Dearest friends, we are gathered here today to remember and say our last goodbyes to one of my cherished hobbies: blogging.
Oh blogging, I loved you for so, so long. You led me to new friends, new experiences, happy memories. But I fear you and I must part ways.
Or at least, that's how I feel.
Hi, everyone and welcome to another edition of #WMYW (#WhatMadeYourWeek), where I write in candor and annoy the hell out of everyone with feelings. Today, I feel like writing an obituary to blogging.
Perhaps it's the weather (presently raining). Perhaps it's the emo cafe vibe (here at Starbucks Ayala on a Tuesday--- kind of depressing). Or maybe it's the fact that it's October 31st, Halloween, and a day before we Filipinos commemorate our beloved dead. Whatever it is, it's making me say what I've felt for some time now:
My love for blogging is dying.
It didn't happen suddenly; it wasn't an abrupt death, like a heart attack. It was mostly a slow and painful one...like liver disease from drinking too much Kulafu. It was all fun and games until, well, you're *this* close to biting the dust. And my love for blogging feels like it's on a respirator as of late.
I look back at my very first post, the one about our Habitat For Humanity project in Daanbantayan.
What an eager beaver I was then. These days, however, I can't seem to get through the first line, let alone finish a paragraph. Mostly, I don't see the point of having to write anything anymore. I end up asking myself--- what's the point?
What an eager beaver I was then. These days, however, I can't seem to get through the first line, let alone finish a paragraph. Mostly, I don't see the point of having to write anything anymore. I end up asking myself--- what's the point?
Blogging used to be a fun activity.
But lately, it feels like a chore and a very shallow one at that. It feels like doing it isn't worth it anymore. My love for it fizzled like bubbles from stale soda (oooh, poetic). Let me try to explain the cause of its slow death:
But lately, it feels like a chore and a very shallow one at that. It feels like doing it isn't worth it anymore. My love for it fizzled like bubbles from stale soda (oooh, poetic). Let me try to explain the cause of its slow death:
Cause of Death #1: All Everyone Cares About Is Looking Pretty
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| Looking pretty in a cemetery |
All everyone seems to care about is how they look on social media, and it's very tiring. It's always about doing it for the 'gram, and that's it. I guess there's nothing bad about wanting to look good (because I'm guilty of that, too) but it becomes quite tiresome if that's the only thing people care about.
People often associate blogging with going to the prettiest, most instagrammable places, striking a pose in your OOTD with a dope background, or taking a photo of a lovely breakfast spread. Again, there's nothing wrong with that, but I think it would be better if more people wanted to be pretty and relevant as well.
I think this article about boycotting travel bloggers says all there is to say. Lately, it's all about the pretty (and sometimes pretentious) pictures, and nothing else. It's sad, and it kills my motivation. I don't want to be part of that culture.
I think this article about boycotting travel bloggers says all there is to say. Lately, it's all about the pretty (and sometimes pretentious) pictures, and nothing else. It's sad, and it kills my motivation. I don't want to be part of that culture.
Cause of Death #2: Exhausted By The Numbers Game
It's always about how many followers they have on social media, how many views they get a month, if they know this local celebrity, if they went to this event, etc etc.
Keeping an internet presence is a challenge, and creating relevant, interesting content is even harder, so scaling is really a big deal. But can we not make it about the numbers all the time?
Add all the lowkey bragging and the cliques and you get me: a writer/blogger/content creator who just doesn't wanna deal with all that.
Cause of Death #3: Is Blogging Still Worth It?
And finally--- cause of death #3 and the biggest sucker of creativity.
Let's be real, it's 2017.
Is blogging still worth it? With short attention spans and other forms of content, is blogging still worth doing? Are people still reading stuff like this?
I guess we can always evolve to videos or podcasts and those actually seem fun...but that's another story and perhaps another journey.
The Final Verdict
My blog is my own slice of the big world wide web. Lately though, it feels like that little space is slowly being invaded by beautiful but empty pictures, online acquaintances with no real relationships, and an obsession with scaling and numbers. The home I once knew feels like a foreign place, and I don't know if I want to stay here anymore.
The good news is--- hey, I managed to write a full length post. Maybe I just needed to purge all these negative feelings out to create something new.
Maybe blogging isn't so dead after all.
Maybe one day I'll find beauty and passion in it again.
Blogging could die now, but maybe, it could be reborn from the ashes, too, don't you think?
Well, enough of drama, now.
Here's to the death of all this negativity and to a fresh blogging perspective.
Have a great long weekend,
K x
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