The Best Things About Blogging

1. Individuality and community.
Blogging gives us the best of both, lets us develop our self in “the collective heartbeat”. (Anne Lamott)

2. The freedom.
Anything goes: some days this is my own TED stage or talk show. On others, my stand-up. Sometimes it’s my notebook.

3. The empowering.
You can take yourself as seriously as you want to and ask others to.

4. The humbling.
You remember you’re just a leaf in the forest. Let’s keep it real.

5. The immediacy, the organic exchange.

6. The traffic.
The comment board is the interface of lives and a place where people can lend their perspective to expand yours.

7. The pay-out.
It’s the immigrant ethos. You sight unchartered space in blogosphere, nothing in your pocket. You stake your ground, work hard, and can build something of worth.

8. The low maintenance.
Comb my hair? Figure out which top to wear?Ā  I can blog in my bathrobe behind my smiling avatar, ever presentable.

Forbes.com
Forbes.com

9. The low cost.
I got the premium plan to keep the ads away, for your sake and mine. I felt vandalized when they started popping up. There is no motive for my writing other than the joy and I’m not here to mark out a trail to a pretty place that empties your wallet. Anyway, at 27 cents a day it beats spending on gas and an overrated drink at Starbucks.

10. The Efficiency.
I’m all set. Honey, no need to write anything for my funeral. Just pull up the comments for the eulogies!

203 thoughts on “The Best Things About Blogging”

  1. I had to laugh when I read number 10! šŸ™‚ Very efficient indeed. – For me there is a number 11: finding loads of good blogs to read! If I had not started blogging, I would never had started hopping around here. And lazy old me reads more than she writes mostly…

    2. Numbers 8 and 9 were my picks. I hate (no loathe is a better word) the ads on most blogs and am beginning to hate the essential oils that cost $100 a bottle. They can be beneficial, but why does every and her mother sell them?

      3. A surgical nurse I met when I first transferred to perioperative nursing went heavy on trying to get me to join the ‘sales team’. I bought some lavender, then avoided her until she stopped asking šŸ™‚

      5. I did! I’m just all work when I clock in – she was killing my work buzz! ( There was also one I applied on my neck for a thyroid condition I have.)

    1. A, I just tried to reply on your board multiple times and though it wouldn’t take it after the first time (said it’s a duplicate), it ate up my words. I don’t see ’em. Commenting should not be this difficult for anyone. You really need to contact the forum, get this fixed. So so sorry you’re in the chair, dear friend.

      2. I was thinking in writing this, that it can be like texting with 100 people at the same time. But it’s richer than that. The immediacy (of response) is self-authenticating, that is, reinforces the validity of the relationships.

  12. I’m glad you included #2. When I started blogging, the primary advice out there was to blog to a niche — food, politics, book reviews, etc. yeah, but, that’s not me. I’m all of those things and limiting to one area would have made this much different My blog is me, warts and all.

  15. I hadn’t thought of having blog comment eulogy – interesting. When I started blogging the advice I got was to stay w away from controversy which I couldn’t do – specially this year.

  16. Low cost alright. I do think WP is reasonably priced and we could all try to do away with less coffee and force ourselves onto more sleep šŸ˜‚ Humbling is also so true. You are nor just yourself when it comes to blogging – you be a part of something bigger too.

      1. Well, we all feel like we are doing it wrong sometimes. Or we forget our reasons and wonder if we should keep going. I just like to store up inspiration to get me through the rough patches šŸ™‚

  22. Reblogged this on Gail's Blog and commented:
    The urge to blog sweeps me away until a little voice in my heads asks, “Why are you doing this?” “Shut up, do I need a reason?” “It just seems others have a larger purpose like promoting their livelihood rather than merely a passion for composition, the longing to be understood and the need to make sense of what goes on in my twisted mind. It seems so narcissistic.” This is my inner dialogue. Holistic Wayfarer’s list of best things about blogging expands on this beautifully.

  24. haha! You saved the best for last! #10–so fun! I am about out of space for photos so am going to have to break down and (gasp!) go premium. Twenty-seven cents a day? Thanks for figuring that out, Diana. I can spring for that. While I blog in my bathrobe and bunny slippers. šŸ˜€

  26. Diana, you are so smart and so funny. I adore number 10. It’s the best thing I’ve read in a long time.

    “10. The Efficiency.
    Iā€™m all set. Honey, no need to write anything for my funeral. Just pull up the comments for the eulogies!”

    Yvonne x

  28. Really enjoyed this! I could relate to all of your points, particularly number 8 on low maintenance. Who doesn’t love a calling that allows for bathrobe attire and uncombed hair?

  40. D., you’ve tapped into some of the greatest benefits of blogging – and one item I had to smile about was #9. The ads were the one thing that truly bothered me…seemed to taint what we worked hard to create. And for which one should not have surprised me knowing your humor: #10 is absolutely perfect, a great friend, fantastic writer, and philosopher – we’ll miss her so much šŸ˜‰

    1. Of course you too would feel violated by the ads and that your art was being vandalized. It’s the romantic artist in us that would shell out to protect our work than monetize.

      As for #10, laughing. It is nice hearing I will be missed, ha ha ha ha. Although again, leaf in the forest. We all come and go.

      1. Happy New Year to you too, Diana. Yup – I am back in the ‘hood again. Glad to be in this wonderful neck of the woods with good friends.
        Blessings
        Paul

    2. This was my first post on blogging in over 12 months, and the last had been on why I hadn’t been posting. For all your busyness outside blogosphere, you turn up on my corner whenever I write on said topic. Must mean something. =)

  42. Lots of great aphorisms on blogging, HWF! Loved some of the metaphors..blogging like a low-cost activity that’s comparable to digital immigrant. Wow. Yea, true re last one for euologies…or at least, we hope those comments will still remain true.

  50. You are one of the truest treasures in our blog community! Always genuine, and also selfless and you speak your mind, straight from your heart! Happy New Year my sister to you and your family. God bless!

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