Today, Leanne Cole posted her motivations for blogging and suggested her followers do the same.
I admire Leanne’s reasoning, and even more, her execution of her plan that blogging would motivate her to do her craft—photography—daily.
My initial motivations were somewhat different. I recently retired from the corporate communications world. All of those years, at least once a week, “around the water cooler,” I would be telling one story or another, usually about adventures and misadventures growing up on a farm in Virginia, or my days flying by telling “there I was” stories.
It occurred to me that the “growing up” stories would be ones my daughters and grandchildren might enjoy Since most of the stories are “G” rated I should put them online. It seems that online is where the “modern generation” goes for information. That led me to WordPress—which I had used at my last job for web pages.
This is the raccoon that I encountered when I was ten. I took the photo with a 127-size film box camera with a flash cube (do you remember those?). I made the mistake of trying to catch it. It scratched my hand, and my hand became infected and swollen.
It was also important for me to keep active writing, but a daily diary is just not my style. For me, my writing is to share, inform, entertain, etc.. In the past, my employer’s customers read my writing to learn about our services and capabilities. Now, it is just to share stories, ideas, photographs, and an isolated interesting fact (and an occasional political observation).
Oyster Dredges in Bivalve, New Jersey–one of my favorite photos.
Like Leanne, for me it has become a good vehicle for sharing photographs. I have been taking photos since the third grade, and still have most of them. I have always enjoyed hiking and exploring, and never went anywhere without a camera of some kind. Have you ever seen a really cool photo and thought, “Wow, that photographer was really lucky”? Or maybe you saw something and said, “Oh, I wish I had my camera!”
Sunrises are my favorite time of day. This, for me, is a one-in-a-lifetime- shot-and I had the camera.
Photographers create their own luck. The first rule for being a photographer is to always have a camera within reach! The second rule is: If you see something and wonder if you should take a photo—take the photo! You can always throw it away, but you probably will not get a second chance to take it.
Take an airboat cruise in Florida–a camera is a must. This is a Limpkin eying his next meal (the snail) in the grass.
Travel provides many subjects for many of my blog posts—places, attractions, parks, camping and campgrounds, museums, restaurants, etc.
Cape May, New Jersey and another interesting sunrise shot.
This is where I again agree with Leanne. I really like the “stats” feature provided by WordPress. Here I have learned that what I think are my most significant and important blog posting are rarely the most viewed!
“Likes” and “Comments”
One element I would like to add, and I have considered writing a separate blog about (and I might still) is that within one year, I registered 10,000 views, but only several hundred “likes” and a few dozen comments. I would like to impress on readers that when you do read a post—anybody’s post—and find it interesting, it takes little effort to press the “like” button. Facebook users do it all the time. Pressing the “like” button is like rattling the treats pouch for a cat or dog—it keeps us blogging. Of course, if a posting isn’t that interesting, then don’t “like” it: that’s fair and that is what I do.
Comments are different. They take time and thought, but they too are greatly appreciated. But for now, I will settle for more “likes.”
And what I really want.
And, what I really want from my blogging is for a sharp-eyed travel, science, or general interest editor to read and like my writing and reach out to me with an assignment!
About Entry
In response to Leanne Cole’s suggestion we write a short piece about “why we Blog,” Why I Blog, Plus offers some thoughts on blogging, photography, and other stuff.
Content Entry
Why I Blog, Plus offers some thoughts on why I blog.
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Personally, I only comment when I feel I have something useful to add – an informed response, if you like. If I like, it does mean I have read: I don’t just tick the box and move on. Which moves me on. Blogging is undoubtedly good practice for a writer, but it is also a distraction: this morning, for example, I could either be writing my next book or trawling through the blog digests on my mail. I’m doing the latter. I guess (since I am a creature of impulse) that must mean I like blogging more than book writing. Hmmm.
I agree that blogging is a distraction from the more massive writing projects you and I have in mind, but it also provides a substitute element of writing accomplishment and a modicum of instant gratification provided by even a few “likes” versus the uncertainty of future sales of that already long planned next book.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Sometimes we can be filled with doubts about what is “blog-worthy” but it sounds like you have a straightforward vision.
Thank you for the comment. “Blog-worthy” is difficult to define. One person’s likeable read is another person’s junk mail! 😉
Some great reasons for blogging there, I am fascinated by why people do it, as we all do it for different reasons and hope to get something out of it. 🙂