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Blogging – how I started and why I blog

Blogging – it is almost SEVEN years since I started blogging! How did it all begin? You can read my first (and very boring!) post HERE

I didn’t really know what a blog was when I created my blog!

I had started digital scrapbooking, and found that other digital scrapbookers were using a blog to share and promote their digital scrapbooking layouts. I thought it might be a good idea to create one of my own, just to record my digital layouts and share them with others in the digi-scrapbooking community. I never planned to let anyone “in the REAL world” know about my blog!

[I have scattered a few of my digital scrapbooking layouts throughout this post …. for those who prefer just to look at the pictures … you know who you are …. but as you won’t be reading this I suppose you won’t!!!]

Mum+Birthday+Small

As I started sharing my layouts, and a wee bit of the story behind a layout, and life here in Northern Ireland I realised several things:

  • I actually enjoyed the writing process (my english teachers at school would have been as shocked as I was!)
  • I enjoyed the interaction with the commentors on my blog – primarily other digi-scrappers
  • The readers of my blog enjoyed seeing photos of Northern Ireland, and reading about life here

So gradually, my blog became more personal, more photos, less digi-scrapbooking.

sam birth april 07 (Small)

Finally, I confessed shared with my real life friends and family that I had this thing called a “blog”. I blogged for about 2 years before the world of Facebook made sharing my blog posts much easier, and blogging became slightly more normal/acceptable!

family+sg+charity+lo

While chatting one day to a close friend, I mentioned something that was happening soon, and was surprised she didn’t know, as I had blogged about it. She replied …. “but I don’t read your blog …. that would be nosey!!!”

Let’s face it … if it is something I didn’t want others to know …. I certainly wouldn’t be blogging about it. I am quite selective about what I share online, especially when it comes to my kids. Having a mum who blogs is VERY embarrassing at the best of times, so being mentioned or appearing on my blog is off-limits most of the time.

Some still struggle with the concept of WHY you would want to blog. I find it hard to explain – it’s creative, it’s enjoyable, it’s being part of a blogging community, I have made friends and connections all over the world, it’s a form of expression,  it records our family memories ….

I often find myself looking back through for a particular event, marvelling at how young the kids look, remembering a special day. There is a quote about scrapbooking that “a photograph records a moment, a scrapbook page records a memory” ….. and I think the same also applied to a blog post!

The blogging world has changed quite a bit over the years. Back then it was a bit geekier….less mainstream. Facebook has definitely changed things – it’s easier to share with your real-world connections, but comments have definitely decreased. It is easier to “like” a post on Facebook, or maybe even leave a comment there, than write a comment on the blog.  I have more visitors and readers, but less interactions.

alfred & co copy (Small)

I think I need to accept that things have moved on, and I know I too read more and comment less than my early blogging days. But I do miss those days! Sounding really old reminiscing about the “good ole days”!

So – I’d love to know ….. what brings you to this blog? Why do YOU read it? What would encourage YOU to comment?!! I’d love to know!

For those of you who don’t blog …. do you think you might start?

Feel free to share in the comments!

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8 Comments

  1. Hi! I’m visiting from the SITS GIRLS tribe. I started blogging with a scrapbooking niche too, but changed it to let my family know what I was doing. Well none of them read it. I decided to blog about the crafts I do and the randoms of my life so I became Random Crafty Georgia Girl! I’m looking forward to getting to know you!

  2. You have a very nice blog:)
    Always nice to fins new blogs.
    I am visiting you from the SITS Tribe group:)

    I am in the process og changing my blog design. But it is not easy to find the right theme.

  3. Hi Janmary! Stopping by from the SITS Tribe group. Ireland is on my bucket list to visit! Looking forward to the week!

  4. So happy to have found your lovely blog!! This is Charlotte from the SITS Tribe! I started blogging only a few months ago to try to bring another more personal dimension to my business and have found that I really love sharing life with other bloggers!! Now if I only had more time!! So excited to get to know you better!! Have a blessed week friend!

  5. Stopping by from the SITS Tribe. I love the set up of your blog. It has a nice flow.

  6. Heya, stopping by from the SITS tribe – loved this post. I was the same, I kept my blog to myself for such a long time in fear that my friends and family would comment and be funny. Now, thanks to Bloglovin, Facebook and Twitter, I share with the world and am just being me.
    Love your blog 🙂
    Lauren

  7. I started blogging because while I’m happy with my husband, my kids, and my career of 13+ years, I needed an outlet that was just for me and a challenge at times. So I took up blogging. I just started in August 2013 so I’m pretty new and have lots to learn, but so far I love it! So glad we could connect through the SITS Tribe!

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