Friday, July 01, 2011

What the Blog am I Blogging For?

Today I am taking stock of my blog for a moment.

Ramble alert!

This will be a "stream of consciousness" post, so I apologize in advance if it rambles and is disjointed.  It won't have any of my usual photos and images either. And it will probably be kinda long knowing me. But I am really into consciousness these days. Living in the now. Living in the present.

The present. A gift.

I started The Hugging Home a couple of months ago with no real preparation or expectations of what it would be, what it would become or really, any clear knowledge of why I was starting it at all. I just knew I had something to say, that I tend to express myself better through the written word than many other forms of communication and because I felt the need to connect. To connect with other adults...not children - as I do for many hours of every day at the moment.

I was inspired by reading blogs from time to time...by the way writers on the net were reaching out, being vulnerable, reaching people they would not otherwise reach through their musings. I love to write...I have since I can remember...and have recently started to make a little pocket change from doing some freelance work whilst on my third maternity leave.

Frankly, I wish I had had this idea when I was bedridden during my third trimester after a simple fall that turned out to be not so simple that left me with a broken foot, a nastily sprained other ankle and a very large unborn baby boy in my belly for the summer of 2010. Instead, I spent that summer watching reality TV, reading celebrity tabloids and drinking calorie-laden Tim Horton's iced caps like they were water. But I digress as I so often do...

So now, when I wish I could buy a minute to pee, or a vowel so that I could win some extra cash on a game show, or a tasty coffee drink that does not show up on my thighs or make me shake so I have trouble sleeping at night, I decide that starting a blog is a fantastic concept! Like I don't have a zillion and one other things I could, should, would be doing otherwise.

But hey, it is sure beats watching "Say Yes to the Dress" and reading about how the Kardashian sisters are not getting along but wow what big diamond engagement rings they have. Except for the one with the long-time boyfriend who is a jerk and has a baby boy. How do they stay in shape by the way? Perhaps they have found that coffee drink I have been searching for. (Note to self: buy the latest celebrity tabloid to get an update!) Yes...I digress once again... (and yes...I did warn you...)

I started by reading up on how to start a blog. I had no frickin idea. I quickly learned that there is a LOT of information on the web about how one should and should not do this. One minute things seemed to get clearer and the next I felt totally overwhelmed by all the possibilities. Not being one who likes to half-ass things, I wanted to read it all! So I tried. And I failed. Because I would still be reading instead of blogging.

So I said to myself "OK Lora...you just have to get started and go from there." Never mind all the ways to get search engine optimization and install the perfect keywords and find the perfect topic to write about and make it look awesome and write the perfect posts and gain readers by the thousands and get people to leave comments and get people to like me... oh please like me! I just decided to come up with a name that embodied as best I could what I wanted to talk about (and what was that exactly???) and start my first post.

And so The Hugging Home was born. What am I passionate about? What would I write about? What would keep me interested enough? What would I be able to have enough content for that I wouldn't be stuck without anything new to say after a few weeks? How do I blog my way to bliss?

Well...I am a mom. I have three young boys. But "mommy blogs" are a dime a dozen. Make that a penny a dozen. There are so many mommy blogs out in blog world that I thought I would get totally lost in the shuffle. Did that matter? What else?

Well, I am really passionate about personal growth and development...topics such as living in the moment, finding true happiness and fulfillment, staying sane in an insane world. OK. Cool. Also lots of blogs about these things. Tons. What else?

Well, I love interior design and decor. I truly believe that making one's house a home...one that fits one's lifestyle and personal aesthetic, that represents the people that live there...is important. I try to do this. I love to try to do this. But yes...lots of blogs about decorating. Great. That's awesome. What else?

I like to take pictures. Especially of my kids. OK...I'll post some of those. But what does that have to do with anything really? Who cares about pictures of my kids except me, my friends and my family? Will anyone else be reading my blog anyways? Maybe not! OK...so that's an idea.

I love to be creative. I have to be creative. That is part of the reason I started this blog. I need to express and be productive. Snap! I like to write in different formats, but I also like to paint, to sing, to act, to dance, to make music, to make things both concrete and abstract, things you can hold, things you can see, things you can smell, things you can feel. Yeah...things you can feel. I want to make people feel something. I want to make people think. To ponder. To consider. To stop and take a moment. OK. We are on to something! Or are we? Am I?

I decided that finding my niche was futile and that perhaps my niche would find me. I knew that I wanted to create a place where everyone would feel welcome. I didn't care who. I wanted my readers...even if there were only a few...to feel at home. Kind of like getting a hug. Home. Hug. Hey! They both start with the letter "H'. That's nifty! The Hugging Home. Things that make ya go "Hmmmmmmmmm". (Hey...we are on an "H" roll Here...there I go again!)

OK. The Hugging Home. Sounds good. Sounds welcoming and cozy. Embodies that feeling I want to convey. Embodies the things I am passionate about...family...my kids, being a mother, decorating, self-love and care, la la la. Cool. The Hugging Home it is. As long as the URL was available. And it was. Yay!

