Monday, June 26, 2017

Have You Lost Your Blogging Passion?


When I first started my blog, I loved it and nurtured it and focused on
it daily.  As my blogging world grew, I met so many new people who
shared this passion and the excitement level was always on high.  There 
were parties to join and themes that provided the chance to share
creations.  It was a whirlwind of happy activity and my life revolved
around it.

I remember people asking me ~ what is a blog and what will this do
for you?  In the early days of this blog, I didn't know what I expected,
I just knew that I loved reading blogs and wanted to be part of the
whole scene.  



It was like tending a garden and watching seeds grow.  There was the
thrill of seeing what was once one little blog post, grow into many new
posts and readers.  In those early days, every activity became a potential
blog post.   My husband teased me about it continually.  I cannot tell 
you how many times I heard him say Is this a blog post???  As the days
and weeks went by, my Mom got involved in the excitement too.  She
would call and say What do you think about this idea for a blog post?
The whole family was immersed in this new world.



Just when I thought I had run out of ideas, another holiday or season 
rolled around and suddenly the creative juices were on high alert.  I 
could hardly wait to pull out dishes and props and set the scene for yet
another vignette.  If creativity is a drug, vignettes became my vehicle
to ecstasy.  Every shopping trip became an expedition for new props
that would add to my cache of creations.  Suddenly my cabinets were
overflowing with necessary items to convey a mood or party theme.



Blogging has it's seasons too.  There comes a time when the life and 
vibrancy of a blog begins to wain.  The creative light begins to dim and
the enthusiasm starts to slip away.  Many of the blogs I once followed have
disappeared.  Some bloggers have changed their formats and others have
just hung up their aprons.  



Technology has changed everything too.  Everything is faster and blogs
begin to pale in comparison to formats like Instagram and Facebook where
the response is quick and the posting is seemingly effortless.  I used to carry
a small camera with me everywhere to snap pics.  I used my Cannon to 
work at home.  There were so many more steps involved in creating a 
blog post.  Now I use my iPhone for photos and editing and speedy uploads
to a variety of social media platforms.  It's changed my world completely.



In a way, blogging has become like letter writing.  We don't write letters
as we once did.  We text and share our news on Facebook, yet receiving a
hand written note brings us so much closer to the author.  It's personal, it's 
lasting, it stays in our memory longer than a text.  The carefully formed 
letters on a piece of stationary are unique to it's writer and become treasured
more and more by it's recipient as the years pass.



While my passion for blogging has taken a vacation recently,  I have
decided that there still is a place for it in my life.  It is evolving just as
the world is evolving around me.  It may not be speedy or shiny and
bright as some new platforms, but it still has a place in my heart and 
hope that it will in yours too.

Big Texas Hugs,
Susan and Bentley









31 comments:

  1. You speak for me too, Susan. I'm glad you're still writing.

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  2. Great post. My blogging passion has its highs and lows. I have decided to take a break to get recharged. BTW... your husband reminds me of my husband. He teases me about what is "blogworthy" and what is not. Enjoy your week.

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    Replies
    1. Maybe we should start a support group for spouses of bloggers :-)

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  3. Susan, this definitely strikes a note for me. My blogging creativity ebbs and flows, but I still seem to find it a rewarding as a creative outlet. It does take a lot of work, but it's something that I enjoy. Yes, "blogworthy" seems to be a catchword for those who know me. Some friends even make an effort to help me find just the right photo op when I'm visiting.
    Thanks for sharing these thoughts and thanks for continuing to blog. I would miss you!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Sarah! Have you been asked "Are you going to blog about this?" Some of my friends and family are afraid that they might end up on this page, lol.

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  4. Great post Susan. I feel the same with my blog and have been taking breaks more often than I should, and yet I don't want to stop blogging.

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    1. I think breaks are a good thing from time to time, at least they seem to be for me. My worst blog posts are when I force myself to write or to fit into a blogging box. I am learning just to go with the flow and see where the passion takes me.

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  5. Susan you are saying what I feel also! But I love blogging and the friends I've made and I'm not ready to hang up my apron just yet. I'm glad you will continue also. Hugs!

