So I’ve taken Blogging 101 and dropped out of Blogging 201. Partially because I just didn’t have the time, and partially because well…it all got too heavy. All the, Your brand this, interact that, stats this, blogging features and blogging events. AHHHH!!!!!!!
And yeah I know I’m not being forced to do it, I haven’t even been brave enough to participate in a blogging event on a regular. Lord knows why it’s so intimidating, but it still feels like I should you know? I find my blog is more often than not my blog feature, my prompt, and very little me. Very little opinion and musing, I even found myself, to my great shame, screening myself in favor of my stats? What did they like? What did they respond to? No offence but there are times when even I don’t know what was great about something y’all liked. Again Ugh.
Does anyone out there in cyber land feel the same way? Or am I just doing it wrong?
On a totally unrelated note. I’m exactly 29 minutes and 37 seconds into the very first episode of Being Mary Jane and I’m wondering why I started this mess? I mean really BET? haven’t we grown past this? Sigh.
This seems to be the story of an emotionally confused enabler who has never ever heard of vacation. I’m going to give it at least another episode to impress me. At which point I’ll express and full on rant, I can see a love-hate relationship in the future, so expect sparks. Ugh
A big bad old puddle of UGH.
Random_Michelle 
Exactly like that! I just want to do what I like. Half the time I don’t even know what I’m thinking till I write it down anyway. Just do what you enjoy.
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My problem is right now I am not enjoying this. But almost every time I get a chance to sit at my browser I’m drawn here and then the uncertainty sets in.
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I hear you. That’s why I dropped out of Writing 201: Poetry. It became such a chore for me I didn’t even want to get on here. But when I dropped out, all of a sudden I started enjoying it again. Did you like blogging before you got involved in the class?
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Meh, you are over-thinking this blog thing. Keep reading, keep writing, keep patient. Think of your posts as little content investment that will grow up to be a rich and substantial experience for your reader.
As far as your television show…well, that’s an investment too. of your time. Let it go. If it gets good, you’ll hear about it and can binge watch like the rest of the maniacs!
Keep on! Your doing good work!
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Maybe I am over thinking. Maybe it’s because I feel like there needs to be a few more hours in the day.
As for the show, I’ve been avoiding it, but the reviews I’m hearing are so grand that I just wanted to see what the hype was about. After all it was hype that bought me to Empire and that show is rocking my world. But so far this Mary Jane girl has just fallen so short and I’m not even a full half an hour in.
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not sure i remember you on blogging101, but yes, I felt the same as you – like I’d been thro a mangle and – made the wise decision – for me – to finish the first course but not even to start the 2nd one – i needed time to get back into myself – so don’t berate yourself – you will find you learnt a lot, but need some time to process it and work thro some experiments and see what you want to do.
People do get a bit precious about it, but don’t forget – there is always the delete button – if you put something up you don’t like later – use it! smile….
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lol Don’t sweat it, we were like what? 6000 strong. I think you are right, it was a mistake to take that course when I did. And you’re right there is always a delete button. Thanks.
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What Julz said. I’ve done that twice now.
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I notice you’ve been blogging for a long time. Have you lost interest at other times? I think Blogging 101 was great and I enrolled a second time because I thought I had missed a lot the first time around. I pretty much decided that I need to do those assignments that I felt would be good for my blog and not worry about the rest. I personally don’t like to do the things that feel “forced”. If it doesn’t seem natural for me to do on my blog I will choose not to do it. A blog should never be a chore, so if it seems that way it might be good to take a break and re-focus.
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I’ve been at it a while, and no I’ve never lost interest, thought it took me quite a while to find my voice. I enjoyed the blogging 101 course too, I think I just got too excited and jumped into 201 which was where I crashed and burned. I was thinking of taking a sabbatical, but then it was pointed out to me that my life would be empty without the clickity click of my laptop. lol. hanks for the advice though I might take that vaca yet.
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I went through a similar crisis of confidence not long ago and my 101 blogging buddies helped me through it. Sometimes just taking a day or two off really helps – or setting aside and rethinking some Blogging mission you’ve created for yourself that just isn’t working.
Try not to see your 201 experience as crashing and burning. I agree with Good Woman – if you decided the assignments weren’t right for you, that’s a pass with honours so far as I’m concerned. The best kind of marketing is natural, honest and unobtrusive. It’s never a good idea to do what everyone else is doing, because everyone says you ought to, especially if your heart isn’t in it, so your instincts are 100% right.
Freedom to blog as and when we like about what we like is a precious thing. Think of events just like ‘real life’ ones – if the subject or style doesn’t suit you, then why go once, never mind every week?
But if the post you’re writing fits in with an event you can see going on around you, or if you think the event seems fun (for example, I like the weekly photo challenge) go for it!
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Thank you, I think I will take the weekend to regroup. Thanks for the advice.
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It certainly can be confusing, because in the course it’s all about making it perfect. I think there was even a task thingy that had that word in it. I took the course because I came across it, it was the beginning of what has turned out to be the longest winter in, like ever, and all I really wanted to do was to get back into writing.
While I appreciate that I learned how to do all those things to make my blog look great (okay, I really didn’t learn as much as I should have), in the end, all I want to do it write, because that is what I love doing. I have written in writing forums, and used a blog for specific personal journaling, which I didn’t share.
What I have found, beyond all the confusion, is that I also LOVE the sense of community! I’m meeting new people, and it’s like we’re on ‘The Starship Blog Enterprise’ heading out to that frontier of adventure.
I personally would say don’t worry about stats, and such, unless your blog needs traffic for business reasons. Just enjoy the writing, and hang out with new friends, and be happy.
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