“Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become.†{author unknown}
I’ve been mulling over the direction of my blog for a little while now.
You see, I don’t think a blog is ever a ‘finished’ thing. I don’t think it ever stops growing and evolving. I think if it did, then it would get boring… and I feel like I’m in a little mini-rut at the moment. Nothing serious, but enough to make me pause and think.
I’ve got questions floating around in my head.
Questions like:
- What are my goals?
- What do I want to share here?
- What do my readers enjoy the most? Do you enjoy my personal posts, or when I share other people’s work… or both?
- Should I blog less, and write more in-depth posts, or should I blog more, and go more of a ‘design blog’ direction?
- What’s the definition of my blog – what niche does it fit in – lifestyle, craft, design… – and does it even NEED to fit in a niche??
- Do I have too much going on in the sidebars? Do I need to simplify?
I’ve noticed a decrease in blog comments recently – BUT – I’ve noticed an increase of people tweeting/leaving facebook comments about my blog posts. So is the conversation just happening elsewhere? And do I blog things that encourage conversation, is that my goal? Do I not share enough of my thoughts?
You see… much is swirling around in my brain! I wanted to share all this with you because this blog is as much for you as it is about me.
I love this blog so much, and I want to make sure it’s a true reflection of my creative journey. I have a few ideas of projects and fun things to implement over the next little while (one idea came to me last night, on the edge of sleep – as they do!) so I’m looking forward to putting all of that into action!
I want this to be a place that inspires you, makes you happy, leaves you thinking about things, and where I share a little bit more of ‘me’ with the world.
Maybe it’s the turn of the seasons… maybe it’s because I’m almost 30… but really, I think it’s just something that happens, this re-evaluating. It’s a process that might be a little painful, but nothing is birthed without a little pain, right?
{Image by AllyRichelle on Flickr}
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Hi Jess,
all good questions and yes – absolutely – although it’s hard to see how at the time we only ‘grow’ when we’re outside our comfort zone which by definition is…uncomfortable!
I’ve been doing my blog for two or more years but only have 60 followers to show for it (I’m laughing as I write this) but I just get so much out of it that I just go where it takes me even though sometimes thats art or design or life family stuff. I do notice however blogs that are very niche (stick to their area) really grow fast. But hey, we love comments don’t we – I hate it when I’e put lots of thought onto a post and then it seems like I’ve sent it out into a vacume (little tear….)!
BTW I have been having trouble purchasing the latest Bespoke. I don’t seem to have the correct password or go through to Paypal. any tips there?)
Hang in there,
Jo
Hey Jo! You make a good point about ‘niche’ blogs – I guess that’s because people know what to expect when they visit!
Regarding *bespoke* – that’s no good! Have another go here – http://bespokezine.com/shop – make sure you’re not logged into an account, that may be causing your probs 🙂 Let me know if it doesn’t work and we’ll sort it out together 😉
Hi Jess, whatever changes you deem to make Im sure they will be in the right direction. Your blog/website is always uplifting, always inspiring and always happy – a nice place to go when your day is not going that way 🙂
Dan x
Thanks Dan – that’s really great to hear, because that’s just what I want it to be!
I know exactly what you mean. Evolution!
Hi Jessica
I think your blog is fabulous and read every post you write. I wonder if perhaps the drop in comments is simply because more and more people are using RSS readers. I have to confess that I’m guilty of logging on to google reader through my phone, reading all my favourite blogs and then forgetting to actually click through and comment. I often write a reply in my head though 🙂
I literally just commented about your blog on Tomas and Jones’ last post http://tomasandjones.blogspot.com/. They wrote about your zine. Then I read YOUR post about lack of comments. I thought I’d better come right on over and make one 🙂
I have a personal blog not a gorgeous artistic one like this. And I too feel disapointed sometimes when it doesn’t attract comments, despite me seeing via blog stats that people read it!
Keep up your fantastic posts – I love them!
