Why I Stopped Blogging, and Why I’m Starting Again

So I’ve been away from this blog for awhile.

Like… almost a year.

Yikes.

I feel I owe you all an explanation.

Here’s the short version: I listened to other people’s advice instead of doing what actually worked for me.

Don’t do that, okay? It’s stupid.

Here’s the long version:

1. I was told by multiple writing teachers and coaches that I should be focusing on my newsletter. Which I did. It has a whole new look! (Though not as many subscribers as I’d like. Would you join? I promise it’s good. And not spammy.)
2. I kept hearing that blogging is dead, blogging is dead, seriously why are you still blogging, because it’s dead.
3. I thought I couldn’t handle the newsletter AND the blog while writing my novel and working on short nonfiction. (There was some truth to this. But I could’ve just taken short hiatus while drafting the novel, instead of telling myself that I was done with blogging.)

So I stopped blogging. And here’s what happened:

1. I focused on my newsletter. It was fun, but I didn’t feel the freedom to write whatever I wanted, in whatever form I wanted.
2. I gradually stopped using social media completely. I have never felt comfortable on any of the platforms. While many people post great content, I don’t like all the scrolling just to find one thing that resonates, and I feel disheartened by all the misinformation and inauthenticity.
3. After a long, long time… I finally realized that blogging IS my social media.

Blogbook? Blogstagram? Twlog? It doesn’t matter what you call it. Social media is where people share thoughts with the world, and this blog is where I feel comfortable sharing mine. In some ways, it’s the ONLY place I feel comfortable sharing. I can write as much or as little as I want; I can include pictures or not; I can moderate comments. This post can be linked to other platforms, but that’s an invitation to come back here, to my safe space.

It’s also different from a newsletter, in that I don’t have to worry about how often I post. If I post too much, it’s your choice not to read it; I’m not putting myself in your inbox. If I don’t post enough, no one really notices. And it’s more casual. I don’t have a format to follow. It’s more creative (and I don’t know if you’ve heard, but creativity is kind of my thing.)

So this is all to say… I’m back, baby!

I’ll have more to share later this week. In the meantime, leave me a comment if you’ve made it this far, because comment sections are another thing I’ve missed!