WOW = WIPs On Wednesdays
When I started blogging 10 years ago, I had no idea that I'd still be doing it today.
It takes time, effort and bother - no doubt about it.
But it also gives back so much more than it takes.
But it also gives back so much more than it takes.
In my life, I've created a lot of things - in many different mediums. Although I 'remember' them, theoretically speaking, I don't have a 'catalog' of them listed anywhere, let alone a dated entry post dedicated to them. And this is where blogging is so valuable for creative people. Believe me when I tell you this; I forget how many quilts I've made. I also forget the order I released my own BOMs in and I forget what I was up to, creatively, this time last year. Let alone what I designed and created in my younger years as a textile designer and before that, a fashion and costume designer. Oh my goodness, what a record that would have been to browse through today! Unfortunately, I've never been a diary keeper and so, many creative pursuits have simply been lost to time.
Time waits for no person and especially not the creative person. Blogging has allowed me to document and journal my work in way that I had not managed in any other time in my life right up until I sat down to that first and rather brief blog post. It was a very small, very humble beginning. But one I am so glad I started. For now, I have a record, a history and a timeline of exactly what I've been up to these past 10 years and it's a breeze to look things up, share info and sometimes even jog my own memory. Sure, 10 years isn't such a long time, but there are even blog posts I don't remember writing and projects I don't remember starting - all documented here.
It's certainly proven to be a treasure chest of my time.
And so, I'm really perplexed and left wondering.. where have all the bloggers gone? 10 years ago you could find a blog on almost any subject and be sure to find someone friendly, knowledgeable and actively blogging - it was such a indulgence. From rose gardening to perfect pancakes, there was a blogger ready and waiting to invite you into their lives. Real experiences, real opinions and no advertising or editorial control over the content - just the real goods, no filler.
Today? So many interesting niche blogs have disappeared. So many interesting spots just disappear into virtual nothingness as the years are ticking by.. and so few are being started. It's such a shame.
As for me, I'll be blogging as long as I have the internet, which I'm pretty sure will be forever. Or until Google kick me off for using up too much web space..if such a thing even exists.
What about you?
Have you noticed blogging dropping off?
I, too have been blogging for ever, it seems. Yes, blogs have gone down considerably and I do cherish those blogs that hang in there and allow me to enter their creative life and see what they are up too.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I really need to do is get a book done in print for each year that I've blogged. That is my diary.
Congrats on 10 years! I look forward to seeing what you will do with each post.
Totally agree. And regarding a book of the blog, I have been looking for such a thing for at least 5 years. I would like to have this blog in print. But everything I have found only creates 'highlights' and doesn't print comments and isn't a real record.
DeleteIf you find some way to do this, would you please let me know?
I have been happy with blog2print.com. I don't think it does comments, though, but it's not cheap, either, and printing the comments would just make the book more pricy, so for me, it works nicely. Hope you find something you like.
DeleteI think people now have Facebook pages and/or Instagram feeds. People (including me!) don't seem to sit down and write long posts anymore. It's more like snippets of a stream of consciousness.
ReplyDeleteYes I've noticed that. And although I have my Quilt Group on Facebook and like it for that (the "groups feature which doesn't exist in blogger), I also find that it's really hard to use Facebook as a reference for anything as the posts are not the same as Blogger and not as useful generally.
DeleteI think you are right. Blog posts have slowed considerably. I know I blog less now and have less to share than before but hope to keep going. For a number of reasons my life is different now. I make less quilts ;my eyesight has deteriorated and I have moved from the orchard to a new type of lifestyle. I hope my time to create and to blog increases as I am more settled here.Theoretically I should have more time as I am now retired.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes. I love your blog and what you create.
I hope you do continue blogging. Even if creators blog monthly or quarterly, it's still a record of doing and making. The high pressure idea of blogging daily doesn't appeal to me. I blog every Wednesday for the WOW post, that's a given. But around that Wednesday post, I only blog when I want to and have something I want to celebrate, share or record. It fluctuates. And one day it might slow down to only a monthly or quarterly post.. and that's fine too.
DeleteI agree - I have been blogging for 12 years now and time flies - it is a great way to keep track of what I make and when I did. Some blogs that I used to read have disappeared and it seems like it was around the time people became to be enthralled with Instagram - those one sentences instead of paragraphs is what some need. I do that too but not much - not as interesting . Some blogger friends of mine have died over the years also and some just stopped blogging for personal reasons I guess - to this day I still love blogging and do not consider it a chore - for those of you that consider it a chore it might not be for you
ReplyDeleteI like Instagram - but it just doesn't feel the same as reading a blog post. It's such a fleeting glimpse of a moment and again - I don't feel like Instagram is a record. But I do totally understand that it's quicker, more convenient and fits into life so much easier. Like you, I miss so many bloggers. Some have passed on now and others have given up. I wish I could tell them, even when you stop blogging, your readers would love monthly or even yearly updates to know how you're doing. Blogging is personal like that.
