Why I Blog the Way I Do

Blaugust and blog like personal timeline - bstn.info

Before I get into the details, though, I’ll mention that my thoughts are constantly bouncing back and forth between different ideas for the blog. Sometimes one idea takes precedence over the other. It used to bother me, but now I try to keep those ideas at arm’s length and just do my thing that is, write, hoping that the right idea, one worth implementing, will emerge at some unexpected moment, and by then I won’t have any doubts.

I find it interesting Sebastian struggles with the exact same feelings I once had about my own blog.

In the Stone Age before social media, my blog was a place where I took my time to thoughtfully compose long-form posts, researching different points, and making my argument on the topic, mostly about Apple technology.

Posts in those days were infrequent because I put so much time into them. Sometimes what I published was good, sometimes it was far less than good.

My blog helped connect me with other bloggers on the internet, many of whom I still speak with today. It was a magical time.

I was an early adopter when social media became a thing. During that period of my life, I found my blogging became almost non-existent. I got sucked into the vortex of likes, retweets and replies from others.

I won’t lie; the early years on the socials were a time of fun and enjoyment. But by the end, I became a slave to the algorithm. That’s when I knew I had to jump ship. It took a minute, but I was able to leave the most toxic of the platforms.

I still had my blog, and knew I could return to it. I moved between a few different platforms then, trying to find what felt most like home. Micro.blog was about the closest I came to what felt right. I decided I wanted that, but by my own rules, and is the reason I’ve built my own blogging platform.

Early blogs were a place where authors let their thoughts flow freely. I decided that’s what I wanted mine to be – a hub of everything I do online, and is why I ended up using my site as a stream of pithy thoughts, imagery, links to other sites, and the occasional long-form post, federating out to other platforms for engagement.

When it comes down to it, I blog more for my own benefit than anyone else’s. I often look back at what I posted years ago and immediately remember where my head was during that time, or what was important to me then. It’s cathartic and an inexpensive form of therapy.

Since I’m blogging for myself, I know there’s no pressure in it. If I have nothing to say and want to go quiet for a month, I can do that. If I’m in a manic period of creativity, I can post a bunch of silly thoughts and drive people crazy with everything that pops into my mind.

In the end, there’s no right or wrong way to blog. The goal is to just write and do it your way. I hope this post encourages someone to start writing more.