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| pretty little springy things! |
Have you heard about slow blogging? Blair wrote about it eloquently as well as Erin. Many long time bloggers are feeling the evolution of their blogs over the years and wondering where they fit in now. Why am I doing this? What do I want out of it and what do my readers get out of it? Is what I have to say still relevant? Does anyone care or have time to care?
I was happy to hear that I am not alone in these feelings. Back in the day (almost 7 years ago!) I started my blog as a creative outlet. Now I run my own sewing pattern design business and the blog is a companion to that. I miss the simplicity of making things for the heck of it and posting it to say, “Hey! Look what I made!” Deadlines, bookkeeping, packing and shipping, and oh yeah, designing new things has to come first.
Recently I was given the advice to evolve my blog into a “lifestyle blog” and treat is as another “product” that I offer. Post more regularly, build my following, add sponsorship, etc. I could do that. I probably even should do that. But that doesn’t feel like me to me. I always want to be true to myself and be passionate about the products that I create, whether it’s my blog or my sewing patterns or my books, etc.
I still love reading blogs and make a point to comment on at least one a day. I still love writing posts and having interaction in the comments with my readers. I know I can’t keep up with the pace of daily posts (or even 3 times a week at times!) and with my intense book deadlines this spring, I know the posts will be more sparse than usual. But I’ll be here. Slow and steady, that’s my plan. I hope you’re ok with that.
Love your blog and follow you on Twitter so know you are one busy person. Look forward to ready the blog whenever you have the time and inclination to posst!
Thanks, Sandy! I’m glad you are here!
i agree with sandy….i follow you on twitter & read whenever you post on your blog….i love reading about your felty creations even though i’m not a felty person myself!! 🙂
Thanks, TCC! If you’re in Instagram I’m back over there now too. 🙂 username: betz_white
I agree with all you say in your post it is hard to keep it updated regular, I think you do well to update us with lovely makes considering how many deadlines you must have to meet with your work.
I now try not to get to stressed thinking I need to post something on my blog as I found it was taking the enjoyment out of what I wanted to say and show.
Now I post when I am ready to show something that I have finished without rushing, and give myself 20mins to read and answer fellow bloggers.
best wishes Julie.C
Thanks, Julie. I agree, it is better to wait and have something meaningful to post rather that just generate “filler”!
After living out in Northern Ca i have learned to slow down (the locals would tell me to take it down a notch) and find my work is better, I’m happier, my family is happier. What are we all running towards, where on earth are we going that we have to run like crazy people? As I said to one of my sons (we were laughing) “We’re just careening towards death, why are we in such a hurry?!” We were talking about living more in the moment and slowing down allows me to stop and smell the roses 🙂 (and read your lovely blog)
Wonderful comment, thank you! Taking it down a notch…
I have only been blogging for about about a year and a half, but every once in awhile, someone will suggest a topic to me that they feel might be interesting, but would definitely not be me. I would be attending something, traveling to something, seeing something just for the sake of a post and it would be disingenuous – it wouldn’t be me. I’m always grateful for suggestions – sometimes It is totally me! I think that we have to follow our hearts.
I love to read your posts; to learn new ideas; to follow you on your trips to various things. I’m not a a twitter person – but I’m just not really familiar with it. Perhaps it’s time to give it a try!
Thanks for being here with me, Tracy!
Reading blogs compares to reading a letter. I don’t have to read one from each every day to apprciate what’s going on. Have followed you for some time and don’t intend to stop now. Regena in TN.
Thanks, Regena. Excellent point!
I love your Blog and follow it everyday. I appreciate how busy you are and how different your life is to mine. I don’t care when you post, I just know that when you do it will be awesome. You are so creative and I look forward to your next book. From Sydney, Australia.
Aww, thanks!!!
I sometimes wonder if those who post so frequently are just trying to find something to say or write about because it’s habit, but sometimes what they post isn’t interesting or even relevant and dare I say can be boring.
If you’re going to post regularly:
DO post about different things over the course of the week.
DO let me know you’re human and have a life by letting me in on personal peek of something other than what your blog is mainly about.
DO run your blog in such a way that it stays true to your voice and yourself 🙂
You got it Tumus! Thanks for your comment!
You said it best…you have to be you first. I have long admired your work and have followed your blog as well as your book and class at Craftsy. I started blogging a year ago and there was a point when I wondered if I had to keep doing it everyday in order to make it mean anything. Well, that was just not attainable for my lifestyle or my family dynamic. I look at bloggers like yourself and Amanda Soule (among many more) with such admiration,not because you blog everyday(although many do), but because of the work that you are sharing with us all…the ideas, the projects, the lifestyle…it’s very inspiring and it doesn’t matter if you post once a week or everyday as long as the content is real and it comes from a genuine place. And as a fellow Northern CA gal, I agree with Jayne…what’s the rush? Best, Dara
Thank you so much Dara, for your comment and for following the blog. It’s nice to have “regulars” to carry on some kind of conversation with.