Why blog? This is a question that I’ve been asking myself for the last couple of years. If you follow this blog, you find out that the usual answer is, “there’s no reason to.” And for the past several years, I’ve managed to marshal some reasons not to blog that sound like good arguments.
I don’t have anything to say. In other words, there’s nothing that hasn’t already been said. Now, this form of thinking is one to which I am prone. What I’ve discovered, however, is that there are new ways of saying what has been said, and new audiences who are looking for a fresh take.
I’m not that interesting. Blogging is a good way to become interesting. It’s good to have a driving force that will push me to be more engaging, develop new interests, and to pursue the interests that I have more wholeheartedly.
I’m not a narcissist. While there is more than enough shallow, self-centered banality that sounds narcissistic, it doesn’t follow that anyone who wants to put their thoughts in public is a narcissist. There are writers whom I read who stimulate me, challenge me, and edify me. These are results that don’t come from navel-gazing narcissists.
I don’t write that well. My self-evaluation of my writing has deterred me from sharing most of my writing with anyone. But the opposing point of view says, “how am I going to improve?” The path to improvement is regular writing, revising, and sharing what I write.
I don’t care about being famous. There are bloggers whose readerships is in the tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands. Developing an audience and bringing dependable content to that audience sounds like pressure. But building an audience is not easy. It takes effort. At this point, I’m writing as if I have an audience, but I’m far from being famous.
I’d rather teach than write. Fair enough. But won’t writing and editing and revising make me a better teacher?
I’d rather while away the hours in unproductive pursuits. This is the honest truth. But it’s one that I want to change.
What keeps you from blogging? Why do you blog? What motivates you to keep sharing and publishing content? I’d love to hear from you!
Half Baked 