This morning, Mark Blevis wrote a free-form blog post, because he was encouraged by Chris Brogan to do so. My smart friends have motivated me to finally come out and do what I’ve needed to do for a while. It might be a clunker, it might be imperfect, but I need to say it, so I can keep going. Thanks, fellas!
A few months back, I announced on here that I was shifting the focus of my blog to talking about education and technology. I thought it was great that, after 3 years of blogging, I’d finally be able to say I had a “focus”. After all, that’s what I’d been hearing more and more of from the blogging gurus – you should have a focus on your blog, certain topics that you exclusively talk about. The conversation needs to revolve around something, so you can build a community of interest.
That’ll teach me to listen to gurus.
Once I started in on my new spin, a couple of things started to happen. I started to struggle to find topics, so I wasn’t posting that often. Not that there isn’t a whole lot going on in the world of education and tech right now, because there is. I just haven’t yet found my voice in it. My conversations on the topic are taking place elsewhere right now. Across meeting room tables, in my classroom, and so on. That’s where I am with it, and I’m totally fine being there.
But the biggest thing that happened is my community went away. Oh sure, a few stuck around (thank you!) but I realized that even though people were still reading, they weren’t commenting much anymore. I miss the conversation we were having.
So that’s why I’m coming back.
My personal blog started out being a dumping ground for all the stuff that swirls around in my head. It was an experiment. I have learned a lot, like that I love to write more than just about anything. I’ve gotten much better at it along the way, too. This space is my playground, where thoughts and ideas can come to sit, and where you can drop by, grab a coffee, and we can get to know each other.
At some point, I started to get self conscious about it. I started to over-analyze what I was doing here and I decided to try and improve upon it.
Well, it didn’t work for me. I miss you too much. The swirl in my head has started up again, and I don’t feel like I have any place to get it out. That sounds pretty silly, considering that this is MY space. I can do whatever I want with it.
And that’s really the point of this blogging thing, isn’t it? To create a space where one can talk about the ideas, and concerns, and stories inside one’s head; where we can share those ideas, and concerns, and stories with one another.
As of today, I’m stepping back in. I’m still going to write about education sometimes, because it’s a big part of who I am, and as I learn, I want to share that with you. But you’ll see me getting back to my old self a bit more too, writing about spirit, and productivity and social media, and video, and whatever I happen to be all riled up about at the moment.
I hope you’ll open the door again, and join me as I continue my grand experiment. Thanks for being here.
[photo credit: Runs with Scissors on Flickr]
15 Comments
[…] would be one of Sue Murphy’s blog posts, “The Grand Experiment of Blogging“, that crystallized the third reason we continue to […]
Hi Suze – I really enjoyed this post. It’s so true that when we reveal our personal selves, it makes people want to connect with us even more. Thanks for your honesty.
Thank you John. I really appreciate your supportive words! The response to this post has overwhelmed me a bit – I didn’t know that I was making such an impact. It’s inspired me to keep on going!!!
Hey, Sue.
You’re so creative – however could you have “agreed” to be boxed in! Glad you found the doorway out. Now you can BE outside, and also look inside when you wish to.
Although I don’t “subscribe” to very much — to big a commitment for my downtime 🙂 — when I read your blog, it always gets me thinking, as you can see when I respond. You’re well-written, insightful, and inciteful — keep it up!
Cheers, John
P.S. Thanks Mom for revealing the “handle” I couldn’t quite figure out.
I’m happy your back to your “old” ways. I’ve loved getting to know the “other” you. Not just my daughter but the wonderful, smart, terrific woman you’ve become. Mom
Your blog inspires whether it is a ‘dumping ground’ for ideas (in your words) or a ‘jumping-off point’ for those of us who read it, or for yourself. I find the action of writing to be incredibly therapeutic..I suspect that is what it feels like for you too. This desire to share and inspire and learn is a lifelong desire that can be experimented with, as long as YOU are still getting something out of it. I know for me, and others in your online community – you are often speaking out about things we are considering ourselves. You have the gift of the written word at your finger-tips and the gift of insight and caring in your mind. Looking forward to where you go next with this.
CG
Welcome back! Having said that, I’ve enjoyed your focused insight into education and technology even if your writing wasn’t as fluid as I’d come to expect. You always introduce ideas I try to apply to my own areas of interest.
I’m glad you’ll be going back to the broad spectrum which includes education and technology. It seems more… you.
Welcome back .. I’ve missed you. 🙂
I like the swirl approach…one it also demonstrates creativity and passion for putting ‘it’, whatever it is out there for comment. Fearless too.
Go!
will you write about coffee, too, sometimes? Because if you do, then i’ll stick around. (Okay, i didn’t go anywhere anyway, but still)
For you, Jon? I will most definitely talk about coffee. hmm. maybe a guest post? 😉
Glad to hear it! I think it was a blog post of yours about public speaking that initially introduced me to you, so I’m glad that you’re back on the old blog wagon 🙂
Thanks Georgy! I’m glad I’ve gotten to know you. Looking forward to enjoying the wagon ride!
Hi Susan, I have to admit, I lost touch of your blog for awhile. I knew you were changing focus and I am sure your new topic would have interested me. But I started blogging with your blog as one of my inspiration points. I liked the conversation and community you created. I am glad to hear that you are leaning back that way. Blogs do need focus but they need personality too and I loved the personality I learned from you early on.
Hmmm. So maybe, Julie, my blog focus IS “all the stuff that swirls around in my head”. Works for me! Thanks for sticking around. 🙂