And here I am now. I have written about being a mom, boys, the multitude of addictions that get in the way of living the ultimate life, feeling guilty, all the things I have to get done, creating a cozy home, my art, my poetry, my neurotic tendencies, my life in a little more than a nutshell. Maybe I am just nuts? I have written about the importance of gratitude and being present. These keep popping up everywhere. A common theme perhaps? Is my niche starting to find me in this game of blogging "hide and go seek"? Perhaps. Cool.

What else?

We'll see.

Stay tuned. And in the meantime, please share your thoughts. Please let me know what you think thus far. Is this blog resonating with anyone? Is is making any sense what so ever? Or is it a jumbled mess? I mean, I know this particular post is a jumbled mess...but I mean the blog as a whole? Have I made you ponder? Think a little? Look at life a little differently?

Does it matter? Yeah...I have found out that I think it does. To me.

Please leave your comments below and let me know who is stopping by. Because I realize that I do care. I am not just writing this for me. For my friends. For my family. I am writing this for you as well.

But I digress...

Smiles,

Lora

Suggested Reading

Check out the link below for some cool books about blogging. Some of the used ones are totally cheap!

Also, look at my "tags" or topic "labels" down the side of this blog page and delve into whatever turns your crank. Thanks for reading!


Search Amazon.com for blogging

6 comments:

  1. Well, it's no surprise to you that I am around here reading. First of all, be careful - I find that people tend to run down mommy blogs but some of them are highly successful. I think you hit on something important when you referenced the fact, right at the beginning, that it's nice to talk to adults. I like reading your blog because I have kids too and my life is frantic and frenetic and at times, I feel like I have gone awol from my own life. It's nice to read about someone else in a similar situation who still cares about things other than just their kids (and also is devoted to the kids) and who is struggling, too, to keep an identity while also nurturing the growth of a sense of self in little people. The "blog-o-sphere" is a community and for many of us, it's given the chance to relate to people at times when we would otherwise be isolated in the world of home and motherhood.
    I like your blog, I like the fact that it's not too focused on any one thing. I know that several of the most popular (and lucrative) blogs I read are very focused on one thing (food, decor, faith, crafting) and I think that might be the best way to build a strong following. On the other hand, there are lots of us who like blogs that meander and give us bits of lots of things. That reflects more of who I am these days.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your comment pippasmum! I feel the same way! Lora you are awesome! Thank you for blogging - it's like I've got a partner in crime now - a fellow mom who's doing the 40 hour week, raising kids, trying to maintain a home, stay sane and develop a creative outlet! Keep going Lora! Go at your own pace really fast then sometimes slow - whatever you can do! I love your stream of conscious - it's so appealing to me - it's like your stream and my stream are neighbors and we can laugh, cry, and scream along the way together! Many hugs!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lora - I have to agree with these folks... I LOVE that your blog is about nothing in particular, and about so much at the same time! While I can't profess to having nearly as busy of a life as you do, it's easy to get caught up in the day to day routine, and forget about things that matter. Your blog makes me stop and think, and appreciate, and act upon my gratitude. It can be provocative which is great... I need that push sometimes.

    Finally, what I love about it most is knowing what's going on in your life. Since we see eachother so rarely, I love getting this insight. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, reading your blog is one of the best parts of my day. And I say DON'T find your niche... just keep doing what you're doing!

    Love,
    Sars

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Pippasmum (SN!!). Thanks for your continued, ongoing support and for your very thoughtful comments. I really apprecaite that you take the time!! Yes...I agree that reading blogs that make me realize and remind me that I am not alone are the ones that I tend to return to and the whole meandering topic thing is my way of getting into this whole blogging thing. I relfects who I am these days as well and perhaps a more focussed niche will find me as i said, but I feel reassured that I should not be in a great rush. If I write about what I am feeling and what I feel compelled to write about I think organically, themes will emerge. It is kind of like therapy i find, this whole blogging journey...I find i am learning stuff about myself probably way more than anyone else is learning. That tends to be the case with many people who write as a form of personal ecpression. Thanks again!

    NOTE TO READERS: Please take the time to visit Pippasmum's blog...it is great and has so many tidbits there are too many to list! A great, natural writer with an honest and sweet flair, you will enjoy! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sweet Amy! Nice to see your comments here. I am so happy to have connected with you...such a positive person and kindred spirit! Thank you kindly for your words of continued encouragement and for becoming a "follower" of my blog!

    I really do enjoy my stream of consciousness writing...I find it theraputic. Sometimes I even post without even reading it back to myself...it is pretty raw. I have journalled for a long time and I find this kind of writing very theraputic and often telling. It is a real learning experience and I am glad it is resonating with you and some others. I was wondering if this kind of post would be too strange or if people would be able to relate to it so I am glad you shared your thoughts. Thank you again for your new friendship and for continuing to read! Stay tuned!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sarsy! Thanks for your comment girl! I am glad that you are enjoying my blog and that it helps to keep us connected. I am also happy to hear it is causing you to stop and think and take action in your already amazing life...that is good to know. We are all busy in our own ways and you are no exception! As mentioned, I think I will continue to just follow my heart in the moment in terms of what I write about and how I write it as it seems my readers find that appealing. I want to make people feel something...I am not here to have a perfect blog...whatever that is. :) thanks again...love ya! Lars xx

    ReplyDelete