I've been in a blogging funk lately. And I wish I had a nickel for every time I've typed that here because I think all of my money stress would evaporate.
The difference between this funk and past ones, however, is that I'm feeling it in writing and reading.
Let's start with the writing, since that's the easiest to...well, write about, I guess. I feel like with every post I'm trying too hard. Trying to stand out, to seem interesting, to catch the eye of somebody new. I feel like many of the posts that are intended to be genuine come across as self-serving and whiny. I'm trying too hard because the inspiration is gone and I'm relatively sure that is 100% obvious to anyone who reads. It's interesting that the harder you try the harder it is to write anything genuine.
Now on to the reading. I'll begin by saying a couple of things: first, I know many others have written posts similar to this one so I'm probably a bit late to the party. Second, I don't begrudge other bloggers for what they choose to write about. Your blog is your own and you should be able to say or post whatever the hell you want to. This isn't to say that people shouldn't disagree or offer differing viewpoints if they are invited; I'm of the mind that congenial disagreement only serves to enliven the writing and reading process. My issue recently is that sometimes what a blogger chooses to write just isn't something that interests me, which is more an issue with me and my interests than with the blogger since I am perfectly capable of just not reading what that particular person has to write (which is one reason why I think that websites/blogs devoted to hating on blogs are kind of pointless). I'm sure there are plenty of people who have come to my blog once or twice, or many times, and decided that I'm not producing anything that holds any interest for them.
I'm not out to dictate, nor am I qualified to dictate, what people should and shouldn't write about. I know that I don't want to be pressured into writing about something that makes me uncomfortable or doesn't move my blog in a direction I want to go. At this point, I just find myself gravitating more toward people who share their lives with me.
Lately I have found myself passing over most--though certainly not all--outfit posts, link-ups, DIYs, or Etsy treasuries in favor of posts about someone's day, or a weak period someone may be going through, or a strong one. Not to belabor my point or my fear of offending someone, but this isn't to say that there's anything wrong with a few outfit posts, link-ups, DIYs, or Etsy treasuries now and then...they just aren't something I as a reader find inspiring anymore. I read a post recently advising bloggers not to write personal posts because it's unprofessional and unfocused, and while that is certainly a valid way to run a blog, it personally made me kind of sad. For my sake, and because of my personal interests, I hope that bloggers aren't pulling away from delving into their personal lives. For me, and I grant that I always could be alone or in the minority, that's always what this has been about.
I'm kind of at a point in blogging, I suppose, where it's time to start clearing out my reading list and stop reading blogs just to read them. I also want to become a better and more robust commenter, rather than the drivel I've been producing lately (which I apologize for). Because I'm relatively unsure of exactly what I want to do, the process just ends up being frustrating and exhausting (first world problems, amiright? I feel like such a whiny ass for writing this).
I hope I don't seem as though I think I have all the answers in blogging or that I'm judging others. Lord knows that most days I slam my head on the keyboard or take a photo of myself in pajamas and call it a day. I'm really grateful that I've met so many amazing people through this blog and I hope to continue the friendships that I have developed.
I don't think I could stop writing so I'm not trying to throw a pity party, but I might end up pulling away to some extent to figure out just what the hell is the deal with my funk.
I hope you're all having a wonderful Friday.
