By Ian Hollidae, 2024/12/30

Entering 2024, there were a number of projects I wanted to get off the ground. One of those projects was this blog, and back in the spring, I made good on the attempt. Now that we're leaving 2024, this seems like the right time to reflect on my efforrts.

Why Blog? Why Now?

For a long time, I thought about starting a blog but I had my doubts whether I could do it well. What initially got me interested in blogging were some great sites I ran across over the years that published quality output even though the writers weren't professionals. I myself am not a natural writer which added to my interest and doubt. What held me back for so long was the constant question of why blog when it's clear the world turned to Twitter/X and social media long ago. Regardless, there was definitely a need to try. I should mention that I did try Twitter/X a few years back but it seemed so temporary and disposable. I didn't keep at it for long.

Along with all my doubts, I had a ton of questions. What exactly would I blog about? Should I have a broad focus on a lot of topics or a narrow focus on a few? I had questions about post frequency, post types and drifting purpose. The list of issues went on and on.

Sitting down and trying to answer these questions before starting a blog seemed like the obvious way to find answers. In most situations, it's better to go into something with some sort of plan. Turns out, at least in my case, this isn't entirely true. Having a plan was helpful but when you're about to press the publish button, there seems to be a dynamic I wasn't prepared for even after having been on Twitter/X.

A Few Reflections

The first thought that came to mind was that developing a style is a real thing. I seemed to get stuck between trying to be formal and "polished" and just going with the flow. Mixing the two in a single post absolutely doesn't work. Looking around at other blogs can certainly provide a guide but ultimately, you'll have to find your own voice.

Secondly, the depth to which you dive into a subject is another item that keeps cropping up. Doing a deep dive without rambling is basically akin to writing a paper for school or report for work. If you don't enjoy the outlining/rewriting process, this can really zap someones motivation. In some cases, I did fine with it because I really liked the topic. However, I have to admit, there were other times when a potential post faded away. And if there is a time element to your topic, an upcoming or recent event for example, depth level can truly be affected.

But I think the biggest item of reflection was the overall question of is starting a blog worth it. I came to the conclusion the answer was yes mainly because it's been a great learning experience even if the experience wasn't always smooth sailing. Coming up with entry topics ran hot and cold. Sometimes I had plenty of topics and plenty of ways to present them. Other times I had a few topics and no presentation seemed adequate. All the things I anticipated that could affect my post freqency (finding time to blog) got replaced by things that actually would affect my frequency (taking more time to complete a single post).

Effort Has Its Own Rewards

In the end, despite not answering all the questions I had, I've been happy with the final results. Maybe less really is more. Maybe getting it "right" counts more than I imagined. Or maybe starting off cautious and slow was the best thing even if that's not what I planned.

So will I ever find a style? Will I ever post at the frequency I'd like to? Do I care if the focus of this blog drifts over time?

Maybe these questions are what I can look forward to answering in 2025.

Tags: Blogging