These views of Jacksonville, FL, are taken from a boat on our mighty St. Johns River. I think our city looks amazing from many angles, and particularly enjoyed seeing it from the deck of a power yacht this past week. One of our friends, William Gardner, had made the winning bid at a charity auction for a dinner cruise for 25 people aboard the yacht belonging to one of our local business owners. The experience felt quite "upper crusty", well out of our usual league, with a bartender, and a caterer who produced astonishingly elegant food in the small, but well-equipped galley . However, we were among wonderful people--some of them friends and some of them fascinating new acquaintances to enjoy conversing with. The whole experience seemed quite magical and refreshed me for the rest of the week.In a way, seeing the city from a fresh perspective feels like a metaphor (loosely speaking) for what I need as a blog writer. I am feeling the need for a new point of view lately and am trying to take a mental "cruise on the river" to see if I can find a fresh approach to the blog. It's not a matter of being unhappy with the kinds of posts I have been writing, just a matter of needing a boost to keep my own interest in it alive. On Wednesday, the blog was one year old, and the anniversary is making me reflective, it seems. Lately, I have posted less often--sometimes because of other commitments, but sometimes simply because I had trouble deciding on a post topic or getting motivated to write. I try for general interest entries on the overall theme of creative living, but find myself rejecting ideas that seem too ordinary. Yet, there have been times when an entry that seemed a bit dull to me struck a chord with some of you. Your creative comments and insights revealed deeper levels of meaning that had not occurred to me.
So, maybe the new direction I need is to be less perfectionistic and more conversational with posts. I know I need to post more frequently to keep readers interested. No promises though--I've aimed to start a better post schedule several times in the last few months and then failed to come through for you. However, my original goal of posting at least every five days or so is a good one and should be achievable. That would make for at least six posts per month--I would like to get back to that. Do any of the rest of you who blog have trouble staying with it at times?
Question of the day: Do you have suggestions for me regarding blog topics you have liked or ways to stay on a blogging schedule?
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Gosh, Mary. For me it is harder not to post at times. I am such an emotional being and really have no one to talk to most of the time. Since I've somehow accrued followers (still surprises the heck out of me), I am more aware of what I am writing and do not always feel as comfortable spilling every passing thought. I tend to write conversationally as much of the time I write as though I am talking to someone, even if just myself. I love your blog and would suggest that sticking to a schedule with it might make it seem more a chore than a pleasure. Do you ever just find yourself bursting with thoughts and no way to deal with them? For me that is why the blog started in the first place.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoy your blog and I do think you tend to write conversationally as it is. I always enjoy your questions because it seems that you really do want to know the thoughts of us readers. Makes it seem like someone is interested in us, at any rate!
Mmmm. Interesting questions Mary. Burn out can be a problem. Remember it's supposed to be fun. I like your your approach to thinking about "creativity." They certainly broadened my notions on the subject. In my own experience I started with a blog focused on my new hobby of birding, gradually expanded it to nature through my own experiences. Then I eventually started a second blog on book and movies reviews and now include whatever strikes my fancy though, generally avoiding political controversy. In other words, the blog is for you own enjoyment. If you do... the audience will follow. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteYou are both very wise, and your comments are very helpful. Thank you so very much for taking the time to share your thoughts. You are super blogging friends.
ReplyDeleteSherry, it does always seem as though you are posting because you want to, and your interesting musings and wry sense of humor make your blog very appealing. I appreciate your suggestion that a schedule may make it seem more like a chore. On the other hand, if I don't push myself to employ some self-discipline about writing, ir is easy to let more than a week go by--and that seems too long between posts to me. Thank you for your encouragement on the present form of the blog--I like writing the questions and can't wait to hear what insightful readers like you might say about them.
TB, your blog has definitely grown in interesting directions, and I love to visit and hear your latest adventures and view your nature photos. And your advice to follow the direction of my own enjoyment is both wise and timely--just what I need to hear right now. Thank you for that and for your appreciation of my thinking about creativity; the whole subject of creative thinking and activities fascinates me. Hence, the focus on that. And that is where my focus needs to stay, at least for now.
I think that it's good for a blog to take different directions at times. Even though I started mine as a gardening blog, life had other plans, and it gradually became a reflection of current events, places we visited, walks we took, memories of the past, etc. It seems to have come full circle now, but it will probably spin off in another direction soon, and I'm content with that. I hope you find just the right balance for your lifestyle and plenty of inspiration to continue!
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the wisdom of your experience, W2W, and your hopes for my continued inspiration and finding the right balance. It may be that I need to relax and let the river pull my canoe along downstream awhile.
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