically have a full time job on your hands. The Embrace Your Narrative Key Chain comes with book and pen charms and silver split ring and is from fellow blogger Risky Beads. She maintains not just one but two handmade blogs including the Handmade Highway.
I honestly feel I've been a bit derelict in my duties the past 6-9 months. I've gone through the motions and posted at least 2 or 3 times a week and checked in with my blog buddies at least once a week but the passion was gone. This week I decided to try to recapture again what it is I have always loved about blogging. Mainly it is about being a part of a community.
I have the EC community and then the larger crafting community. I have seen Entrecard get overrun with spammers and won't even open up my drops inbox anymore for fear of what half naked pictures and other annoyances will be there. I've developed my Favorites list there of blogs I like in the system and who drop back regularly on me. You can find the list here and if you are in EC and would like to be added to my favorites that I drop on at least 3 times a week just let me know in the comments.
I also decided to make a commitment to be more a part of the wider blog community. I don't leave as many comments as I know I should and I hope to get over that lurking impulse. I went through the blogs I follow and cleaned up the list. I unfollowed anyone who hadn't posted in the past few months. This reaffirmed how hard blogging is as there were many abandoned blogs on my list. I have it down to a healthy 140 blogs. You can see the list on my profile here if you like. Now that all the dead weight is gone I can actually use my Reading List as it was intended to be used.
I also added some new blogs to My blog List on the right column. This blog roll is prime real estate as the more links to your blog the higher your google page rank. I'm still proud of my Google Page Rank 3 which took me 2 years to achieve. If you have a creative blog, not necessarily crafty but it doesn't hurt, you post at least once a week and would like to exchange links on our blog list you can also let me know in my comments.
I wanted to highlight a few of my new featured bloggers and recommend that you check them out. Some of the blogs on my list are well established with many followers like Makeunder My Life, and a few are just really well written blogs that have yet to be discovered like Cara Makes. Cara has a real way with words and is also very creative to boot.
I absolutely adore hipchic designs natural aesthetic and she really inspires me to try my hand at something new.
Additions Style has a very inspirational blog for the creative types. She has a modern design aesthetic which is refreshing to the eyes.
I also added Moonangelnay, who is a fellow longtime EC member. I have always respected her work and her commitment to blogging.So I am going to make a commitment to return blog comments in a much more consistent way and to really try to be a supportive member of this wonderful community. I've gotten so much support myself through the past 3 years both personally and creatively and I really am grateful that there are people that still check in on me regularly.
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13 comments:
You said it - and I don't do a fraction of the work you do on your blog. I have been lax at posting due to lack of interest, not thinking I much interesting to post, forgetting, and trying to concentrate on projects. So when I saw your title, I had to read it. I am on dial up this hour, so my patience is very thin, but I read your post and it has given me food for thought. We'll see what I munch on. Thanks and good luck to you!
I agree with everything you say, I also like to be part of the blogging community — and I really should update my blog list too! Beautiful post.
It is hard, isn't it??! And there are lots of times when I can't do it all--live life, post, answer comments, visit other blogs, and comment there too. Ugh! I don't think anyone expects too much, but I have found that my comments really drop if I don't visit everyone often. I guess it's the old "outta sight, outta mind" kind of thing.
Do what makes you happy and sane. When it gets to be a chore, then it is time to hang it up or take a break. I'd miss ya though! ;)
I'm always cleaning up the blogroll. Where do I keep finding new blogs to follow???!
I agree blogging is hard but I also find it very rewarding. I wasn't so consistent for quite some time. I gave myself a personal challenge that I would post every day, and only visit blogs that I enjoy visiting. Once I got away from all the dropping on random blogs I enjoyed it much more. I still have ec but don't really pay much attention to it. I find for me that the daily post keeps my mind in working order :)
I already have your link on my sidebar and thank you I see I'm in yours.
Amen. Blogging is hard--especially when there's so many other commitments in our lives to do. I don't know how you manage so many blogs, but kudos to you because you put in a lot of hard work!
I couldn't agree more about blogging and posting something interesting and engaging. Some weeks I think "What the heck am I gonna write about this week????". I also agree about commenting more on other blogs but that can be difficult as you don't want to just comment for commenting sake. Pointless just typing something that adds no value to that persons post so you do have to pick your posts to comment on. I think you do a pretty darn good job to begin with.
Great post!! And yes some days blogging is so hard ;) I have company, my mom...I never get to see here and we are sewing and visiting rather than me keeping up blogging. Oh I hope and pray my readers don't grow impatient and run away.
Thanks so much for the feature :) I love to hear that I have inspired something good.
awww you're so sweet! I totally agree blogging is VERY difficult and requires a lot of commitment if you want to keep on top of your traffic. I now blog everyday and I an a guest blogger on Handmade Spark so I do feel the pressure sometimes with trying to keep up with things. and this is why I REALLY appreciate it when people acknowledge stuff I do and give me a mention here and there. I know what you mean about EC... I used to drop on 100 art blogs but I've had to reduce it down as its obviously the genuine and more commited art blogs that remain in the top 50... a lot of the rest are in the wrong catagory and like you say, naked people!!! i complained to EC to get the porn removed but i still see it sometimes which annoys the hell out of me.
anyway thanks so much for the mention i really appreciate it! i have mentioned this gesture in my gratitude post for today briefly although i intend to write more on Sunday as I am really grateful as EC is something that takes up a lot of time and is very rarely mentioned on my behalf as i do it everyday for the benefit of all the people i feature on my blog.
This post spoke to me. I just started blogging again after a couple of months of life getting in the way. Again, I'm making every effort to keep posting. I missed my daily visits to my fellow bloggers who always have something inspiring to say or show.
I hear ya Paige. You do have a full time job on your hands if you're a dedicated blogger. And it is hard to be consistent. I guess that's why so many people try to make it their job job.
Blogging is a lot of work! When I decided last year to start blogging everyday, I had no idea what a job it was going to be. I think to be a blogger you have to passionate about the subject you write about, and it becames a little easier.
Thank you so much for featuring my blog! I really appreciate the mention.
It is nice to know that as a blogging community we can inspire each other to grow creatively. Great post!
I have been in a blog funk lately also; mostly due to lack of time after work, but also due to tendinitis/bursitis pain in my hand/finger joints from all the typing at work. It is hard to maintain continuity with so many other life obligations. I have been meaning to clean up my list and re-feature some of my faves, and you have inspired me to put that back at the top of my to-do list. Thank you for making my blog one of your "keepers." I also love some of the other blogs on your EC favorites list.
Aw! I somehow totally missed your sweet comments last year! I'm properly shamed, I really fell off the blogwagon! But I hope you're still reading and enjoying as I try to clamber back on!
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