Blogger Burnout
So as I’m sure some of you have noticed, my blog entries have been somewhat delayed. Truth be told, my heart is not really in it, but I’m not sure I’m ready to give up quite yet. Part of me wants to take a break for at least a month, but the other part of me says that I should keep going because on an average day, I really don’t spend more than 15-20 minutes writing a new entry. Plus it’s good to continue documenting my thoughts as it will be useful someday when I write my autobiography. The real challenge though is that I find myself doing a lot of self censorship. It’s one thing to talk publicly about what I’m doing or thinking. It’s a whole other ball game when other interested parties be they be family, friends or even coworkers get in the picture. For example, someone who small remain nameless recently told me that most of my entries re my younger sister are negative. They even suggested I go back and do a bit of editing as if she ever read what I wrote she would be upset. Well of the 1000 post I’ve entered here, only about 10 mention her and if the truth hurts, so be it. I’m not doing any editing of past entries. But clearly I’m thinking about future entries. Its one thing to be critical of self but to be critical of others is a whole other ball game. Particularly since the stories told here are only from my point of view. Either way, I’m experiencing blogger burnout. But I’m trudge on, with the hopes that I’ll get inspired again. In the mean time, here’s hoping that all those crazy blog spammers will go away. They are really driving me crazy.
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July 13, 2004 at 9:08 am
Dragonslayer
TsuKata, that wouldn’t have been a college student from out East who commented in your blog, would it? He left a similar content in mine.
Look, even these periods where you are uninspired or holding back are important to note in your blog. One of the things that amazes me when I look back at any of my writing, Blog or otherwise, is how my writing is affected by other things in my life. And you can tell from the writing (by hand, it’s really apparent in even the pen strokes). For instance, when I switch back and forth between using real names, that gives me a clue about my comfort level with the real world at the time of the writing.
Your acknowledgement of burnout will be important when you look back at the entire journey chronicled by your blog.
July 11, 2004 at 2:11 pm
TsuKata/JCS
I’ve been feeling a little burned out, too, and I think my blog is suffering as a result. I also had some of the self-censorship woes that you describe. After a few months, I realized that I was only posting the bad things about my relationship with Scott…I was very rarely posting about the things I enjoyed. And, as a result, my mom and some of my other friends were getting this really bad impression of him. Thing is, I always liked using my blog as a venting tool…so that was why negative things came up there more…but when I realized the effect it was having on how others viewed my sweetie, I cut back on it alot…it’s pretty rare for me to talk about our fights on there now. I mean, FWIW, I don’t exactly have a great impression of your sister right now, but I also know from my own experience not to let that influence me too much…because I’m sure that you’re just venting, too. Being able to vent somewhere “neutral” helps keep the sanity intact, I think.
Anyways, I’ve been doing some soul searching about my blog…do I want to shift it to less of a description of my day-to-day life? Should I have a purpose? It bugged me recently when someone remarked that they had read my site but really didn’t understand what I was writing about at all…I meant for it to accessible, not cryptic. ::sigh:: I don’t know. 🙂 You’ve gotta do what’s right for you at the moment.
July 11, 2004 at 10:23 am
Miss E
I understand. I’m burning out too, and I hate it. I’m getting flamed for being too needy when I talk about the things I’m thinking and feeling – and I’m tired of just writing about what I do or eat or read. I made a conscious choice to get away from that style of blogging about a month ago when my boy was away and I felt like we never had anything to talk about because he could read about my entire day online before I called him. I don’t know – maybe that’s safer, but it takes something out of me to not be able to write about my heart, you know?
July 11, 2004 at 7:44 am
kt
Not long ago, (I forget where) somebody posted something about do people who don’t read your blog really know you.
Now, I doubt you can actually know someone just because you read their blog. But if you know someone in real life, then reading their blog lets you see the parts of them they might not show normally.
Don’t forget that people don’t have to read your blog. And if a sister, or friend, or vague acquaintance, reads something that sounds negative, maybe they should talk to you about it and ask, hey, is that how you really feel?
Blogs are for sharing the things we’re too uptight to share in any other format. It’s more important to be honest than to be polite. If you’re blogging for yourself, then there shouldn’t be a need to stop. If you’re blogging for someone else, then its worth asking yourself why.
July 10, 2004 at 2:22 pm
Waleed
I was going to recommend that very same article to you until i got to the end of your post.
I’m currently switching hosting companies and though the switch is over; i’m taking a few seconds off.
To be alive online, I guess you don’t just need to write, you also need to comment elsewhere. Thus, you live.
Through the legendary hyperlink system.