I have a confession to make…..
I’ve been slacking. I’ve been slacking for several years now.
When I first began traveling back in March 2007, this website was literally a weblog (aka a blog). I’d write almost daily about whatever was on my mind. Things I experiences, stories I had to share, and thoughts about the places I visited.
Over time I focused more on photography and I started posting more photos and writing less. For over eight years I posted a photo every day on my website. Once a photo is edited and uploaded, they are pretty easy to work with. You can post an image in just a few minutes and it doesn’t require much thought.
Posting a photo every day also immensely helped me as a photographer. Making my work public forced me to get better, which is exactly what happened.
The downside is that it made my lazy as a writer. My site morphed from a travelogue to a photography site. When I did write, I tried to make everything article which could be something I could submit for awards. The problem is, doing that takes a lot of time. I would have to wait for all my photos to get processed and uploaded, which meant that I’d often have to wait months before I could write anything.
Two years ago I ceased doing my daily photos. I figured it had achieved what I wanted it to, and by that point, it was just difficult to keep with posting a photo every day, especially when I was traveling.
The problem was, I didn’t replace the photos with anything else. I kept to my super high standards which lead to not posting very much at all.
I started posting long rants on Facebook about a number of things. I posted it there because I didn’t think it was worthy enough to put on the blog. After one lengthy rant, someone sarcastically commented, “you should start a blog”. Sadly, they had a point. This is exactly the sort of thing I should have been putting on my blog.
A blog doesn’t have to be a travel magazine. It doesn’t have to be an endless stream of “Top 10 Things to do in Paris” articles.
It eventually dawned on me that I needed to go back to basics. I needed to go back to blogging. While I can still do the occasional long-form piece, I needed to get back into the habit of posting my thoughts and observations on a regular basis. I need to get back into the habit of writing.
I’m a firm believer that writing is exactly that: a habit. It is a habit that I’ve fallen out of.
Therefore, I’ve set the goal of posting every day during the month of March. Some of the posts will be longer and more formal, some will be shorter and more informal.
I’m writing this just because it is an excellent excuse to write a post today, and it presents what I’m doing publically. I’m hoping all of you will help keep me on my toes this month.
Yup, I need to boost frequency over big formal set-piece posts. Good luck!
The other thing I told myself to do more often, is post comments on peoples’ blogs rather than on their social media pages, which has become the default. We all know how the SM platforms are unreliable. We should be taking the conversation back to our blogs.
Thankfully, I’ve never stopped using RSS.
… which is how I came to be here! Via Feedly :)
Easy to do, especially if your main focus is photography. I know I’m guilty of that. I’ve been doing the same thing since the beginning of February and it’s already starting to pay off. I’m not posting every day, but the focus on writing has been so good for me and my blog.
Boy, does that sound familiar. Thanks for sharing the fact that you too struggle with what to post where and how to get it all done! Good luck on your challenge for the month. I’m looking forward to hearing more of what’s on your mind these days. . . but don’t quit doing those gorgeous photos either!
You are totally right, Gary. Your blog does not need to be a ‘puff’ piece for a travel magazine. It can be how you see a place and what you have learned from your travel experiences.
I was just saying to a friend that I wish I had a place to write my thoughts again. So I totally understand the evolution. Good luck this month! That’s a big goal!
I googled WPR.org after reading this.
Good luck :)
That is an old photo of one of my older laptops. I used to appear every so often on the WPR morning show.
Good to hear of your decision to write every day! I am not on Facebook, so miss much of what you have said. I look forward to reading what you have to say!
Get it!
I love your posts on Facebook but they are far better posted here for a lot of reasons.
Definitely happy to keep your on your toes! There must be something in the water because I decided to do the exact same thing, although my reason for starting was to stop making excuses about not having enough time. Happy writing!
Great news Gary! We can all put too much pressure on ourselves to make everything perfect, but you’re right, consistency is the key.
If that doesn’t sound familiar…
Writing is hard. And, as you say, a habit. And a craft. If you don’t work at it, it gets flat and stale. And harder. I’ve been trying to write more too, and, again as you say, obsession with quality gets in the way some days. And, the frustration, too, of taking a long time to write something good, and about 80 people read it. You have to find your satisfaction in your own mind.
Good luck. I’ll be reading.
Yay, Gary! I love your writing because it’s so honest and clear and useful. Do it! Do it! We will be following.