The evolution of blogging…or is it intelligent design?
The intrepid philosopher of mommyblogging, Her Bad Mother, has tagged me with one of the most enjoyable memes ever conceived. While the topic’s not as potentially voyeuristic as what’s in my bag or my refrigerator, nor as revealing as my twist on the list of eight (or ten) random things about me, it’s still an interesting analytical challenge.
That said, I won’t mind if you just skip ahead to see if I tagged you.
The topic posed by Her Bad Mother is how my blogging has evolved. Although I’d like to think that my writing has improved over the past (almost) two years, I think that it’s my attitude toward blogging that has undergone a more marked change.
Why did I start blogging? Moving to Denver turned my world upside down. Granted, it was a big change for the whole family, but for me it entailed leaving a job I loved in a city I loved to move far outside my east coast comfort zone and stay at home with a new baby. Each time I sat with her in the glider, I’d look around in disbelief and wonder, ”This is my house?” Each time I drove to the grocery store, I’d look at the street signs, the mountains in the distance, the wide expanse of sky, and wonder, ”This is where I live?” The words of the Talking Heads were always echoing in my mind:
“And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?…Am I wrong?
And you may tell yourself
MY GOD!…WHAT HAVE I DONE?”
I had to do something to get a grip on my sense of self. And although I’d never been a good creative writer (but I could bang out a research paper on a book I’d never read on a topic that was foreign to me), I turned to blogging.
What began as an attempt to preserve my sanity in the face of overwhelming change soon became a foray into social networking. While I’d made friends online before – most notably, my PIMs – the world of blogging was infinitely wider. Wide enough that I had difficulty keeping up with all the blogs that I wanted to read.
Meanwhile, my well-meaning husband began telling people – his parents, my parents, his friends – about my blog. Which forced me to start thinking about my audience. Who might be reading, besides people I’d never met in real life? And what might they be thinking?
Both my attitude and my writing underwent a definite change at that point. I’d never used my blog as a means of venting about people in my life (although I’ve written posts that are critical of others, I’ve written nothing that I wouldn’t say aloud to the subjects themselves), but I did start to consider how much of myself and my feelings I had been putting on display. Contrary to my neurotic youth, in which I could barely dress myself in the mornings without asking all of my friends’ opinions, I now prefer to handle whatever problems I may have on my own (or with Kyle’s input). Rarely will I reach out when I’m feeling down.
The politics of blogging are such a lightning rod for teen(ish) angst that I hate to mention them, but this analysis wouldn’t be complete otherwise. Suffice it to say, there are thousands of fantastic bloggers out there, and nobody has time to read them all. We pick and choose our favorites, and naturally some bloggers will appeal to a wider audience than others, although entertaining topics, insightful writing, and decent spelling, grammar, and punctuation are always helpful. But shouldn’t we just have fun reading and writing instead of worrying about how many Bloglines subscribers we have?
Which brings me to the most recent change in my attitude toward blogging – the business of it. Dooce may be able to pay her mortgage with her advertising revenue, but she’s Dooce. And frankly, there’s more to making money from blogging than selling ads or winning blog awards. Being successful at anything requires time, dedication and talent – plus a lot of ingenuity.
I write this blog because I enjoy it. mothergoosemouse is no moneymaker. But I collaborate with fellow bloggers on projects that benefit others, get the word out, and are downright profitable – in addition to being fun. It takes a lot of time and dedication on all of our parts, and it’s our collective talents and ingenuity that make these endeavors so great. None of us sits around eating bonbons while the Paypal transactions pour into our accounts.
For me, blogging has evolved from a sanity-saving hobby to a satisfying full-time job. I’ll let you know when it starts paying the mortgage.
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Tagging a few of my fellow blog-trepreneurs: Nicole, Mrs. Chicky, and Mama Drama Jenny. Have at it!
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
A meme to end all memes. And you, my friend, answered it exactly how I expected you would – honest, forthright and pulling no punches. I’m up for this challenge.
(Well, tonight I’m up for the challenge. In the light of day I’ll probably feel differently.)
June 3rd, 2007 at 7:54 pm
It’s been so exciting for me, as one who knew you Before, to see you take this ball and RUN with it. Go, mgm, go!
June 4th, 2007 at 9:48 am
Interesting. Do tell when you start paying the mortgage!!
June 4th, 2007 at 11:21 am
loved the post. I am a new reader who just stumbled upon your blog on the web. You’re so right about blogging for the fun of it. Making money from a blog can’t happen until you write about things that people want to read, which is going to happen only when you write about things you love! It’s a crazy order but definitely true. Blogs are amazing at how they enable anybody to share things important to their lives to everybody across the web. Keep up the great posts!
June 4th, 2007 at 11:41 am
And we’re glad youre doing it! Thanks for the Talking Heads reference!
June 4th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
what a great meme! in fact, I’d already decided I was stealing this one before you tagged me
will get to it soon, with some thought…
June 4th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
There is so much to go around, why can’t there be more Dooce-like sites? Here’s to your mortgage being paid by MGM alone!
June 4th, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Really, really GREAT post!
I too am fluent in technical writing… creative writing is MUCH harder for me. I don’t feel as confident about my creative skills. Therefore I second guess myself a lot.
It’s so hard not to get drawn into the ‘popularity contest’ and I am trying hard to get around that and get back to just blogging.
Thank you for this post!
June 4th, 2007 at 11:51 pm
It’s been too zany for me to get to comment for a while, but I do want to tell you how much I enjoy reading your posts. Good, critical thinking and writing.
Good luck with growing the blogging business to cover the mortgage – that would be pretty terrific.
June 5th, 2007 at 2:19 am
That Talking Heads song is on permanent repeat in my head, even on the good days.
(This is the best take on blogpreneurship that I’ve read, btw.)
June 5th, 2007 at 9:03 am
Your passion for your new “hobby” was evident on Sat night. Your enthusiasm is contagious and your professionalism in your approach demands that others treat you with respect. It is impressive, MGM.
June 5th, 2007 at 11:05 pm
Love. This.
How true, real and right where I sit right now. Must bump up the stalking to level red now. So sorry!
June 6th, 2007 at 4:42 pm
I love your candor about the fascinating evolution (devolution?) bloggers experience over time. I think you’re on the cutting edge, my friend!
June 6th, 2007 at 9:12 pm
What a fantastic post. Your honesty always inspires and moves me. I know I don’t say it often enough, but I’m so glad I found your blog, J…. Or that you found mine. Whatever.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:50 am
I never quite figured out how to make a few bucks with my blog. I suppose that comes with time and practice and opportunity, but you’ve made some great points — even if the title through me off a bit.
June 11th, 2007 at 7:18 am
Thanks for a great post! And a different take on things as well. I am loving collecting the answers to this meme and you are now collected. I am about to go and get your tags. So glad you tagged people.