Janine – THANK you for ‘coming over’ from your reader to leave this wonderful comment – you certainly brought a smile to my face! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy the blog – and thank you for ordering a copy of *bespoke*, too xx
I think you make a GREAT point about the rss reader. When I go through mine I tend to read on the computer, and what I always to is open each post in a new tab before I read it, then I get the full experience of being on the person’s blog, which I really enjoy!
Hi Jess, just wanted to let you know I really enjoy your blog. You are such a talented gal and I love how you have just followed your dreams. I just wish I could do the same. I love seeing your creations and from what I’m gathering it seems that readers love seeing ‘real life/personal’ posts. It’s something I actually struggle to do with my blog. Keep up the great work, look forward to reading more.
Tone xo
Thanks so much Tone – that is really lovely feedback, and great to hear, especially regarding the ‘personal’ posts.
Jess, I always love the mix that you have between personal and inspiring work by others, but of course whichever direction you decide to take it so that it works best for you, I’m sure we’ll love it too.
You might find that as you’re getting more people subscribing by email to your blog, you get less comments. I know that I look forward to receiving your lovely blog update everyday and love to read every word. Many things resonate with me and I write a comment in my head…. but sorry to say that most times I don’t get to click that button and write the comment. – Again, sorry!
You’ve done an astounding job on your blog, as you have with all of your ventures!
Mel, thank you xxx I always love reading your comments!
And I didn’t think about e-mail subscribers (funny how the way we read blogs clouds our mind to how others read them!).
I started reading your blog because I liked your tweets. I was drawn into your blog by a specific post: the April 4th one, “Work is not a job.” You posted a graphic with a series of philosophical statements worked into the design and tweeted a question: which of the statements do you agree or disagree with and why? That intrigued me. I’ve come back because I like the mix of personal/crafty/craftbiz posts. Sounds like you are evaluating the direction of your blog, so I thought I would try to offer some specifics about what I get out of it. I hope it helps!
Thank you so much for your detailed comment Veta, I really appreciate it! And so glad you came visiting from twitter 🙂
Hi Jess,
You’ve raised a lot of great questions. As far as comments go, I’m not sure they’re a true reflection of health of a blog. When D&OC was much smaller, I would receive a lot of comments per post. D&OC is more mature now in it’s growth and the comments have decreased drastically. BUT, the quality of my blog is better, the quality of the comments is better and the traffic and growth of the blog is more substantial. For me, I have a hard time leaving comments due to be being busy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t read lots of blogs.
You also asked about your sidebars. You do have a lot going on and my eyes dart back and forth on the page, but I think that too is a personal preference. I prefer something simpler, but sometimes it’s hard to simplify what you want people to see!
Your blog is full of thoughtful posts and I think it’s wonderful. xo,
Christina
Thanks Christina xxx I’ve always admired your blog, and have loved chatting to you over the years! I think you’re right – I read a LOT more blogs than I comment on… I think it’s often because design-type blogs don’t lend themselves to discussion per se, they are more about enjoying the beauty and the stories.
“I want this to be a place that inspires you, makes you happy, leaves you thinking about things, and where I share a little bit more of ‘me’ with the world.”
Well – to me, that is EXACTLY what I get out of your wonderful posts and why I keep coming back! So, while a bit of intropection is always helpful to keep us on track, I think you are headed in the right direction. 🙂
As a new blogger myself (just passed my first year!), Jo’s comment above really resonates with me. Sometimes I feel literally invisible. You pour your heart into a post, publish it, and then hear nothing but “crickets.” Or worse yet, post a pic of a new design series on FB and see no comments! But then, when you do get a from-the-heart comment, it is just that much more appreciated!
I’m still struggling to find the right balance of pics, subject, and voice — probably with not being too wordy most of all (lawyer habits die hard!). I have a friend who is also a blogger and a novelist. Her advice to me (actually I think it came from her dad first) was to just write what YOU like. If you like it, then the rest will fall into place.
Your posts do inspire me, Jess. They do make me smile. And I love reading little bits about you and your life because I think we love to get to know the hands behind the handmade pieces we adore.
Heidi!! *hugs* Thank you so much! Your comment really made me smile – it’s so lovely to hear that you and others are enjoying what I do already 🙂