I have been in a weird place about blogging lately. I think the whole internet has been really. I have been harboring these fantasies about just quietly going away in the night. Not doing a final post, just fading to black. Shutting twitter down, shutting jodifur down….silence.
No real reason, I just lost my footing. My place. My blog soul. If you don't want to "build your brand," than who are you anymore?
Last night I ate cheese and drank wine at an event sponsored by The Melting Pot. But for me, it was a reminder of why I blog. Surrounded by so many friends. True friends. People who know and love me and who have touched me and connected with me in a real and profound way.
No one failed to ask about Michael. If we had made "the decision yet?" (No) Choruses of, "you look fabulous" and "wow, the running is paying off."
And many of them commented and how amazing my readers are. How loyal. How I have the most sincere, supportive comments. And I hear this time and time again, at each PR event I go to, from different people. And I do, I have fantastic readers.
I don't need, nor do I want to build a blogging empire. I don't need, nor do I want to get anything from blogging, other than sitting around a table, drinking wine and eating cheese with the amazing women that I get to call my friends. That Michael gets to play with their kids. And even though I didn't, I gladly would have payed for that meal.
Blogging has brought people and places in my life and opportunities that I never would have had. But it is not my whole life. My friends and my family are.
Thank you Jessica for you reminding me of that.
(For those of you confused by the title, read this)
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Agreed. Glad you had a good time!
Ugh, I get so annoyed by the whole “branding” thing. I’ve been blogging before most bloggers out there knew what blogging was. I don’t do it to make money. I don’t do it to become “popular” or “a brand.” I started it to keep in touch with old friends, I’ve made some new ones along the way, and I’ll do it for as long as I keep feeling like I get something out of it for *me* and no longer.
I think the whole branding thing messes a lot of people up. I start to feel like I’m not doing something right if I’m not trying to “solidify my brand” on the internet. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t begrudge the people who do want that, but it’s just not me.
You’re totally right! I love blogging because of the great friends I’ve made. Queue cheesy music. It’s true.
I’m glad you had a good time. And that you are going to stay.
I’ve thought about it myself. Many times. Even last night for a bit. Somehow each time, something happens, whether it’s a post or a comment or a sweet email, that reminds me why I do this.
At the end of the day? My best friends are people who live in different states and I met them all through blogging. That? Keeps me going.
It is hilarious to me how eager marketers are to get their hooks in us and how many people want to sell us to them.
I think the blogging brass ring is mostly an illusion and I’m kind of glad I never thought to go for it. I blog to amuse myself, to write without having the intervention of a client or editor, to keep in touch with friends and to share my thoughts. That’s it. If I’m doing blogging wrong, oh well. Not my problem.
Dude. I had such a great time last night. I almost didn’t go because I was exhausted and had a lot of work to do. But I was completely reinvigorated by spending time with all these wonderful women, including you. You’re right. This is exactly why I blog—for the people.
From time to time, I get referred to as a brand rather than a blogger. Brands are companies and lots of people rather than an individual like me. If I am a brand, I never intended to be one. I just set out with a purpose to help parents and along the way, got to work with some cool companies and do some fun stuff I never would have through my day job.
Getting together with everyone last night was just pure fun! No agenda or pretentious moments…Just 20 of us hanging out enjoying cheese, chocolate, wine, and good company.
Hmmm…Maybe we should do this more often!
My special blogging brand is “loser”. Damned proud of it, even after 5.5 years of it. It is nice that some folks can make money from it, but personally, I would not want the pressure of worrying about that. Long ago, I turned a hobby into a money making venture and it ruined the enjoyment of the hobby for me. Once something becomes like work, it actually becomes WORK.
Cheese will do that for you.