DeleteBlogging takes time and sometimes we need a break. Keep on blogging Esther. I love seeing what you are doing, especially your process.
ReplyDeleteIt sure does! And sometimes I think, 'why am I going this??' when I'm not in the mood to sit and type. But then I remember what I want to share or document and it gets my mood right again.
DeleteHmm... I've been blogging since 2010, nearly as long as you have, and for many of the same reasons you listed here. I love that my notes and photos on various projects can never be lost because they are enshrined on the Internet, where everything lasts forever and Google is right there to help you search your own bog with key words! I refer back to my own blog constantly to see what stitch settings I used on my machine last time I did a particular technique, what size a quilt was, and yes, to remind myself of things I'd made and given away and promptly forgotten about. I have also come to cherish the posts about family trips and milestones that are mixed in along the way. A blog post with the photos but also with the stories written down that go along with them is worth so much more than a dusty photo album, and my blog posts can't get lost in a fire or a flood, either. Where have those bloggers gone? Well, in order to be consistent with blogging you need to love writing as much as you love creating the things that you blog about. I know that for some, writing the blog posts was a chore that they were constantly chastising themselves for not keeping up with. And I think the explosion of "influencer" type blogs -- those that are written solely or primarily for profit, where the authors are constantly hawking products to readers in the guise of "personal recommendations from a friend" have been to the detriment of the community. There's more noise on the Internet every day and I think perhaps it's harder for us to find one another -- but that's why I love linky parties like your WIPs on Wednesday, Esther. I have discovered some fascinating creative bloggers from all over the world when I click through to see what others are working on each week!
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly how I feel. And yes, I have also looked back on my posts to see what stitch I used, what thread, even what glue - it's so easy to forget those things.
DeleteI also agree about influencer culture, it has really sullied 'blogs' as many people don't appreciate the difference between real content and contrived content.
But that still doesn't explain why creative people wouldn't be using the blogging platform as a place to record and document their journey. I suppose they don't think it's worth their time??
Such a great discussion ! I love reading blogs. Mine started around 2009 or so, and I have never put my whole name on the blog because i have a rather public job, and needed to keep my private life - well, private. But now I am moving toward retirement, and am "coming out" gradually ! And moving to a new state. Lots going on ! So, I am trying to dust off my blog - please stop by ...http://quiltingprofessor.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite blogs was Sue Garman, who wrote once a month but it was a rich, dense message, and I waited eagerly for it each month. Alas, she is gone now.
Like someone mentioned, I have stopped reading lots of blogs that started as friendly blogs and became storefronts. No problem with commercialism, just not what i want to read.
This discussion has inspired me to focus on my blog anew, and freshen up the content. I'll need a few new readers, too ! Hope you will stop by and have a cup o' something ... Kate, aka Kathleen
Congratulations on 10 years! I thought people had stopped blogging as my blog roll kept getting smaller, but it turns out that there are other people who are taking their place so I added them and now I am overwhelmed by the number of posts to read again. I too enjoy the record keeping aspect of blogging and don't plan to quit any time soon.
ReplyDeleteHi Esther! I am rather new to the whole blogging world as I didn't join in until a little over two years ago. I didn't know they existed, and I really missed out on a lot. Fortunately, the content mostly still remains as I still stumble upon oldies but goodie posts. I think many bloggers transitioned to Instagram, although I don't find that as friendly or as hands-on as a blog. I agree that blogs are work but it is definitely work that I enjoy very much, and I've met some very good friends through my own blog and those that I visit. ~smile~ Roseanne
ReplyDeleteI hope blogging does not become a lost art. I have been an appliquer for years and have lately become interested in fabric painting. Bloggers have donated for free so much info on this aspect of textile art. I don't know if I could have undertaken my new adventure without all this good info and sharing of experiences. It seems like everything has to be done quickly anymore and then on to the next thing. Makes me sad. I follow you every week Esther and read your pages with interest.
ReplyDeleteI would agree with everything that's been said so far. I started my blog in 2009 as a requirement of my first quilt-along. Early on, I posted a lot of content and actively tried to get readers by offering give-aways. I was working on a project with a friend that was going to allow me to do quilt designing and classes. But times changed. That project fell apart. I changed jobs. My husband's hobby became my hobby, further decreasing free time.
