Friday, April 19, 2019

Why I (Don't) Blog

See also a post from about a decade ago, Why I Blog.

Haven't posted anything on the blog in some time... and it's been sporadic for years. My original purpose, approach, and even the title for this blog no longer seem wise. Sure, transparency, authenticity, and vulnerability remain popular values in our world. But living them out on the internet seems increasingly risky. I'm not sure what to do about that.

Things got a little trickier when I got married, because my husband didn't seem appreciate me writing about our life together and any mention of issues involving him or the kids seemed, well, inappropriate to discuss. Marriage meant I had someone to talk to, someone who's always there, and the need for self expression and connection has ebbed a bit. Aaaaand less discretionary time. I could no longer plan my evenings and weekends according to only my own inclinations.

Then I joined my organization's communication team. That gave me not only another outlet for any remaining writing impulses, but more projects and publications to manage. With deadlines. I like deadlines. I'm much happier working with a bit of pressure and structure than without it. But I don't have much energy left when I'm done. And since, in February, our staffing decreased by 25%, I never seem to get done. 

When I write for my organization, I have to keep their voice and brand and not my own tastes and preferences in mind. And for social media, there's the pressure to create a more curated picture of oneself. Huh. So maybe it's worth keeping this blog around. I could (theoretically) post things here that I could not or would not share someplace else. Though if I don't post links on social, I am not sure anyone will see them.





1 comment:

Paul Merrill said...

Keep it going. Sporadic is fine.