I am addicted to a magazine by Somerset Press called ARTFUL BLOGGING. It features different blogs each issue and, while most focus on art, they all do so in an intensely different way. All are beautiful!
The last issue contained a letter from the editor, Christen Olivarez, which was, in part, a reflection on why people blog. She stated that "Blogs give us a way to celebrate the everyday, ordinary events that are so important to us". This got me thinking why I blog (not one blog but keep two).
I have a variety of reasons to blog. This one is more social than the altered art blog I keep so, in that way, it has become a record of our daily lives. We bike, we walk, we meet up with friends for lunch or cocktails,E cooks and we have people over for meals, we go to festivals, we travel and we have good friends stay with us in our home. This is our daily existence. I don't do a lot of reflecting on how we might live our lives differently as we are pretty satisfied with our lives.
I also use it to promote the companies for whom I design and for companies in whom I believe. If I didn't believe these were good, honest companies, I would not 'work' for them or tell people about them on my blog. Money is tight for almost everyone I know and I like a good bargain as much as the next one.
Furthermore, I use this blog to keep in touch with friends and relatives near and far. Perhaps it is a bit egocentric to believe they are interested in what we are doing but so be it. I love the option we all have of not reading blogs that upset us or make us irritated because they contradict what we believe to be the way life should be lived. I find others' interesting but should one bother me, I simply execute my option and not visit again.
My altered art blog is just that; it is a place to share my passion for taking something ordinary and making it something else. Often I fall short of making it extraordinary but that blog is all about doing and learning and trying and sharing what works and what doesn't and YES! showing off a bit! I feel I've come a long ways for someone who took one art class after elementary school and I am proud of what I have learned.
So, gentle readers, I have two questions to pose to you and I shall have a drawing in about a week (with a goody bag prize) for those who post their answers to these questions
1. Why do you blog? (assuming you do or if you don't yet...why don't you blog?)
2. What types of blogs do you read and why?
Thanks and have a blog happy day!
15 comments:
I blog to capture my sons second year- the first year blew by so fast I couldn't catch my breath.
I read several blogs- fellow scrappers, collectors of memories and mommies just like me. I also have alot of friends who blog so its my way of keeping in touch.
I don't keep a regular blog, but I am very active on facebook and almost daily add some type of comment and I do have a lot of pictures. I've tried to blog, but it just did not take off with me. Facebook really serves me well, however, and I feel like it is a blog of sorts.
I have read your blog and the blogs of many of your Florida scrapbook friends - this started from reading your posts on the CK message board years back. I enjoy learning scrapbook-related things from everyone, I became a very happy KNK Club customer due to your promotion of that site, and I really enjoy reading about daily life in Florida. Florida has a special charm about it - and it often has been my vacation destination. Several of you are teachers/retired teachers. I got my degree in business, but always had a bit a regret that I did not follow my heart and teach instead, so I enjoy that aspect of reading the some of these blogs. In addition to the Florida ladies blogs, I read the blogs of the scrapbook industry leaders. I would read more blogs if I had the time! I learn a lot from them.
Great questions Jules. For the longest time I didn't blog because I didn't think I would keep up with it, nor do I have anything interesting to say. But then I thought to give it a try. I have days (okay...weeks) where I don't blog but I eventually get back there. I like sharing pics of the grandchildren with family to keep them updated and posting some of my work for my scrapping friends to see. I love the inspiration I get from other people's blogs who scrap and I love reading blogs that are just about people's everyday life because i tend to be a nosy person. LOL!
I don't blog daily, mainly because I don't have anything to say and I don't want to write 'Got up, went to work, came home, putzed around and went to bed' every day.
Usually it's when I have something to express. I print my blog out monthly and put it in a 3 ring binder. It's my journal I guess.
I read blogs of my friends mostly to keep up with their lives, and to live vicariously through those that have more exciting things going on! LOL!
There are some that I don't read, but like you said, we all have options.
Hi Jules, You know I blog and I do it to share what we're doing mostly for the family and friends that want to keep up with us.
I end up blogging more when we're in Florida I think because the family is up north and the grandchildren like to see whats going on. Becca cks in every day to see whats new also.
I read an assorted group of blogs from friends and scrapping ones to see the new creations.
1) I started blogging to share photographs of events, people, odds and ends, with a little commentary here and there. I didn't anticipate a big audience, but whaddayaknow, I was disappointed that I didn't have more of a following!
I didn't then, nor do I now write for anyone in particular (if it were only for myself, I'd keep a journal and forget the blog), but I do shift gears. I don't tend to share day to day stuff on a regular basis--who cares what I ate for breakfast or that I watched the same TV show this week as last week?--but I will write about what is occupying my life and times that I think may be of interest to anyone who does actually want to know.