ReplyDeleteBut I think I will always do the blog, both for the record of my projects, but also because I LIKE the long narrative. It is my public space, where I limit Facebook to only close friends and family. I have too much to say for Twitter or Instagram. Blogs are less interactive than they used to be. Fewer comments, but also the platform I use has changed comments, so it is more difficult than before to continue a conversation.
I think that as a society our attention span is getting shorter and we are becoming more visual. Instagram filled a void for many people. It only take a moment to post an image and add some hashtags. I started blogging 15ish years ago. First as a writer before my first book released. I had always journaled and blogging feeling a bit like making my personal life public, but it was part of the marketing process. Then after my brain injury, blogging was a way to remember my life. Then I started a blog to share our newlywed life. Blogging is still the way I remember my life. Though I may get more comments on a FB or IG post, I like the extra depth of thought on a blog. My current blog started as a way to detail the building of our home, but morphed into a quilting blog. This month we moved to a new house and I'm deciding whether to keep the name or start anew to note the change.
ReplyDeleteI am a newbie blogger in comparison to some of you here. I started in December 2014 and I have never regretted it. I have received so much love and support from my readers. I have made so many friends and inspired several readers. Sometimes I go back and read blogposts from 2-3 years ago to relive the process of making that quilt. I notice how my work has evolved and what aspects are still the same. Anytime I feel blue or less than my usual self, all I have to do is go read some of the comments and it is a definite pick-me-up. I have considered ads on the blog but in the end discarded the thought because I don't like reading ads on other's blogs. I believe that those who stop blogging do so because real life gets in the way. I do have an Instagram account but it is not the same as blogging. I feel like I flirt with IG but have a deep committed relation to the blog. Fortunately, most of my favorite bloggers do both blog and IG. Thank you Esther for the chance to join this discussion.
ReplyDeleteLooking at your archive, it look like you're coming on blogging 13 years, Esther. I started following you in 2009 when I started my own and I discovered your gorgeous BOMs. Yes, I have noticed a drop off in blogs, especially to the ones I'd visit and find their last post was a year ago or more. Sad
ReplyDeleteI love blogging and I love the friends I have made all over the world by blogging. Folks want quick. I like connection. I am sad to see so many dropping out I am glad you are still here.
ReplyDeleteI started my blog when I started quilting as a personal diary or journal so I could record and map my progress and journey. Like you, I do not plan on stopping. It was always intended to be personal and not intended for an audience. I really appreciate the facility...no need to search for notebooks, photos etc.
ReplyDeletei don't have a blog, i'm not really computer savvy and what little tiime i have, i'd rather quilt with, except for the part of it i spend reading your blog!!!!!thank you for continuing, it means alot to me.
ReplyDeleteKeep on Blogging! I enjoy reading everyone's blog's and the inspiration you give us all, is priceless. Started blogging in 2015 and enjoy every moment of it. Not only has it kept me on track to finish a number of long overdue wip's, it has been a way to create even more. We love what we do, not for what we get paid to do. We are all entrepreneurs, in a creative world. The world around us may become more passive, we will be the active trailblazers which continue to carry the torch of creative inspiration from kindred spirits the world over. It is for what we get from it, which is so much. A gift of time, we have and use to the best of our abilities. Many may blog no longer, it is their choice to do so, something we have no control over and we can only respect the choice they make for themselves. Esther, thanks to you, we 'll show up and link up every Wednesday. We wish to connect to one another in the world we live in. We life our lives and participate in them. We are not spectators to our lives. Creativity is cheaper than therapy, everyday.
ReplyDeletei have dropped some blogs due to excessive adverts so maybe others have too and that is why they seem to have disappeared....
ReplyDeleteCongrats with your 10 yrs blogging. I love blogging much more than facebook and instagram. Have been on and off my blog for many years now and still enjoy it very much. Thanks for sharing all your wonderful designs.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been blogging anywhere like I used to.
ReplyDeleteI started a blog to keep a record of what I had been making and working on, for future quilt historians, or my ancestors.
I never use instagram now for my unique designs as I know too many people whose innovative designs have been copied and mass produced in China. And I am afraid that is the same in blogs.
And so I have definitely slowed down updating my blog.
Oh Esther! I have had a few years of my blog printed. I only print one year at a time in a volume, but you can choose the time frame for your book.
ReplyDeleteI used blog2print. It is so easy.