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Wednesday, October 9

in which i complain about blogging a lot

Lately, I've felt kind of itchy about the whole blogging thing. I haven't found the same enjoyment from coming here to write about whatever I'm thinking about on a given day and I haven't felt like I've used it to write about what I really want to write about lately. I'm not just talking about private details of my life, either, I'm talking about the things that have annoyed me lately, which include blogging.

Blogging! Blogging. I have felt strange about blogging for some time now. Maybe because it seems like it's "over" but maybe for other reasons, too. I feel like maybe feeling out of touch with the blog world is partially my fault because I've noticed lately that the blogs I loved for years that are in my blogger feed have appealed to me less and less. One might say that I hate-read quite a few blogs. Which, let's be real, is pretty fun most of the time. But reading the same blogs day after day just to roll my eyes over has started to bring out the bad in me. It's brought out the cattier side of me that should just take my own advice. So I'll just say it: I've gotten sick of the same blogs that fill my feed. I've gotten sick of blogs that seem like they are just trying to be someone's more popular blog and mirror someone other blog's voice. There are so many more blogs now than there were 3-4 years ago and I don't think I'm the only one who thinks it's sort of overwhelming. I've gotten sick of blogs that are transparently trying so hard. I've gotten sick of people who have lost their credibility over the years of making mistakes and being hypocritical about over-sharing their personal life but not listening to criticism. 

I guess I should stop now and admit to my own faults. There have been times when I've wished my blog was more like someone else's. There have been times I've wished my life looked like someone else's life in pictures. There have been times I've tried to make my life look certain ways because gosh darn it, I wish I could look that cute in Jeffrey Campbell boots standing in an alley eating a cupcake (Jeffrey Campbell's will never be cool on me).  There was a long period of time I myself shared a lot about my relationship and while I don't regret that, I regret the way I dealt with it afterwards. Passive aggressive blog posts are not okay. Lesson learned. I am not the perfect example of someone doing it right but I think I've felt so in the dumps about blogging for the past 6 months because I have only been focusing on the negative parts of blogging. I quit reading as many blogs that relate to my life and whose writing I admire. I've felt so over-saturated by the amount of information about people's lives shared on social media that I haven't taken a step back to filter what information I should be paying attention to. Yes, most of my complaints are my own fault for letting them annoy me.

So I'm changing that. Not in the hopes that I'll feel more connected to my own blog, but in the hopes that I can hate-read less and find writing out there to be inspired by again. Because as an inspiring writer myself, I should be reading things that make me say, "This is why I want to be a writer."

Here are some blogs that have reminded me what it means to write well and have a real blogging soul:
- my friends: Katy, Debbie, and Danielle
- the queens of doing it right: Kaelah Bee and Elanor 
- the best writing: Chelsea Talks Smack, Brissa
- recent fashion blogs I love: zippedtriple threadJen, Melina, Signe, Veronika
- people who are awesome: becca, megemma janeshawneeabbey,
the entire blogger family: blogger fam
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This is a small list. Send me your favorites! Please & thank you.

10 comments:

Emma Jane said...

Oh my word I completely fangirled when I saw my name on that list. Thank you so much.

That meant the world to me, especially after reading this post which is for REAL so true. I love blogging and reading blogs but I had so many blogs that I hate-read, just like you said. I used to love those blogs but now they seem forced and, quite frankly, annoying and pretentious. I went through a little spree of unsubbing from some blogs that made me feel bad about my blog or that I found myself just wasting time reading because I felt like I had to. Now I only read my favorites. Wassup, favorite.

I also know exactly the feeling of jealousy that my blog can't be HER blog with HER cool pictures or fashion posts. I find myself worrying that if I post a blog post that's a bit different from my usual posts, I'll alienate some of my readers. I've stressed about that. But then I realized it's my blog and the person who reads it the most is ME. Imma post what I want and be my own blog, not a copy of HER blog.

This was awesome. Thank you for being so honest about some of the sucky annoying blog things that nobody likes to talk about. You rule.

Em
Tightrope to the Sun

Shawnee said...

