Comments on: Are You Clear On Your Blogging Purpose?

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:56:41 +0000

Cat, it’s interesting how blogging takes us through those journeys isn’t it, including moments of clarity and renewed purpose and direction. I fear you’re always going to be chasing time! But the days and weeks passing in itself helps us to reflect, and get clear. I’m guessing that sorting out what blogs you’re reading (and why) will also play into it. Something I need to sort out soon too!

Karen, watching your blogging journey is fascinating to me, and I’m looking forward to seeing what leaps and bounds you do know you’re in your new home.

Joanna

By: Karen Swim

Karen Swim — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 18:11:43 +0000

Joanna, insightful and thought provoking. I also learned a great deal from the comments. When I started blogging it was a separate entity from business. My purpose began to come into focus through my fingers and I have taken steps to merge the two. In the short months that I have been an active participant in blogging I have watched the landscape change tremendously. It is exciting and helpful to learn from people like you, Rosa, Brad, Robert and so many others. Thank you for being a guiding light.

Karen

By: cat

cat — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:21:37 +0000

So I go away for a short break and what do I find?

New site … nice!

“How about you? Are you clear on your blogging purpose?”

My blogging days have evolved (won’t bore everyone here with the details). But yes, I’d say I’m clear ‘at this point’.

“What would help you most to think things through?”

More time?

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 10:14:22 +0000

Hi Traveler Wendell

That sounds like quite some journey you’ve been on! I think that’s one of the things blogging allows us to do – grow, stretch, experiment and travel.

Good luck with your site

Joanna

By: traveler

traveler — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 17:43:37 +0000

I was just thinking about this yesterday.
I started with a normal wordpress blog that, although my subject matter was pretty scattered, kind of followed the same little path.
Then I decided that I wanted to put a wordpress installation on my own server space and see if I could offer a little bit more.
How was I to know that it would grow legs and morph itself into something that was very different?
I just kept finding more stuff I could do, more stuff I could offer, more information. I’m not really sure where it will end but one thing I know for sure, at the core of it all will still be my little blog, my little take on the world around me.
I have ceased calling it a blog and now refer to it as an “Online Magazine”. I have also moved towards getting other people to try out their blogging and writing wings by guest posting and providing other content.
Hardcore, traditional bloggers will probably not like me much but there is so much information and content out there and so few people know about it or how to find it, that part of my reason for building the new site is to share what’s available.
Traveler Wendell
http://www.travstales.com

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:53:51 +0000

David, I think you are achieving many of those different intentions already. Your blog a real gift to others, but it’s interesting that you set it up in part to help you develop and promote your own writing.

I think you might enjoy thinking it through. Maybe you could try something like the mind-mapping exercise – with one of the stated purposes in the centre – and then see what would spill out from it.

http://www.confidentwriting.com/2008/05/how-to-plan-a-m.html

That might help to give you an idea of what kind of direction they’d take you in, and which felt most powerful and motivating to you.

Joanna

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:49:17 +0000

Cath, you hit on a good point, that we often adjust as we go along – I know I have, several times – partly because we learn so much from blogging, and the feedback we get.

The new purpose you’re talking about is very powerful. It sends shivers down my spine when I read that sentence.

Joanna

PS I’ll also keep following where you take it, because I’m definitely doing business in an unconventional way!

By: David | beplayful

David | beplayful — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:07:16 +0000

Joanna,

I must admit that I’m not entirely clear what the purpose of my blog is in my head – there are so many purposes I think it would be good for me to get them clear.

I set up my blog for two main reasons. Firstly, I wanted a way to promote my writing. Secondly, I wanted to encourage others to improve their lives and make the world around them a better place.

However, since then I’ve realised that there are loads more purposes to my blog. Some of these are:

- Giving me impetus and motivation to write and be creative on a regular basis.

- Helping myself work out how I’d like to make the world a better place.

- Meeting other wonderful people with brilliant blogs.

- A wide readership.

- A way to practice and improve my writing skills.

Thanks for giving me a nudge to think this through. Knowing the purpose(s) of my blog will hopefully help with my motivation to keep writing.

David

By: Cath Lawson

Cath Lawson — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:20:35 +0000

Hi Joanna – I think my blogging purpose has shifted a bit. I suppose I set out wanting to show people how to build a business the conventional way. But now I really want to encourage people to build a business their way – because different things are right for different people.

By: Joanna Young

Joanna Young — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:38:01 +0000

Jim, I like that analogy – lots of room for creative interpretation, but you’re in control of your own course and can keep on making adjustments to ensure you’ll get where you want to go

Brad, we seem to be on a nautical theme here! Yes, we can save others a lot of time and heartache through the learning we’ve done and shared with each other

Robert, I’m glad you liked that picture. I felt it went well with this idea too. I know what you mean about things clicking. I guess that’s the ’sweet spot’ that most of us hanker after

Joanna