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  6. I don't spend as much time looking at blogs anymore but will continue to blog. I find looking at specialty facebook pages to be fast and works well.

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  7. I like your comment about letters. I read to see what others are doing that are in different stages of life, different places and just different than mine. Reading other blogs stimulate thoughts. and reminds me that my life isn't just work - otherwise I"d work all the time. I blog for myself and family after I'm gone (so they have fun remembering me) so I don't blog as often as others.

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    1. I agree. When I first started to read blogs, it was a great comfort to me. My parents were having health issues and I found solace reading about the lives of others. I like your idea of using your blog as a legacy!

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  8. Lovely post, Susan! I think many of us feel this way, I know I do. After a couple of months off for my knee surgery it was hard to get blogging again, but I know there is still a place for it in my life, too. You are right blogs are evolving...and I love Instagram, too! xo

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    Replies
    1. I hope you are feeling better now and ready to jump back in!

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  9. Hello,
    I have popped over from Shug's blog. Your post title caught my eye.
    Everything you said is so correct. I miss how it was before all the technology
    came to play. I don't see as many people as I used to and comments are few and
    far between. Readership is still there but not as it used to be.
    I enjoy blogging and I would miss it if I did not blog but I hope to see it come
    back in full force.

    M : )

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    Replies
    1. I think that the number of blogs has grown greatly too which has changed the picture.

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  10. I would imagine we all have the highs and lows of creativity when blogging Susan. I love and enjoy your posts and feel you add so much to the world of blogging. I so hope you continue. Thank you for sharing your lovely home, gardens and travels....just think, the holidays are just around the corner....

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  11. Don't you think you need a new template for your blog?
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  12. I don't blog but I appreciate those who do. Many bloggers I follow have cut their posts down to once or twice per week, which is fine by me. Some have quit altogether. Personally, I don't know how you do it. I do follow groups on FB but I don't have a smart phone so I don't follow any Instagram accounts. I feel left out when someone quits to only do Instagram. That's life though. Thanks for all the inspiration

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  13. Thank you for writing. I read each one and love your pictures.

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  14. I sure hope you stay with us because i surely enjoy your blog!!!

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  15. I always look forward to your blog. It's like a phone call from a friend. I recently have looked at some of the blogs that I have followed for quite some time. They have become too much alike or they are pushing products more than sharing ideas, but lately it seems all the walls are white or gray, cabinets are white or gray, furniture is white, it's same ole, same ole. When you see their blog email and you find yourself deleting before you even open it, then it's time to not follow their blog. Your blogs are refreshing and I love your sharing your memories with us. Your's is a keeper.

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  16. From the heart Susan. Beautiful post. Hugs.
    Joy

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  17. I didn't know where you were going with that. So glad you aren't hanging up your apron and calling it a day. I still love blogging. You captured those early years perfectly.

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  18. Thank God you're not going anywhere since I just got here! I just stumbled across your blog yesterday and am enjoying getting to know you by reading backwards. I'm at the "My Love Affair with the Lamp" post.....so happy I have so much more to read.

    Debi

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  19. I feel the same as you. My blogging is not what it use to be. But I do continue to post as often as I can. I love reading your blog. I hope you never stop posting. Blogging is a great creative outlet for many of us. And a way to meet other like minded people. I like blogs that are "real". Those who post about their life catch my interest. And you do that. You are "real". Keep posting. Hugs to you.

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  20. I know exactly what you mean, Susan. Sometimes it's hard to recall the passion we once had when we began blogging in the first place. But I'm sure you'll continue to do great things, sharing, with your blog. xo Kathleen|Our Hopeful Home

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  21. I've been feeling the same way...I noticed it when we went through our remodel from h*ll! It took a lot out of me and still does...Its become more work than it use to be...time to stage, times to take photos, time to edit, time to post..I've only been posting once or twice a week..But what I love is instagram...posting photos and visiting is so much quicker...I hope we both continue because it gives me joy and motivation..

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Oliver and I LOVE and read every comment.