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Writing in a blog that doesn’t have much of a readership sometimes feels like beating your head against the wall. No matter what anyone says, it takes time to compose these posts and most of that time is mental; the energy you spend thinking about the kind of message you want to send streaming across the web. Each post is like an essay you would write for an English class, the difference being the whole class gets the chance to read it. You expose yourself in your writing and that’s what make the process so rewarding.
This is my fourth blog and in my hiatus between the last blog and this one I even wrote a treatise called, “The Case Against Blogging”, which I wanted to send to the uberblogger, Ben Casnocha. I chickened out. Not that I wasn’t ready for Ben’s counterargument, I wasn’t really that sure about my own argument. It mainly had to do with opportunity cost of time and spending that time wisely pursuing hobbies (which a blog can be one of) or starting businesses (which a blog can turn into) or just relaxing (again, something a blog can provide). I convinced myself out of my own treatise.
The greatest beneficiary of any blog is oneself. When you press the “Publish” button, it’s as if it’s final. Your word – a part of your inner thinking in that moment in time – is out there in the open, never to be reclaimed (though it technically can be, but again you’re the only one who has to answer to you). Seeing one’s stream of thought over time reveals an honesty that’s sometimes difficult to bear. “I thought that!”, you wonder, and move on because you think differently now because you thought that back then.
Just like a picture, a blog is a snapshot of your mental framework at a specific period in time. The bottomline is some people don’t like taking pictures, some don’t see the value in taking them, and a lot of others just couldn’t live without them. I’m in all those camps when it comes to blogging, and all I know right now is that I like taking pictures. And that works for me.
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Comments
08.25.09
This is one of the best explanations I have seen for blogging lately. Mostly what I keep reading is that the bloggers are narcissistic and like to talk so much that they need an outlet. Or else they are out to promote their brand or whatever. That idea of going back to basics for blogging as a way to track how one's attitudes and impressions change over time is very refreshing.
I don't blog, btw. I also don't take or look at past photos!
Anyways, good post!
08.25.09
Thanks Tania. I'd love to see your thoughts on the open market. In the meantime, I appreciate the comment.
08.30.09
This is a wonderful explanation of blogging, and I completely agree. Actually, this is exactly the reason I write. I've been writing from a young age. And poetry is my favorite form of writing. It allows me to capture my thoughts and emotions at that VERY moment. It's like a snapshot of my feelings and I find that as I go back and read my older poetry, I can literally FEEL the person I was when I wrote it.
With blogging, it's almost a natural extension of myself. It captures my thoughts, and yes - it's scary to put your opinions out there. But for me, it's almost natural, since I've always done it.
Putting things down on words means I'll never forget those thoughts. And it means I can reach many more people with them. I gain clarity while I write. And most of all, it means that I keep learning through writing.
10.14.09
Same here Akhila. I was writing poetry before anything else. Blogging is a dialogue after all. I wonder what happens when I go back into archives in the next months and read my blog posts. So much fun. ^.^
01.22.10
You've painted the picture sharp! That was exactly the case with my blog until a few weeks back - when I noticed I had around 40 regulars - but till then, the gratification arose from being *able* to write in such and such a manner and to project yourself onto the blogging and online-communities as such a person with such ideas and such beliefs. I've also noticed it goes a long way in teaching you three things (or so I think) - who wants to read what, how much you believe in yourself when it comes down to an argument with a critic, and how patience pays off. To finish off, I just want to say that for a blog to stay as personal as it once started out to be, that gratification must continue to always arise from its writer. Nice post, to the point.
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