***WishCasting!***
"What help do you wish to recieve?"
I wish for help making connections!
I wish to b r a n c h out,
rub shoulders,
exchange information,
chew the fat, draw up the plans—
Gain friendships, gain clientele, gain perspective!
To have a thousand threads in my hand,
Each one leading to a mover,
A shaker-
A doer-
A maker-
To have a thousand threads in my hand,
Each one leading to a mover,
A shaker-
A doer-
A maker-
A crew of kindred spirits!
What is your wish?
***
A Post on Posting
Though I’ve been flitting about between work, the university and the studio, I’ve been trying my best to keep up with everyone’s blogging adventures. I find it a combination of interesting and upsetting that so many of our comrades are experiencing Blogger Burnout—they are zapped, overwhelmed, frazzled in the fuses and ultimately feel the need to apologize to their readers or all together abandon their blog homes. I wanted to take a moment to address Burnout.
“Blogging is a Lifestyle… not your Life”
Our blogs are our own creative carnivals in which the possibilities for posting are endless: projects, reflections, rants, conversations, questions, prose, poetry, videos, photography, record keeping, and personal exercise to name a few. We make our rounds in our blog neighborhoods to keep up with our friends and kindred spirits and it can be overwhelming to stay on top of the constant flow of information.
So why do we have familiar haunts? Because we are inspired by the writers? Awed by artwork? Comforted by common experience? A thirst for information? Blog Land can be a well of support, sympathy and stimulation. Tending to your blog home should be a cathartic experience, not a torturous one. If what you are seeking to find in other’s writing isn’t something you can give yourself, cut yourself some slack! If you are yearning for a moment of peace in your life, don’t fly around the blogosphere reading about other people’s serene existence—unplug and enjoy a cup of tea. Our blogs are another way, another appendage with which we are able to enjoy life. They are not our only window to the world or nagging source of strain.
“Commentary”
Alright, everyone loves comments. It is satisfying to see that humans were stirred by what you put up. It’s rewarding to see that others have taken time to read your thoughts and spend time responding to your work. However, readers shouldn’t feel obligated to comment for the sake of commenting. If you don’t have something to contribute to the conversation or are itching to jot the equivalent of cyber applause or “so and so was here” bathroom stall graffiti, it is okay. Whether you comment or not, Writers will write, ocean levels will remain stable and the blog world will keep rolling along. For example, when you finish a novel or magazine, do you immediately take to your desk, whip out stationary and pen the author a letter expressing your gratitude? Probably not. So why feel obligated to comment on every iota of information you come across on the internet? This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t comment when the fancy tickles you, but don’t let the “comment ticker” push you around. We're all busy enough with our lives in the 3rd dimension, we understand. Do you call your mother every day to tell her about your adventures or respond to her projects? There are probably lots of people in your life like family or friends from whom you haven't heard from in years. You should call them. Blog Land will carry on. :)
"The Audience"
Coexisting with commenting is the unspoken pressure to blog prolifically, especially if one has an extensive following. The audience makes itself known and they demand material! Don’t cave to the anxiety, mostly because that anxiety is imaginary. What happens if you post once a week, or biweekly?
NOTHING.
No one will stone your or excommunicate you from blogosphere.
Followers read your blog because they love your words or work and you pique their curiosity, not because they are impressed by the amount of times you are able to post in a day. Think quality, not quantity. Why did you start blogging? You probably had reasons—and I’m going to safely guess that those reasons weren’t “I need more on my plate” and “I need more unnecessary stress in my life.” Personally, I began typing my thoughts and throwing them into cyberspace because a) It’s cheaper than therapy and b) It’s freeing! Don’t let your blog bind you, let it Liberate you! So, take a moment, enjoy the quiet and get that cup of tea—
We’ll be here when you get back. :)
Until next time--
Much Joy and Merry Making, Friends!~*
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