Periodically I do some "deep thinking" reflection, editorialize on life beyond my walls (politics, for instance) and on Fridays I participate in what is called "Friday Five" by a group of clergy and other theological-type women: that saves me from having to think of what I will write about at least one day a week! Sometimes I post youtube links, cartoons, or other stuff that isn't my own. In short, my blog is a place to extend some portion of who I am through written expression. Every day is its own creation.
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let me break in here and apologize for how long this is getting!
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2) I don't visit lots and lots of blogs. There just isn't time! I tend to visit blogs of people I know, followed by blogs I have learned about through others whether there might be a common interest. I read blogs that make me laugh. I read blogs that make me think. I read blogs of people with whom I share a common interests and find that I am actually getting to "know" a few of those.
There. I think I'm done now!
Dear Anne, I have to tell you that your blog is one that I read (pardon the pun) religiously. You have always invoked a note in my soul with your writings and you make me think...so thank you!
I have to answer these in reverse...I started reading blogs excessively January 09 after having my knee replaced. I couldn't craft for nearly 4 months so the next best thing was to read what others were doing. I entered a few giveaways and actually won a few so I felt involved and I felt I was among friends. I was off work 6 months and I ended up with about 200 blogs I visited. One of the blog owners asked me to guest blog for them on Sundays and I did that a few times. So, I finally took the plunge and started my own blog about a week before I went back to work. Now I find I don't have the time to post often enough but I do post when I can. I still enjoy reading what others are up to and find a little inspiration. Thanks for being one of those blogs that kept me happy and among friends, ms.cheryl
This is a very good question! I didn't blog for a long time, thinking how on earth would I possibly keep up with daily MB postings, plus a personal blog.... now I am so glad I started mine! It's a great way for some long-distance family to stay updated on what we're doing, and I am also very interested in promoting KNK wherever I can because I really believe in it! I don't post daily.... nobody would really be interested in my daily mundane stuff lol but do post whenever I have a family event or new scrappy stuff I want to share. :) And since I started my own, I have started paying attention to other blogs out there. There is a lot that can be learned in the scrapbooking world from other's experiences, and lots of great ideas out there.
I started a blog while I was pregnant with my daughter. It was a way to capture the day to day with a baby and share with friends and family. I noticed that I was updating it less frequently as she got older and busier and haven't actually blogged in about a year.
I frequent the blogs of my scrapping friends to keep up on their lives, funny blogs (like cake wrecks) and really enjoy a toddler crafts blog (No Time For Flashcards).m
Well...I HAVE a blog but I rarely write in it! I mostly use it when I want to post a number of pictures and write something about them, more than can be written n a normal photo-sharing site.
I read those of my friends particularly those who I don't always see on other message boards or those like you, Jules, who include a lot of pictures and details of their lives.
Pam
I started reading the blogs when the CKMB was going downhill. It was a way of keeping up with people that I'd "met" and enjoyed their views. I still have a core group of blogs, lots of you florida gals. You gals are always having some great SB ideas and fun. I've got a collection of hobby farm blogs I like too. Strange how I feel like I know these people after following them for so long yet I've never met them. Guess I find it interesting how people live in other parts of the country.
I myself don't blog. I still keep a paper journal/calendar that I add photos, momentos, etc
Maybe one of these days I'll switch to blogging, when my DH askes one more time what I'm going to do with all these journals. LOL :)
I started blogging in 2006 after I saw everyone (it seemed) doing it. So I thought that it would be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends. Then somewhere along the way, it became my journal of things we did as Lions and the personal stuff took a back burner.
As it turns out, good thing I did start this, since as time went on and we got busier and busier, I was unable to keep up with my scrapping. I had been doing our club scrapbooks since Emil was president the first time (93-94) and now I have not done them for the past couple of years.
I'm still taking photos, so along with the blog entries, I can hopefully do a few books of our adventures one day!
Hey Jules-
I don't have a blog but have been thinking of starting one for at least a year. I really want to, it's just the technical stuff that intimidates me. I would like to do it as a record for my girls and a way to keep in touch with family. I started following blogs through scrapbooking. I think the first blog I read was Kip's and of course, I had to follow all of her links, which lead to more links and then there were all of the scrapping blogs through two peas, etc... I love seeing through these blogs that even though we're all different, we are all so similar in our daily lives and struggles. There is comfort and strength in that.
LOVE your blog!! Zora
Mine is more like an on-line diary, a place to get it all out. I'm sure at one point in time it will help with journaling as well. I will scrapbook...one day! :P
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