PLEASURE.
That’s it, I’ve said it.
I was leading a workshop for Birmingham Book Festival last weekend called Finding Your Blogging Voice. One of the first things we did was brainstorm our reasons for blogging. Between us we said:
- to have a voice
- to showcase work
- to create an archive of material
- to explain a business
- to connect with people
- to improve SEO.
I was leading the workshop and so I forgot to say that, though I do indeed get all those benefits from blogging, my number one reason for going tap, tap, tap is because I enjoy it.
There are all sorts of different pleasures, of course.
Blogging isn’t like sex
The pleasure of blogging isn’t like that of sex or swimming or lying on the sofa with a glass of wine. It’s more like the pleasure of making a photo album – but using word-pictures rather than images.
And, as I said when I created this website, it’s like the pleasure of having my own room and getting it just how I want – my own little bit of cyberpace where I can play and muse and hang out with my friends.
In her seminal post What We’re Doing When We Blog, Meg Hourian talks about the anatomy of a post and the communication evolution etc. It’s all good stuff.
But she doesn’t say: “Having fun.” That’s what I’m doing when I blog and the day it stops being enjoyable, is the day I’ll stop blogging.
love and miss your writting jo.
Also thought of other reasons to blog. to be free, to be active and alive, to jump into new experiences, to rediscover myself and others, to see myself differently. To love to see beauty to be creative, to help the sun to shine brighter, and many many more.
love. alia
Ah! Lovely reasons! I have to admit, none of those came up in the blogging workshop…but now you come to mention them….!
Thanks Jo,
Pleassure – good one!
Mine is still to practice on and get feedback. However, it has become like an archive now.
Thanks again for workshop.
Gosh it would help if I could spell! I meant – pleasure
Glad you enjoyed the workshop, Rickie.
For me, the archive element is part of the pleasure. That’s one of the ways in which it’s like a photo album – something to scroll through and use as a way to remember. Thanks for the comment.
Jo, thanks for the excellent workshop earlier this month. I came away buzzing with ideas and have now set up my own Blog! I am still getting to grips with the ‘technical’ side of things but I am already addicted to my blog – and can’t wait for the first ‘comment’! I absolutely agree with you that it’s like putting a photo album together. I love finding nice piccies to liven up the pages!
I can’t tell you how chuffed I am that you have set up your blog. Well done, Helen. I’ve been to take a look – it’s fab. May your pleasure long continue.
Very well said. There is nothing that can make you stay and be successful at what you do if you don’t derive pleasure from it. Likely the reason why some bloggers make it and some don’t. Those who don’t are surely unhappy about it.