{seaside, september 2011}
excited about having a day off in the middle of the week. Thursday can't come soon enough.
worried about this wedding I'm planning. How did I wind up in charge?
reading The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
creating yarn letters for my mantle. (Cute, but incredibly time-consuming. Who knew?)
loving my clean and organized house.
hating the fact that weekends are so short. Why do work days get to have the best, most awake parts of me?
wondering how I got so behind in keeping up with my long distance friends. I think I could have all day to send emails and never be caught up.
craving hot chocolate and colder temperatures.
listening to The Civil Wars.
watching Cheers -- obviously -- and Bill Cunningham New York, which I absolutely loved. Highly recommend to anybody who's an artist -- and really, aren't we all?
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Basically, while I get ready to blog every day throughout the month of October, these are the only words that are coming when I sit down to type. Fragments of sentences about nothing in particular and fill-in-the-blank posts I blatantly borrow from elsewhere on the internet (this one's from Kerri at Your Wishcake). This is why I worry about publicly announcing a desire to write on one topic for days on end; it's just not something I do very well.
Lately I've been thinking about this blogging world and what category I really fall into. Jules mentioned this on her blog yesterday, this idea that women with children are considered mom bloggers or women who post DIY projects and photos of homes are design bloggers or women who post devotional thoughts are faith bloggers. What if you just like to write? What if you just have to find a way to get the words out, and a blog happens to be the best way to do that? Then what? Will your blog be "successful," with lots of followers and regular commenters and people who post your musings to their Twitter and Facebook accounts?
I don't know. I kind of doubt it, since here I am, three years into blogging (um, yikes?) with no "business success" in blogging to speak of.
The thing is, though, that I still take this blog seriously. I still want to post regularly on subjects I care about, still want to entertain and seek advice and opinions from the people who stop by on a regular basis. This blog isn't my job, but it's something I work hard on, something I'm passionate about, something I enjoy.
In my case, too, I think it has the potential for ministry. Maybe not in the "Hi-I'm-Kirk-Cameron-let-met-give-you-a-tract" kind of way, but in the "as-iron-sharpens-iron" kind of way, the kind of way that encourages and uplifts and inspires.
So many bloggers make me want to be a better version of myself: a stronger believer, a more imaginative writer, a grace-filled wife and friend. And those are the blogs I want to read, regardless of followers or daily page views or how much ad revenue those writers produce.
My Google Reader is full -- really, really full -- of all kinds of blogs: blogs with pretty photographs, blogs with the occasional crafting project (though, admittedly, not too many of those: a girl can only handle so much DIY inspiration), blogs with insights into a daily life that might look pretty different from my own. Blogs by women in California, in Alabama, in Michigan, and right here in Florida. I read all kinds of blogs, probably because I read all kinds of anything. I'm a reader; it's what I do.
But the blogs I keep coming back to, the ones I look forward to with anticipation, the ones I read eagerly and comment on faithfully? Those blogs are all written by women who are not afraid to write and share with abandon. They carefully craft their posts into something inspiring. They might not have the prettiest pictures or the largest number of followers, but they're the blogs, I think, that have staying power. And I'll keep coming back to them again and again.
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What types of blogs do you read? Which ones are on your "daily" list?
16 comments:
I was so happy when I saw that Bill Cunningham New York was finally on Netflix! It was so good!
My Google Reader is so full with so much randomness and I like blogs that have randomness too, I like it when they talk about different things. I'm really looking forward to your same topic everyday in October.
Girl, your blog doesn't have potential for ministry. It is ministry. You just keep doing your thing, and when your busy month is over...we'll still be here :)
Well said friend. I used to look at fashion blogs and craft blogs, but as my time gets filled with life's obligations, I find I only make time for blogs with content, depth, and a raw vulnerability. Yours being one of them.
This post does trigger some thoughts. I had had about a hundred craft and fashion and DIY blogs in my reader, but lately, as I switch to bloglovin' - not many are making the cut.
They seem so mindless sometimes. Which I can appreciate after a long day occasionally, but I really do not care which cardigan she layered with her tights from Forever 21 and Jessica Simpson shoes.
I am now searching for blogs that either 1. help me with small business advice, 2. inspire me with truly great things, 3. are just flat out written by interesting people that like to think I would be friends with in 'real' life.
