The Trouble With Blogging

Blogwise, I've been in a bit of a funk lately. (Yes, I just started a sentence with the word "blogwise." As of now, it exists.) Entries have been few and far between these days, and I don't like it one bit.

In an effort to combat this unfortunate streak, what else could be more relevant than to compile a few reasons why we put off blogging? Here we go. The trouble with blogging is:

1) It's time-consuming. Blogging is an investment. Writing entries on a consistent basis takes time, lots of it. If you can't sit down and put the hour(s) in, it ain't gonna happen.

2) You need inspiration. From my experiences, I've found that staring at the computer screen trying to squeeze words out of my brain doesn't produce good work. Good work comes from good ideas. Without the idea, there is nothing.

3) There's that constant pressure to be original. What I have dubbed the "Battle Against Cliche" has been especially stifling to the creative development of my blog. Who wants to write about the same old things? (To quote the Barenaked Ladies, "It's all been done...") I sure don't. At the same time, obsessing over wanting to be different too easily swallows up this blogger in the blaze.

This would be a nothing but a list of complaints unless I offered some kind of solution. I'll try my best.

So, how to fight blogging dry spells? I propose:

1) Making the time by re-prioritizing. This is a skill I have been particularly unsuccessful at lately. For this, I blame 1) the Man, and 2) TV. At the end of a long 9-to-5er (or 8:30-to-4:30er in my case), all I want to do is plop down on the couch, turn on the boob tube and not get up til bedtime. Oops. Honestly, if blogging really is more important to me than Jersey Shore marathons (which it is), Snooki & company will have to wait.

2) Being ready when inspiration strikes. That means anytime, anywhere-- no need to be tethered to a laptop 24/7 when you've got a pen and paper (or its digital equivalent). The Notes application on my iPod Touch has been a valuable tool for storing spontaneous bursts of thoughts and words, especially when I'm on the subway. The tiny screen keyboard is a bit error-prone, but it makes typing quick and easy. I need to utilize this device to the fullest.

3) Not trying too hard to impress. This doesn't translate to "put little effort into it." What I mean is that the more you write from within, from what you know, as honestly as possible, the more the originality will shine through. Entries practically write themselves when passion about the topic comes first, rather than measuring success against a "cliche counter." This is so much easier said than done, and probably what I need to work on the most.

If you're thinking that this entry was too self-aware, I'll have to disagree. How can growth as a writer and as a person come about if not from self-awareness? The trick is to know thyself, to be constantly re-evaluating, to always allow room for improvement. In knowing myself, I hope to build a better blog. Page by page, line by line-- word by word.