I so get this. I go through I-hate-blogging thoughts a lot, and just this past weekend, wanted to delete all of my social media. Like, why can't it be back in the day when people only knew you because you SAW then or hung out with them in real life. But then, sometimes, I just want to write a little bit. And then there's you. I'm loving your honest blogging/writing lately.
Thank you, Maggie! You are so kind. xoxo

Jen Hsieh said...

Oh. Thank. God. I always thought I was alone when it came to hate-reading, which is a horrible, horrible habit that I need to break as well. It's hard seeing so many blogs and not wanting to tear your own apart to compete with them. To get more followers. To look just as perfect and then realizing your life is a down right mess. Who has time to buy fresh flowers every week and take step-by-step pictures of their meals before the sun sets so you capture that natural lighting? And who has the money for all those fancy, pretty accessories (because I eat my meals next to picnic baskets and pretty cloths). Whew!

It's always really nice to see someone be honest and blunt about blogging and the world of blogging. Personally, I have my ups and downs and I always have to set myself straight by reminding myself that it's MY blog. No one elses. And it's not a living so why do I need to be the best? It just has to be something I love that makes me happy. A place for me to document MY silly, little life and no one elses. Because why would you want to look back and see a life you created for someone else to pin or retweet? You want to look back and see snippets of a life that you and only you know was so damn good. A life that was real and not staged to perfection.

And here I go writing way more than I thought I would. But keep on blogging, Maggie, because you're a beautiful writer and a beautiful person and that's what we come here for. :) <3

Unknown said...

Awh. Girl. I'm like completely honored to be on here. You're the best! I will also confess to hate reading, which for me leads to comparing myself to other bloggers--bad stuff. Bad news. Bad moods. So important to look on the positive side, as you did in this lovely post!

xo

Melina said...

Aww thank you SO much for mentioning me in this post! You'll be happy to know that your blog is one of the few that I continue to read on a regular basis since I've also been feeling a little out-of-touch with some of my go to blogs. Too many outfits that are all c/o and not enough everyday style if you ask me! Love your writing and style--continue to blog on :)

--Melina

Brissa said...

Uhhh...i did the same thing Emma Jane did. But it was like a triple take, there's no way she meant me, moment.

this post. OH MAGGIE, THIS POST!!!!
I've got to get you that email because this is basically exactly what I was going to say! Our minds are connected.

Abbey said...

Ah I can't believe you mentioned my blog. :) Thanks Maggie! I love keeping up with you and your life via the blogosphere. Going to have to check out the rest of the blogs you named. My list of blogs I follow has been going down a ton lately and I need good reads!

Veronika Novotny said...

Maggie!!!! I'm so incredibly touched and honored to see my blog listed here, um, you're freakin sweetheart, thank you!! <3

And I love this post... it's written beautifully from the heart and so fabulously candid - exactly what I love about you!! Hope you're gearing up for a terrific weekend!!

xo
By The Shore, a life + style blog

becca said...

I'm burnt out on blogging too.

thanks for saying it!

it's just...blogging itself, me and the computer and a few comments, is fun. but sometimes it gets to be this big thing where you feel you ought to have a certain voice or have different features or giveaways to pull people in. weird, right? I mean, who does that in real life? what if we gave away free candy so people would like us? blogging is bizarre.

I feel like I've locked it down to about four blogs I have to visit pretty often, and then about 40 more if I'm feeling like I want some pinteresty images. yours makes my list because of posts like this. honesty and genuineness.

thanks for the shout out :)

Shelby said...

100% understand this. Emma and I just talked about this in more detail yesterday. I feel like I am constantly taking "blogging breaks", because i just get so sick of it, and the fact that i feel like i have to keep up with every single blog i read. i think it is time to go through my lists of blogs, and really find the ones that mean something to me, and that i WANT to read every single post. i would rather read a few posts that touch me, or that i am genuinely interested in than just go through the motions, because at some point in time i liked this persons blog.

bottom line is we all change, and with that we want to read and hear different things. this is awesome, and i am so glad you decided to write about it. it has been on my mind a lot lately.