Cheers to your blog - I am new here, but it is on the daily read :)
"I'm a reader, it's what I do" - that was really helpful for me, because I'm the same way. I love reading different perspectives and moving stories. The blogs I keep coming back to are the ones written with thoughtfulness and intention and heart. Many are people of faith. Some are writers, some photographers, some creatives - people doing things on purpose. That's what draws me in.
I love what you wrote about blogging. I feel like it's hard to get out some of my deeper thoughts when writing a blog, but I do find myself turning to those that do. I love both the pretty and the deep, but it's so much easier to blog about the pretty at times. Anyway, thanks for the food for thought! I love with the iron-sharpening-iron that your blog does, reading your blog does inspire me in my faith walk.
I'm probably not in your target demographic since I'm a man but I enjoy your blog anyways because you write about different things and I never know what to expect. Write what inspires you, lots of blogs bang the drum about this or that but yours is full of honesty. nice work
I just want to encourage you to keep writing!! I found your blog recently and I can SO relate to this post! Blogging is so strange sometimes--trying to find my voice without even knowing my audience...trying to be authentic but wanting people to read my words but not wanting to cater to an audience but...etcetcetc! I read Seth Godin's words and they were really inspiring to me so hopefully they will be to you too: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/09/talkers-block.html
Happy writing! :)
I love being a reader too! I started out with wedding inspiration blogs, then home decorating blogs, then style blogs...now I've finally settled into ones like yours. I love bloggers who share their thoughts and insights into their lives.
Annie,
I've been a faithful reader for at least a year now. I don't know exactly how I stumbled across your blog, but it was truly a blessing that I did. I'm a sophomore at Auburn, but many of my friends are at Faulkner. All of your reflections on worship, your time at school, and quirkiness strike a chord with me. I can't wait to see what encouragement I get from reading whatever you have to courage to write the next day. Thank you for being brave...and honest.
"So many bloggers make me want to be a better version of myself: a stronger believer, a more imaginative writer, a grace-filled wife and friend. And those are the blogs I want to read"
this is my thought exactly. I'm constantly following and deleting unnecessary blogs. At the time I start following them I see something I like and decide to see if this blog following can grow into a commitment. Then things change and I realize I'm not being sharpened or encouraged or inspired really. And I delete the blog.
But the ones with "staying power" are the ones that are consistent. Not in their posts but in blogging from a place of transparency. Of not caring or catering to one person. BUt just a place of abandon like you mentioned. I only pray I can do that with a consistent and fervent desire as well..
Thanks for the post :)
♥cheche
today is started with a very hard work. And i'm coming in your virtual home for a moment of peace. And this is the reason. I read only people that for me is inspiration. In italy now is 11.pm. (i look the last post in google reader but page not found. But one page is not important, the quality of our spirit is all around your and my words. Good night a tutti.)
You are on my daily list for starters ;) And I keep coming back to your blog because I love the written word... even when life is busy and sometimes I do just want to see pics of a recipe or craft, I also want to read something well written and inspiring. Depending on my mood determines what blogs I read for the day. And that is why I love that there is a variety to choose from.
i dont hardly have readers, or followers, but i am okay with that. I write and mostly post personal photographs of our life. I like real blogs personally. I like a lot of famous blogs, too. But i always like the ones where they post about their own life. Not just posting a bunch of pretty pictures found from somewhere else.
-m
You are one of my favorite bloggers! You probably don't remember me, but I know I have told you before I have your blog bookmarked and I read every time you update. Not to be a stalker, but I love what you have to say. I greatly appreciate women who have their own opinions and who look at life from a spiritual lens. I am in college and know so many girls who lose sight of everything that is moral or worth while. They get caught in the wrong things and promote themselves as objects rather than one of His beautiful children. I hope this makes sense....
Anywho, you are one of my favorite blogs. The blogs that are spiritual or offer some sort of insight on the daily beauty of life, and also art blogs. I love my fellow creative bloggers!
I agree with what you said are your favorite blogs - most of the blogs I read are ones written by women who are unafraid to be authentic, unafraid to be raw and real. And I agree with Hannah - your blog doesn't just have the potential for ministry, it already is.
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