Blogging: What’s the Point?

Warning:  Much ranting ahead.

I’ve seen articles posted on various blogs with tips on how to do this and that with your blog to make it better.  Adding/using widgets, customizing the appearance, tracking stats, monetizing, etc.  And don’t forget about promoting your blog using Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Buffer, YouTube, [insert latest social media here].  Annoyingly many of these articles seem to claim that when it comes to blog hosting, Wordpress is the only way to go.  Eye roll.  To quote one blog “if you aren’t already using Wordpress, you need to be”.  This part I always groan at because to me it matters less where you host your blog and more how you use it. 

This can be explained in two parts.  First, in the available features of the site you choose.  I’ve heard much praise on the features available to wordpress users and how well they can fully customize their blogs.  These are only great if you actually use them.  Example, I’ve seen blogs that look wonderful, super well designed.  Guess what?  They’re on blogger.  On the other hand I’ve seen blogs with colors and layouts that scream “default”.  Blogger again?  Nope, Wordpress.  Either site works well as long as you choose what works for you and put in the effort to make your blog the way you want. 

Now the second part gets us closer to my main point, using your blog.  I recently visited another wonderful looking blog.  Everything about it was perfect except for one thing, it was dead silent.  There might as well have been cobwebs hanging around from the lack of activity from the blog owner, not that I really should talk much about inactivity.  Of course I usually avoid going 2+ years without updating.  Meanwhile I know of another blog with a comparatively basic look to it, not to mention a color scheme that I personally wouldn’t go for in a million years.  It is alive with activity from both the author and her readers.  Plenty of posts as well as comments.

Yes, we have finally gotten to my point.  The point?  Blogging isn’t about pretty banners and backgrounds or having a “professional” looking site.  It’s isn’t about following others via every social media site under the sun hoping some of them will follow back.  It’s about sharing yourself with others.  What did you do this week that made you happy?  Share it.  What did you make yourself that you’re proud of?  Share it.  What do you like to do that you think others might like too?  Share it.  What can you teach others to do right now?  What has been on you mind that is just screaming to get out?  What do you want to say that will take more than a photo or 50 characters? Share it!  Share it with others and let them share back. 

This is why I continue to blog, even to come back to my blog after much time away.  So I can Share.  Look forward to more sharing.

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When Life Happens, or Why I’ve Been So Quiet

So I haven’t exactly blogged much in the last few months.  I do have a reason for this, something that I’ve been rather quiet about offline and completely silent online.  How should I explain?

Once upon a time, toward the end of last October, I got home from an appointment only to have my sister inform me that we received an eviction noticed.  The notice didn’t actually give a reason as to why they wanted us out, which of course was strange.  What was even stranger was when they refused to accept our rent payment for November, but then we got a court summons for eviction due to “non-payment of rent”.  We moved out in December and my family sort of split in different directions, that includes Midnight.  Yes, I had to give up my beloved kitty.  She’s alright though, she’s living with a friend of a friend of a friend.  Some people call him “the cat whisper”, Midnight totally loves him.  I stayed with friends for a while and have been staying in motels with my mother and brother for the last couple of months.  Some people might use the word “homeless” to describe the current situation.  I’m not sure about that, but I don’t like to focus on that for too long. 

The main reasons I have been so silent here?  First off, I just wasn’t really ready to talk about all of this much let alone blog about it.  Second, it was pretty much the only thing I had to blog about.  We had to put most of our belongings in storage, that includes all my craft supplies.  So I have not been able to make anything since December, oh the horror!  Plus the whole losing the last place I called home really does put me in the mood to blog about other happy things, not!  So here’s the equation:

No crafty fun to blog about + big event that I couldn’t speak of + sadness

=

dead, silent blog

They say when things don’t go quite right, it’s good to stay positive right?  So, in the name of optimism I have come up with two new goals.  One is to try to appreciate the little things in my life.  So every week I will blog about something that brings a smile to my face on a regular basis.  Watch for this later this week.  The second is pay back.  I mean giving back, to those online who support me.  Explanation?  Whenever someone leaves a comment here or on my other blog, re-tweets me on twitter, follows me on pinterest, etc. I receive an email.  I have never deleted any of these emails because each one has made me so happy.  I thought why not return the favor.  So from now on whenever I receive one of these emails I will try my best to do something in return, be it leaving a comment, re-pinning pins, or following blogs and such.  I am starting retroactively, meaning I am going through all my old emails and spending a few moments each day showing some love to these individuals who gave me some love over the past few years.  Better get to it, I’ve got a lot to do now.

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Please Save my Planet

Actually not a planet, a site.  Get Crafty use to be a great site to post and read about anything, crafty or not.  It was one of my first resources when I fell in love with crafting again many years ago.  Going back on my roots, I discovered what once had been a fountain of knowledge and mutual sharing of love and ideas has turned into a ghost town with only the occasional visitor.  I can’t stand it.  What happened to make it so barren, there are posts with people asking for help on projects that have gone months without any views.  That is so wrong.  Please check this place out, keep the dream alive.  And for the love of all things crafty, don’t ignore them any longer.

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Whining Time: Peace and Quiet?

Ever gone to a library and found it would be quieter if you worked outside, if not you are so very lucky.  If so, I feel your pain.

It’s strange because I remember, when I was little being taught that you must speak softly in the library and to be very quiet so not to disturb others who are reading and working.  It seems that either I’m the only one who was taught this, or I’m the only one who remembers. 

I always see people at my local library chatting away or talking on their phones which is worst.  The other day I over-heard a man on his phone talking from all the way across the room.  The ironic thing is he was mostly telling his friend that he “couldn’t talk now because he was at the “library”.

The worst case happened some time ago.  I was trying to do some work on the second floor, and apparently there was some sort of lecture or conference going on in one of the rooms.  No problem there, I guess the walls are sound proof or something.  But when it let out, the place started to rumble like an earthquake coming.  About 2 or 3 dozen people came out to wait to take the elevator, all talking in unison.  It sounded like a concert had ended.
 
In a word, I felt pissed.  I thought of telling them all to shush because it is a “library”, but considering the mood I was in,  I didn’t think it would have been wise to open my mouth.  Who knows what would have come out.  I’m surprised none of the librarians or staff said anything about it.  They’re all probably too used to the volume level to really notice anymore.  I feel kind of bad for them.  At least I can leave if it bothers me too much.

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A Crafting Question

There’s a lot of things we love about our favorite crafts, things we love doing ourselves all on our own.  But here’s a question for you, what’s something you can’t stand to do when is comes to your craft? 

For me, it’s button holes.  I have, on many occasions needed to add them to some of my sewing projects despite attempts to avoid them (i.e. snaps, Velcro, loops).  I stink at making them.  Something always goes wrong.  I frankly would rather stitch up a wound on myself than stitch a button hole.  Maybe I just need more practice, but after about 14 plus years of sewing, I think I’m as good at them as I am going to get.  Sewing and crafting is like everything else, you won’t love everything about them, just 99.89% of it.

9/9/2015 Update:
Thankfully I have improved on doing button holes since I originally made this post.  I owe it to a few vintage sewing books and a nice sewing class I took a couple of years ago.  I still can't stand doing them, some things will never change.

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