I wrote my first blog post March 2007. I had children ages 13, 10, 8, 6 and 1. Now our oldest has graduated high school and our youngest has graduated Kindergarten. I used to think about potty training and braces. I am still thinking about braces but my thoughts are also about college, careers, and boyfriends/girlfriends.
Blogging has aged too. It used to be just a place anyone could have a voice on a wide variety of topics. One woman could have lots of opinions on lots of topics. Now it seems you need a niche. Mommy-Blog. Decorater-Blog. Spiritual-Blog. Coupon-Blog. Green-Blog. Fitness-Blog. Craft-Blog. For an average girl like me, it gives me anxiety. "THEY" say you need a niche. A target audience. What would be my niche? Do I even have something that I am so passionate about that I could go on and on post after post about said topic. I don't. And I get tired of myself when I am continually voicing my narrowminded opinions on hot topics. God is teaching me that I really do not need to share EVERY opinion I have. Shocking. I know. Is it even OK for my target audience to be average girls with various thoughts on various topics? Is it OK not even to really have an audience? To not try to gather "followers"?
I have been feeling like maybe I missed my blog-window-of-opportunity. Feeling that I was not an expert in any topic in any sense. Feeling like maybe the young Mommy Bloggers had taken over all of the web space. I even had inferior feelings like they had much more knowledge on just about any given topic than I. I often wondered 'how did they get so dang smart so early'. But then I remembered why I started this blog. It was a way for me to get down a complete thought. With days filled with babies, tears, reading children's books and doing math problems with my kiddos blogging was a way to think one complete adult thought. It was a way for me to remain somewhat sane in the mundaness of life.
Most of the bloggers from my early days have moved on. The ones that have continued I treasure like an old friendship. The one's that you don't see for years and then can pick right back up. Others I miss dearly. I have found new blogs that I enjoy too and that is fun. New friendships are always fun.
So I am coming to the realization that blogging is like life. It is a journey. It is like me. Changing and evolving.
2 comments:
Jill! Can I tell you how much I love this post? This whole niche thing has given me anxiety too - I can't for the life of me figure out my niche.
I hope this means you will be blogging more regularly. Cause this average girl loves to read what you have to say :)
courage :)
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