Why I'm Still Struggling with Blogging
Earlier in the year I wrote about how I was struggling with blogging. The inspiration to write blog posts wasn’t coming. It was a struggle to come up with content to write about on my blog. It was frustrating.
Fast forward to the present and I’m still struggling with blogging only it’s almost the opposite. I have way too many things that I want to blog about that I’m having a hard time deciding what to publish.
The past two days I’ve started drafting blog posts on a few different topics. I’ll get about halfway through and won’t be happy with it. I wanted to have a post on Monday, but evidently that didn’t happen. You see I do have an editorial calendar. It’s not planned out months in advance, but I do plan at least two weeks. Even with the plans I still don’t get some of my posts prepped in time. Mostly because I don’t want to write about that topic when the time comes or I have something else I’d rather share or I choose sleep over blogging.
There are just too many things running rampant in my head that I want to blog about such as:
I want to blog about CrossFit.
I want to blog about teaching.
I want to talk about my dreams.
I want to talk about my love for chocolate and peanut butter.
I want to blog about my creative interests.
I want to talk about photography.
I want to talk about my faith.
I want to talk about my friends and family.
I want to blog about that post-college grad struggle.
I want to blog about my love for yoga.
I want to blog about being 22.
I want to blog about getting my hair cut.
I want to talk about my obsession with wearing black.
I want to blog about blogging.
I want to blog about my insecurities.
I want to blog about writing.
My list could go on and on. I think what I’m starting to realize is that the creative process is hard. It’s hard after a full day at work and after working out to get my brain focused on preparing a blog post. But I’m trying.
I think what I need to do is take this next month of May is to try to pinpoint and narrow down and center what I want to blog about. Or at least figure out how I can weave all of these topics into my blog without being super jumpy. Rebranding and redesigning is also in the back of my head. Obviously I have too much on my brain, but hopefully I get my blogging back together for the sake of my sanity.
So for now I’ll keep all those drafts stored up. Maybe I’ll get to publishing them one day or maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll rebrand my blog or maybe I won’t. Maybe I’ll blog tomorrow or maybe I won’t.
Bloggers: Anyone experienced this? Any advice to clear the blogging craziness in my head?
Comments (16)
Kaelene @ Unlocking Kiki
April 28, 2015 at 8:20 am
I totally understand! Right now I have so many ideas but then I start writing about it and just leave it as a semi-started draft with no motivation to finish it. At least we have lots of drafts saved up 🙂
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:54 am
True! Hopefully those unpublished drafts will come in handy someday. If not at least we got the words out!
Lindsey
April 28, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Yes! I know what you’re going through. There are so many things running through our blogging minds all the time. I don’t know about you, but I think about it non-stop! I definitely think a “rebranding” is a good idea. I am working on that myself. Sometimes the best thing to do is think about who your audience is, who you are, and narrow down your focus to one “brand”.
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:53 am
Yes I think about blogging all day long! I think I may have to go with the rebranding. I haven’t really been happy with my design and I think narrowing down to one “brand” would really help.
Nina @ Flowers in my Hair
April 28, 2015 at 1:25 pm
Yes, I was just talking to someone about what it is like to have a creative brain. On one hand, I am glad you are inspired and have so many topics to cover. One thing that helped me WAS an editorial calendar, but I use post it (colored for topic) so I can move things around without ever losing an idea. Not trying to plug my blog but there is a post on it if you search on my blog editorial calendar…Again, not trying to plug anything. I am struggling with figuring out how to put all my posts in 5-7 categories. Ah! Difficult! And yes, some days writing comes easy and some days it doesn’t. It can be rough.
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:52 am
Nina don’t worry about promoting your blog! I actually visited your site and found the post about your editorial calendar. I’m definitely going to try to color coding my categories on my editorial calendar now.I think it’ll help me visually when I’m planning out posts! Thanks for the suggestion!
Kels @ Blonder Side of LIfe
April 28, 2015 at 2:58 pm
Been there, sometimes find myself there again. I have so much to write but never get the finishing touches down on any of them. It helps if I set aside specific time to finish one post at a time. For example, if one day I’m feelin the inspiration to write a billion draft posts, I’ll then dedicate the next day to photo edit and scheduling of one to two posts (usually weekends) So far it seems to be working anyway lol
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:51 am
I’m glad I’m not the only one who spends time writing a post, but never finishes it. I think the way you write a draft one day and then do photos/scheduling the next is a great tip. I need to try to be a bit more organized.
Kendel
April 28, 2015 at 3:37 pm
I think I feel like this 99.9% of the time haha I have so much to say and I have no idea how to say it! I’ve been thinking about rebranding, but I don’t even know where to start with it haha. I am quite happy to just jump around and be one of those weirdo bloggers 😉 Writing is a fickle beast. Sometimes the words flow and sometimes they don’t! I can never figure out that rhyme or reason to my creative process! Ha. It’s hit and miss with me!
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:49 am
Haha we definitely have the same thing going on. I also want to rebrand, but like you I don’t really know what to do or where to go. I do enjoy being a blogger who writes about whatever I want to write about, but yeah writing definitely has it’s ups and downs.
Chris
April 28, 2015 at 9:21 pm
i dealt with and still am dealing with this same issue. In fact, as I’m writing this comment, I’m in the midst of my longest post drought. I’ve started five different posts and finished zero. Also, I wondered aloud (ok in writing) about what to do with all the interests I have and want to write about. In the end, I had to ask myself what my BRAND is, at least currently. What brings my readers to my site FIRST and foremost. That’s what I have to focus on; I owe my readers that much. However, I did purchase my name domain name and parked it… So in the future I could start a new site and write whatever I want because it would be 100% just about me. You’ll find your answers. I know the struggle though. One more piece of advice I would give… Consider guest blogging for bloggers with a focus in each of the areas you want to blog about. That keeps you “true” here, but let’s you write about other topics plus gets you exposed to a new audience. Just a thought!
Skylar
April 29, 2015 at 6:48 am
I think purchasing your name as a domain name is a great idea so that you have it when you want to use it. I’ve actually thought of rebranding my blog to use my name as the domain too. Great reminder to keep in mind what brings my readers to my site. I’ll definitely have to look more into doing guest posting. Hope you get so inspiration to drag you out of your post drought soon!
Miss Polkadot
April 30, 2015 at 4:34 am
Oh, girl, I totally understand. It’s how I’ve been feeling for weeks and I’m only now slowly getting back into the blogging groove. Funny to think we apparently both have a lot of topic ideas in theory or already started in our drafts folder but can’t seem to focus our minds on finishing one.
Regarding how to try and post about all of the topics you listed without being jumpy: first off, I think given it’s your blog and we all know how our minds work [read: in an incomprehensive and yes, at times jumpy way] there’s no wrong order. Just go with the flow. What I’ve been trying is to change things up following a ‘heavier’ posts with something light-hearted. Do you and see how it works.
Skylar
April 30, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Isn’t it crazy that we can’t manage to nail one down?! Good advice on the blog topics. Doing a more serious post and then having some lightened up post is something I’ll have to look at doing.
Aurora@Fitness is Sweet
April 30, 2015 at 12:40 pm
All I will say is it is much better to have too many ideas and too much blogging inspiration than not enough! I think you will eventually figure everything out!
Skylar
April 30, 2015 at 9:17 pm
Very true! I’d rather have ideas than none at all!