Getting Back on the Horse -- Plus an Update

Doing anything consistently is hard. Blogging isn't any different.

It requires a discipline -- an attention to detail. And it very easily gets shoved violently to the bottom of the "to do list."

When life gets busy, it's difficult to justify taking a few minutes to write. It feels irresponsible, sometimes, almost like I'm chasing a fantasy fairytale when I should be taking out the trash or some other chore on the list.

Then, when I finally do get myself to a mental place where I'm ready to write, my head spins with all these menial boxes to check that don't really matter all that much.

Is this a post that will stir up a response and get a decent amount of comments?

Will this post have a headline that garners successful SEO stats?

Am I writing from a pure place, or am I writing just to write?

And what I find is, if I have those conversations and let those questions be serious boundaries around the foundation of my writing...

...I don't write.

Ever.

This past week has been that way. I have weeks where I write four or five posts in a row. I feel passionate about them. I get a great response. People share them on Facebook and Twitter. I feel like I'm really writing like a pro.

But then I get hit with a setback. I feel like I can't live up to the week before. I feel tapped out creatively. I've got nothing.

At the end of the day, I believe it's okay to "write just to write." Writing is an exercise, and if you only exercise that creative part of your brain when you have a beautiful, mind-rending epiphany, you just won't write regularly enough to be worth a crap as a writer.

So, I'm trying to be better about that, and I'm sharing my frustrations with you guys, so that we can hold each other accountable.

I also wanted to update you on what's been going on in my life.

God has been good to us. Really, really good. I currently have more graphic work than I can even keep up with. It's a good problem to have, but it presents a set of problems I've never had to deal with before. I'm adjusting, and I'm just grateful that the tides are beginning to turn.

In addition to my freelance work through KR Graphix, I also was recently hired by my church to serve as "Head of Communications," which essentially just means I'm their lead graphic designer. It's great, and it provides a little more money to help towards the monthly totals.

So, life is good. It's just really hectic right now. I'm going to really try to keep writing regularly, and I'm sorry that I neglected the blog this week.

As always, I don't want this to be a one-way street. Whether you're a writer or not, please share in the comment section below how things are going for you right now. What's new? Can we pray for you specifically in any particular way?

Bring it.

The Isle of Misfit Christian Bloggers

I've been blogging for a little over a year now. Yesterday, as I was getting caught up on some blogs I usually read, and checking out some other ones that I don't usually peruse, something dawned on me.

I don't fit in.

Here's what I mean.

I'm a Christian. I'm also a blogger. The norm seems to be for those two entities to combine like Voltron, making me not just a Christian who blogs...but a "Christian Blogger."

What does that mean?

Well, I believe that definition has evolved, but as of this morning that I'm writing, it tends to mean you belong to one of two diametrically opposing camps:

1) You write devotionals every single day. Your blog is dogmatic without fail. It's like Sunday School on the interwebs. So much WIN!

2) You're a "tolerant" Christian, and it's your mission to prove just how different you are than those other meanie-heads in the church.

And so, I'm completely out of place, because neither is a comfortable place for me. I hope my blog is instructional and encouraging, but never dogmatic or hurtful. However, I also believe that scripture is God-breathed, and we don't get to pick and choose which verses we get to claim, just because some of the verses make us feel bad or seem "hateful" (which is a super fun word to use on people you disagree with. It's like a magical trump card that makes logical or theological discussion no longer pertinent. Abracadabra!).

But, as I was going through these thoughts and emotions, I smiled. That's because I'm glad I don't fit in. That would be easy. My goal isn't to go around copying other writers who get a lot of traffic. I hope it isn't yours either.

Where do you fit in?

When the Words Won't Come: Overcoming Writer's Block

Photo by Creative Commons user jcolman

Overcoming Writer's Block is something all Bloggers deal with. Whether it's a lack of time, creativity or overall self-belief, there are days when it feels like your faucet of words has just run dry.

No matter how hard you twist the tap, you get a big, fat sink-full of nothing.

For me, my recent case of writer's block has been due to all of the above factors. The combination of having a new baby, struggling to get a new business off the ground, and other various stress points have caused this blog to grow a little stagnant as of late.

It's hard to find time. It's hard to find motivation. It's hard to care.

The funny thing is, I know how to get past writer's block. You probably do too. We just don't want to face it, because we all know that it's like any other bad habit that has to be broken -- it requires hard work if we want to fix it.

I'm preaching to myself, but here are the steps:

Confessions of a Blogger: Thinking about Quitting

Yesterday, you probably noticed I didn't publish a new blog post. Last night, I was sitting on the couch, fairly ready to go to bed, when I realized, I hadn't written anything.

I was this close to saying "screw it" and not writing anything.

I get that way, sometimes. It feels like I'm wasting my time, nobody reads my blog, and it's all for no reason. When I get that way, I think that I will look back on this blog, in five to ten years, and I'll be embarrassed that I ever did this.

How's that for transparency.

Deep down, I know those things aren't completely true. I just get frustrated. So, that's my confession. Sometimes, I think about quitting and shutting this blog down.

I'm not trying to be a downer, I'm just trying to be real with you. I also hope that it sparks an honest discussion here at "The Isle."

It's your turn. Do you have any blogger confessions to own up to?

How to Achieve Rockstar Status as a Blogger

Photo used courtesy of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas

We live in a statistics and performance-driven society. The blogging community is not immune to that. In fact, the “blogosphere” is practically dominated by numbers.

How many visitors did your blog receive today? How many unique pageviews did you get? What about comments?

There are countless blog posts and website articles about how to drive more traffic to your blog. As a new blogger, it can all be overwhelming.

It can be intimidating when you look at some of the websites of the “rockstar” bloggers. You hear about their statistics, and it feels daunting. These guys (and lovely ladies) have more people tweeting individual blog posts than you have visitors in an entire week.

It’s humbling, at best.