It was this blog's eighth birthday yesterday and I was unsure what to do. Throw a party, or a wake? I considered putting it on a boat, setting fire to it and pushing it out into the Serpentine lake to watch it burn from a distance while sipping Pimm's. Since the whole "all my images were irretrievably deleted by Google" debacle I have been feeling unenthused. But honestly, as I've posted here less and less frequently over the past year or so, except to link to articles I've written elsewhere, I've become stuck about what to do with this blog. Mired in indecision, I've done nothing. Do I end it, but leave it up like a flag in the sand, with its extensive archives that sometimes weigh me down with their sheer volume? Make it redirect to something new and fresh, which other friends have done with seemingly no separation anxiety? The thing is, I get attached. I'm attached to this blog! I want to do something new, but I don't want to throw it away. Neither do I want to just limp along with it, so that it becomes crap and feels like a chore. It doesn't feel like a chore (except the current task of re-uploading 3000 images) but it does feel like I'm long overdue for a change. Blogger itself will soon be defunct and I'm really not ok with this whole compulsory invasive syncing thing Google is pushing forward. I've made my Twitter and Instagram accounts private and did the same with Flickr when they recently "improved" it by destroying everything that was good about it.
What to do, what to do? I'd like to have something new and amazing and fresh - but my web design skills, such as they are, cannot translate the superfresh ideas inside my head into reality.
Er, halp?
14 comments:
I think your blog is wonderful! I think you have answered your own question though.
Find a friend that can tinker a bit with maybe Word Press if blogger is on the way out, people do amazing things with just a bit of re-coding for example this blogger powered site:
magicsurrounds.blogspot.com
I'm quite sure you will have someone that would help you out for free/promo.
I think its a good idea to keep a link on your new blog to this one, it is really lovely to look at.
This is the link to the person that did the above blogger site: milkandmead.com
Bonne chance!
//thenewpaginator.tumblr.com/
Difficult one. One is just to repurpose it - accept that like Twitter feeds it will simply link to other writing that you do. You've got many readers who might not be on Twitter who would be happy to read your characterize voice and content elsewhere.... Hungry mouths must be fed!
Alternatively you could embed the blog in a larger web site which has broader content - your Etsy store, other writing, etc., but this is a bit more work...
I do miss my blog. But I finally just had it printed and bound and declared it done.
I would miss your blog too!
xx
Ha, thank you - that's funny, Magic Surrounds is my friend Natalie's site and I was thinking of asking her advice cos her sites always look fresh! Thanks for the milkandmead link too.
It wasn't long ago that I discovered your blog and I'd hate to see it disappear now already, but I do think that if you have so many doubt, it might be a good idea to take a little break. Let the answer come to you. I know that sounds awfully hollow, but I really think that in the end you will know what you really want to do. Have a lovely weekend! X
Option 1
Read up on some web design the same way U started French, it really isn't that hard and it's quite fun experimenting and seeing what you come up with.
Option 2
Start a Wordpress but don't announce it till you're happy with the look and have posted a few times without attention and compare it with he existing one to see how you feel.
Option 3
Try Indexhibit, you may like it.
All the above option involve staying low initially without crying it out to the world straight away (my strategy). It allows for a more objective outlook without pressure, kind of 'try it on at home, U can always return it if you change your mind'.
Oh, and I love your blog in whatever form you decide to give it, need I send another love email?!
xx
B Dot - have tried option 2 a few times! But don't seem to get on with Wordpress. Or tumblr.
And looked at indexhibit but was confuzzled... prob didn't look at it enough.
In fact, maybe it's not just a question of design, but that what I want to do doesn't exist yet!!
Cheers for your love! xx
RD - I know your blog wasn't image heavy - but when you printed it were you able to get the images to print high res enough? Am assuming you used blurb or some other printing service...xx
write a book!
I hope you keep your blog - it's one of my favourites! Wordpress is ok - you just need to find your template...
You could also try Squarespace - you have to pay for it, but it's not that much and you get a custom url, and it's nice for editing images.
I use it and like it - although to be fair I have only created about 3 posts as I don't think I am a natural blogger!
What Anna said! But also and in conjunction with blog continuation plz. xx
Anna - I'd love to - but have to, like, write it!
Thea - cheers, Wordpress just always feels unintuitive and clunky to me, then I get annoyed and give up! Oh yes, forgot about Squarespace.
Charlotte - right back at you...xxx
Nooooo! Don't delete your blog, it's one of my favorites!
My blog disappeared into nothingness and I regret it... I started mine pre-Twitter/Instagram/VSCO days and now there are too many social media 'platforms' for me to handle!
I wish there was something that would combine posting, photo editing, space for portfolio section etc. I'm not sure that it exists, though!
I do hope you continue blogging/writing online in some shape or form as LIB is one of the few I've followed right from the start of my blogging days!
x
I really hope you don't stop but I am in a similar position- partly that I worry that blogger will go and I really don't want to do wordpress stuff- I can, have done for my other business, but I like blogger for my own blogging and the app and everything.
As for the rest, I don't have as many blogs I enjoy now- I think a lot are so focused on being a business that their content becomes less interesting, it's more this is free stuff I could be involved with and less this is actually what's inspiring me.
Any recommendations for new blogs very very welcome, the more others I read, the more I'm inspired myself.
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