Source: Gekokujyo on Flickr
I wanted to take the last post of January to reflect a little on my experience participating in Blogher's National Blog Post Month. I published 27 posts this month, including this one, which is certainly a LOT more frequently than I've ever written in that time frame on this little blog. I feel it was a good exercise for me; I enjoy routines, and I find it's much easier for me to find time for things that are scheduled into my daily or weekly routines. I'm realizing this month the importance of establishing such routines, to make sure that I'm prioritizing the process of taking regular time to do things I find of value.
Something else that I think is nice about the frequent posting was getting a record of much of what I wore this month, and a little bit of a journal-like record of my month. I've often enjoyed going back in my blog archives, seeing how my style changes or remains constant and reminding myself of what I was doing during those months. I used to be a frequent journal-writer...between the time I was about 9 and 18 I wrote a page or two in a journal every night before bed. (In college, I chose to spend more of my precious bits of free time with friends and my boyfriend, rather than with my journal). There's still something that I find incredibly valuable personally about having any kind of record of what I was doing, thinking, and experiencing.
However, one thing that I felt was missing from this blog-writing marathon was the time to take a few days to develop well-articulated, more thoughtful posts. Given the generally limited amount of time every day that I choose to devote to my blogging activities, the post-per-day frequency generally meant that my posts were shorter and less carefully researched or structured. I didn't find the regular writing generally difficult (except the few days I wasn't available until late in the evening), but I also chose to write in ways that were easier to me. Perhaps I could have taken advantage of the NaBloPoMo discussion topics to spark some more variety in what I wrote about.
I'm not intending to join the NaBloPoMo group for February, but may pick it back up again at some point this year. It's been an interesting experience! For the time being, perhaps I'll try having a more-regular-though-not-daily posting schedule and see how that works with the other aspects of my life.
If you have a blog, do you post everyday/nearly everyday, on a less frequent schedule, or only sporadically? How come?
2 comments:
I participated in Nablopomo too. I posted every day & signed up for February too. I learned a lot not to mention found your blog! Way cool!
If I were to do this, I think it would have to be during a break between semesters. Like you, the blog has replaced what once was compulsive journal writing. I like blogs because they are more interactive. Congrats on meeting your goal.
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