Even though it is probably completely irrelevant to any of you, I feel compelled to tell you that there has been a change in my intent for this blog. I created my first blog in 2003 when we moved to Mexico. It was crappy by today’s standards but at the time I thought my little tripod blog was pretty cool. I think I only wrote about four times the entire year we were away and we mostly used it to house pictures. Those posts have since been copied over to this blog, by the way.
When we moved to China, I got more serious about blogging as it was a way to keep in touch with people back home and share our photos and experiences. I tried to send updates once a week and if it became longer than that between updates, I felt like I was abandoning our friends and loved ones back home. That blog was on Mobile Me and has since been copied to this blog as well.
Once I became pregnant with Belén, the blog was a great way to share pregnancy experiences and sort through some of my feelings about impending motherhood. After we had Belén until I went back to work, we used it to share photos and experiences with our tiny infant and thoughts about being newly minted parents.
It was about that time when I started to realize that blogs could be more than just fun and informational but that people actually make money on them. I immediately made it my life goal to be dooce, a woman whose entire family is supported by her blog. After this realization, I shifted my goal for the blog to to be that of someday maybe I could quit my job and stay home with my baby because I am going to have a world famous blog. Which if you read any other blogs, the authors will tell you is not very likely to happen. But I think I needed that possibility to be out there in front of me to make it through my first year of being away from my baby eight plus hours a day.
I am here to tell you that I finally came out of my baby-induced haze of a pipe dream and making money on the blog is no longer a huge focus in my life. It really doesn’t make sense and it was starting to take the fun out of it.
Why doesn’t it make sense you might ask? I think I have about three people a month click on ads which makes me about $1.79. I pay more to host the blog on godaddy a month than that. Now, don’t get me wrong, I am not discouraging people from clicking on ads. I definitely feel the love and the few pennies here and there still gets me excited because it makes me feel like a “professional” writer for a meager moment…and it would be great to at least get the hosting covered with ad revenue…but honestly I am over it.
The reason why this is likely irrelevant to you is that I don’t think the blog content will change much based on my change in inspiration. Maybe it will get better because I now recognize I am writing because I love to. I still love having readers and check my stats to see how many people are reading and subscribed to the blog because that is in my Type A, driver-manager nature, but honestly it is different now…and it feels good.
I should clarify that this does not mean that I am abandoning my “365 plan” where I intend to make a blog entry every day in 2010. At this point, if nothing else, writing in this blog is my therapy! That must make all of you readers therapists. What kind of couch did you decide on? Fight the urge to go for form over function!
When I was in fourth grade, I was convinced I wanted to be a writer. I kept a journal and documented everything I could. For whatever reason, I was selected to go to a writing workshop which I find out years later Andy was also attending. All of the participants received navy blue t-shirts which I really wish I still had today. In white letters it said, “tis my fate to write”.
You see, it was kismet. I was born to be a starving writer…I just happened to be one with a back up plan.
Anyway, I THANK YOU each and every day for reading this blog! You have no idea how happy it makes me to have such great readers!
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{ 4 comments }
Oh wow! You two were at the same writing workshop?! Crazy!
My only career dream as a child was to be a teacher. To this day, I’d still love to teach, but in this economy, it’s a risky career move. Plus, now I have those little cupcakes to be tending to
sara´s last blog ..Cooking with Sara- Chewy Granola Bars
And I want to thank you for writing it! Reading about both your triumphs and doubts remind me that we are all human! So maybe you are the therapist! I just read a quote by the Dalelama that read “Noticing a single shortcoming in ourselves is far more useful than seeing a thousand in someone else. When it is our own: we can correct it.” By reflectng about your thoughts and experiences, I think it gives you an opportunity to gain awareness about yourself, which I feel is rare & valuable!
You never cease to amaze me I don’t know how you find the time for all the things you do! Thank you for being such an amazing role model for a little sister to look up to!
Thanks for your kind comments on my blog!! I look forward to reading more from you!!
Xo
AO
You are born to be a writer and I so LOVE your style! Go after it, another friend of mine did and his book made it to publication! http://garrettthefirefighter.com/
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