EDIT 15/11/10: Don’t worry guys, I’m not going anywhere (but thank you for the ridiculously lovely and supportive comments!) -this is just examining the “If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right” theory….
I sometimes feel like a sham of a blogger.
In the last few months, I’ve come across a large number of blogs that are beautifully written – truly beautifully written – and I wonder how I can compete with them.
I’m not a college student, I don’t work from home, I’m not writing for a living, I’m not unemployed (that’s obviously not a complaint), so I don’t have a while lot of time to sit at a table and compose a wonderfully eloquent or insightful post.
I write my posts on the run.
I squish them in between bus journeys and making dinner.
I hock out some sentences during a short lunch break.
I don’t have time to shoot my own enthralling photos and I don’t have the money to invest in gorgeous outfits (or the shopping-savvy to do it on a teeny budget).
My blog is just somewhere I blow off some creative steam.
Being voted a finalist in the Best Personal Blog category for the Irish Blog Awards last year really did so much for my confidence, even if I didn’t feel I should’ve been in the Final Five.
With the amount of people with endless time (and even better writing skills and creativity) that have hopped on the Blogging Bandwagon this year, I doubt I’ll make the shortlist.
I just don’t feel I’m up to scratch anymore.
The new blogging generation has FAR too much talent and have raised the bar almost impossibly high!
Sure, I could abandon my already-starving social life or deprive The Boy of a stable relationship, devoting all that extra time to writing Pulitzer-worthy posts, but what’s the point in having an impressive blog if you’ve nothing else -and with the amount of time spent on my job, I wouldn’t have time for anything else!
I suppose I could stop reading other blogs and leaving (hopefully) supportive and encouraging comments on their efforts to save time, but I’d feel selfish -oh yes, you should all read MY blog, but I’ll be damned if I return the favour!
So I guess today’s question is…. do I continue on my mediocre way or cut and run if I can’t be my best?
A Chick Named Hermia 
I love your blog! It always makes me laugh with your tales about ‘the boy’!
Kat Xx
Lol, he is a laugh-a-minute!
Mediocre is the last word I would use to describe your blog love 🙂
You are unbelievably honest and straightforward, admirably so. I’m one of the bandwagon jumpers, the unemployed blogger possessed of ‘endless time’, and being honest, I probably wouldn’t have even begun a blog was it not for my lack of job.
But if and when I do get work, I’ll continue blogging because I love writing it. Not because I feel I can compete with other bloggers. Not because I can or can’t make a shortlist for an award. Just because I love it!
So If you love it, do it. If you don’t, don’t. But just so ya know, I for one would miss your (totally not mediocre) posts, however infrequent they are. xx
Lol, I’m so jealous of your time…it totally reflects in your blog…it’s really good!
See, it’s not that I want awards (I mean, it’d be a sad life if I spent my time needing those), but I guess the recognition indicates that I’m doing good work here and that spurs me on! But really it’s that when I can see so many other bloggers with much more talent and buckets of ideas and creativity, I wonder if it’s right to continue on when I don’t feel I’m in a position to achieve my potential, you know? In the sense that “if a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right”, my wonderings are if I can’t fully dedicate myself to writing the best posts I can, should I continue doing rushed-efforts?
I agree with Emma your blog is far from mediocre. I absolutely adore your blog and unlike other blogs i take my time to read every word you’ve written because they are interesting and different and most importantly beautifully written! please don’t quit on us we love u too much 😀
I love your blog. It has its own unique sense of humor and style, but not selfish. Don’t change a thing about it.
P.S.: I miss your diary entries.
But I love your blog! I have been feeling very weird about blogging, I don’t know. I blog for myself basically…
I don’t know if I am making sense, though
Noooo! I lurvv your blog!! It used to be one of the only ones I actually enjoyed reading, all the others made me jealous! All the lovely clothes and beautiful people with words of wisdom on the fashion scene and what to/not to buy.. Even though I couldn’t afford even the worst of fashion mishaps.. Seriously, keeeep blogging! Your blog is honest and a fun read, it often has me laughing 🙂
Ridiculous. This is one of the funniest parts of the interwebz.
STAY.
(Please stay online :D)
What the?! What is the meaning of this?! Stop this immediately as I’ll have no changes made.
I get serious blog envy ALLTHE TIME. Better writers, more readers, nicer formats, better stories…I don’t have the time to edit and re-write rushed out posts and in comparison to some blogs it looks clumsy and awkward, not the way my actual writing style is at all. However I could worry about that and then it would stop being fun.
Your blog is always one of the first things I read when I turn my laptop on m’dear and I’ll be damned if you go messing things about 😀 Don’t change.
Ah sure aren’t you sweet! And YOU are definitely one of those amazing writers I’m referring to -hello, best humour blog 2010! 😀 Damn you naturally talented wordsmiths!
What!? Your blog is definitely “up there” with all the other good blogs! When I go onto google reader I always have about 200 blog updates and I usually never have time to read them all so I just click on my faves, which always includes yours! Definitely keep up the good work 🙂
And by the way college students do not have loads of time! I have to go to college everyday 9am – 5pm and then study in the evenings! I’m really struggling to find time to blog at the moment too, and I’m also considering giving it up 😦
But you definitely shouldn’t.
xxxx
Lol I always regret not starting a blog in college, because I had loads of time to write it and because I didn’t HAVE to be up early in the mornings, I used to stay up until 6am (I never needed sleep them…oh how it took a toll on my body…two and a half years later I’m a mess, lol!).
And no, don’t give up your blog….I really really like it!!!!! Even if the posts aren’t that regular! 😛
Ahh I wish my course was less demanding to have lots of time to blog! I’ll keep it up if you will 😀 haha. Though you post a lot more regularly than me!
whaaaa?! Your blog is one of the best out there! You can’t give up – I just love reading your blog! x
I always love reading your posts! I’m one of those people who jumped on the blogging bandwagon in the last year but I did it for me. Im still surprised when I realise people read it!!! And I too have a fulltime job, boyf and travel for work so I know what you mean about finding the time to write anything… But I always find that its not a chore, its a nice distraction from the stress of my real life!
Do whatever makes you happy. Think it over, & do what feels right. If you stop writing, you can always come back – & you can always stop again. But think about whether you’ll be happy with no outlet like this to air your thoughts. Will you miss it? Will you wish you’d kept it up? You don’t always have to be tops, & sometimes you won’t even be able to be your own personal best, but it’s not about that. It’s just about having a space of your own – if people hate it, screw ’em, & if they like it, well, good for both of you! But in the end, it’s for you. Do what makes you happiest.
hermia, dare you cut down this blog.. i will killl you.. ;D
no, but seriously, yours was the first blog I had ever read.. and trust me, I fell in love with you.. please please please, however far apart, just continue.. bcz evn the things you think are average, are outrageously hilarious!!
love love love you to bits!!!
Totally agree with Suburban Sweethearts comments!!!
You gotta do what makes you happy for sure!!
wow, that was a really honest and much-shared issue i’d say hermia. it’s really frickin’ hard eh? i say just keep doing what you’re doing…head down, trucking on and you’ll keep creating those sweet, whimsical, insightful pieces you’re doing!
jen
This post comes exactly when I need it. I am a full week behind on blog reading, as usual. I’ve worked or been out of town for the past four full weekends and my time just seems to fill up so quickly with things I have to do, leaving me with very little time to do things I want to do. I agree with what others have said – just do what makes you happy.
I’m one of those who’s horrible at writing, so I take photos instead. 🙂