Maybe you do it because you want to have a voice in the world, even if it is only a whisper of a voice in a tiny corner of one very small closet of a crowded room at the far-end wing of a world-sized hotel. Maybe you do it to impact people in a positive way. Perhaps you were born a writer and if you don’t write, it feels like there is a distinct possibility that you don’t really exist.
Or maybe? You do it because you have a business and it helps pay the bills. Or your love language is words of encouragement and you love you some comments. Maybe you do it so far-away Aunt Patsy Lou can see the kids without you having to print out photos. Or you like when people agree with you. OR you like to stir the pot.
(the obligatory photo b/c emily can’t. post. without. a photo.)
I’m not saying the purpose of your blog has to be noble or world-changing. I’m just trying to convince you that you have one. You could write privately. There is a reason why you choose to write in public. And knowing that purpose can save you time, can keep you sane and can help you know when to say no. Or yes, depending.
If you already clearly know your purpose or if your blog is just a space for you to vent randomly and you are happy with that, then these questions may not matter to you. But if, as some of you mentioned in yesterdays comments, you are at an impasse with why you blog and what to do next, I hope these simple questions can help to nudge you in the right direction.
Which posts make you nervous when you hit publish? Nervous in a good way, because what you said there in that post was really important to you and you hope it is well received.
Which posts feel like work or drudgery? You do these because you feel like you should or you are supposed to. Chances are if you don’t like those posts, we don’t either. Or if we do, then you are attracting an audience of readers who will continue to demand things from you that you don’t like giving.
On which posts do you receive the most comments? These may give a hint as to the type of readers you have…
On which posts do you receive the most comments that mean something to you? …but these posts give a hint as to where your passion and the passion of the reader intersect. Bingo!
What are your top three favorite posts? Simple, I know. I never said this was rocket science.
If you could have a blog about anything but didn’t worry about if other people would read it, what would it be? Give yourself permission to answer this one honestly.
Do you still love what you write about?
And one thing NOT to ask:
Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. -Howard Thurman
So there you have it. I’m not asking you to answer these qustions for me, I’m just offering them for you to think about for you, as this is a portion of what we talked about at She Speaks. I hope it is helpful in some way.
Recent Comments