Repeat after me…Do not feel obligated to blog
I fired up my Google Reader and read this sobering post by Caroline Middlebrook. I am not going to discuss her personal problems as you can draw your conclusion while reading the post. That said, I want to wish her well and hope she finds new meaning soon.
What I want to highlight is amid all her personal problems, she still feels Obligated to review her stats and analyze her blog for November, promote the $300 Affiliate challenge, and even do a 7 min podcast!
I am not bashing her because she lied about her reasons. As House said: “Everybody lies.” Actually, I am not even bashing her. I am just highlighting a point. Lying in real life conversation is quite easy; you open your mouth and tell your lie. Sometimes its a self defense reflex. But in a blogging environment, you got to articulate your lie, organize your thoughts and write it down.
So why did she lied?
I think the problem with Caroline, as with all the young rising movie stars, is the super fast rise to the top. With that comes the huge expectations that you gonna deliver everyday. So when everything crashes around her, she still feels Obligated to deliver her goods. As she have written in her post, she lied about everything in order to “save face”. I feel that she shouldn’t have to do that. Her posts, especially her Twitter guide, is good enough to maintain her blog for a few months until she gets well enough to continue. Sure, her subscriber numbers will drop, but the loyal ones will stay.
What do all these got to do with me?
Although BlogMunch is live for about 5 months, I have learned that coming up with quality content and keeping to a regular blogging schedule is hard work. Not undoable, but hard work nevertheless. Especially when you still have a day time job. Even though, you should always write about something you are passionate about, the needs and expectations of your readers can sometimes dictate what you write. The two sometimes don’t coincide. So nowadays, I only write about things I find interesting. I do not yet have the knowledge and depth to chunk out quality and insightful post day in and day out.
What I have learned from reading Caroline sobering post is not to feel obligated to blog if I don’t feel like writing. There are more important things in life (like watching Haruhi on TV). To me, it is a semi-lucrative hobby; as long it pays for my hosting every month, I am happy. Get my priorities right and enjoy life.
That said, I think I shall go for a blog break in January to recharge myself and take a rest. I think I deserved it.
Enough of my rambling. Back to my regular schedule (whatever that is) tomorrow.
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December 17th, 2007 at 6:12 pm
I am so guilty! Thanks for the reminder.
December 18th, 2007 at 12:03 am
Don’t feel guilty. Just have fun.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
December 20th, 2007 at 2:36 am
I understand what you’re saying, although I think you should, in my opinion, have shown a little bit of sympathy for what’s she’s going through. If she were heterosexual, would you have said the same, or would you have come from another angle? Not bashing you, just trying to have you walk in her shoes.
December 21st, 2007 at 7:01 pm
Eh, very true. I blog mainly for fun so I’ve no blogging schedule (it’ll feel too much like a job) and only blog when I want to.