the 3 reasons blogging is hard.

This blogging deal is a lot of work.
I've been at it a long time.
Sure, the first year I was nervous to actually post anything specific about myself,
for fear of someone on the internet finding me and kidnapping me.

The next year and a half, I was specific to wedding blogging.
That's where I was in life, and I think that blogging should be a reflection of yourself.
However, blogging about solely weddings leaves your readership,
to probably only those who are engaged, just got married, wishing they could do it again, or your family.
Now for the last year and a half, I've been opening up more,
talking about more things, like what we're up to, what we believe, our lifestyle, etc.

But there are still lots of days where I think... blogging just isn't for me.

Here's why:

1. Blogging takes up so much time. If you don't have a blog maybe you don't realize this. But it takes forever. For instance, a "simple" post takes hours to do. (And I don't even have a personal computer - I have to use Sean's work computer). Everything from thinking about what to write, writing it, editing it, taking pictures that apply to said post, editing the pictures, making a collage, or finding pictures on the internet regarding the post, worrying about finding the source for those pictures, formatting everything, reading it over, hitting post, making sure it actually looks normal and it's not spaced out strangely, posting it on other social media networks so that people know that I wrote something and read it too. See?

It's not just "hey, I have an idea!" and BAM there it is. At least it's not for me. I like to make sure that I still feel as positively at the end of the post as I did in the beginning. I can't tell you how many drafts of posts I have. Just things that I thought I had enough to write about and then as I typed I realized... nope, not ready yet.

2. Blogging demands lots of interaction. Mostly on the computer, yes. But social interaction is still social interaction. And this may or may not come as a shock to you, but I'm not that social. I'm polite, yes. I think I can carry a conversation and I can usually go along with anything. I go out into the world and live, sure. But socially? I'm more of an introvert. Constantly being with lots of people and interacting with lots of people leaves me feeling drained. I'd much prefer being with one person than being with many. But blogging? Well, you sort of need to leave yourself out there for all to see. And it requires you to interact with people; bloggers, friends, family, readers, commenters, and "critics" who have a lot to say about you and what you wrote that sometimes is negative and/or mean.

And the interaction isn't just expected on your actual blog. It's common courtesy to comment on other people's blogs and to reply back with an email every time someone leaves you a comment. I'm not good at this. For instance, this morning I wrote 60 reply emails to people who have left me comments within the last week. They're nice comments, and people with wonderful blogs that I read everyday but I'm just not good at commenting or replying people.

And the interaction is expected on other social medias, too. Like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest... the list goes on. I can't tell you the number of times someone has said something to me on something and I ask Sean "so, what should I say back?" and he tells me something that he so easily thought up and I say "are you sure, that's like a normal response to someone I've never met?". And he says "yes, it's called regular social interaction".

3. Blogging "requires" pictures, life in the city, an adorable baby, a stunning home, and religion. I read it all the time: posts with pictures get more hits than posts with just text. Well... I'm constantly forgetting to take pictures. At the end of the day, I ask Sean to email me all the pictures he's taken throughout the day/weekend/week. I just forget. I'd much rather be in the moment than worry about capturing it on my iPhone. 

And I have none of these things: life in a big city, a baby, a house that I can paint, re-do and complete DIY projects on, or a religion. I know.

So, if that's how I sum up blogging, why do I do it?

Here's why...

Because I enjoy it. Even though it takes up my time, puts me out of my element, and sometimes makes me think I need things to be successful that I really don't need -- I love it.

I can think of no way I'd rather spend my free time than writing about myself, and reading about strangers.
And that's why I blog.