30 August 2022

Blogless Life

I've pondered off and on during the last three years whether I should continue blogging. Blogging isn't THE platform to reach interested followers these days, and people, generally speaking, just aren't into reading anymore. I guess some do read other forms of social media, but blogging isn't THE fad these days. Besides, my creative leisure seems to be more and more limited as time goes on, and sometimes, my own publishing deadlines are downright discouraging for me.

Then, halfway through 2022, my blog disappeared. Six weeks it took me to get it back up and running! 16 hours of online chats with techs who apparently didn't know anymore than I did about what was wrong. What felt like zillions of emails and assorted social media inquiries as to whether I was okay, if I had taken my blog down again (I did that briefly in 2020), and why the danged free patterns had disappeared.

Ravelry announcing my patterns had been discontinued. Facebook censoring my Sisters of the Snowflake pattern links to a new temporary blog I set up during the interim - because the word "snowflake" doesn't mean the same thing to everyone. The security warnings readers would have to navigate when trying to access my unhosted blog or temporary blog.

I'd thought I had only three regular daily readers until my dad died in June. I thought I had just two daily readers left. I found out there are a lot more people who care about us than I realized. And I learned, via temporary loss of it, my blog is very important to me. I actually had no idea I get so much satisfaction from the weekly challenge of a new snowflake pattern and a (hopefully) monthly WIP finish until my blog went away.

I knew family and friends on social media missed my daily photos because they tell me almost every single time I do on rare occasion share a photo now. Several have said my photos brighten their day, and I know they want me to go back to daily posting. I didn't realize, however, how much I crave Wordless Wednesday until I lost it. I assumed my photos had become boring because we don't get out much these days, and how many garden photos can you publicly share before you've drained all interest out of your followers?

There are moments now when I think I could never give up blogging. Just moments, mind you. I'm not promising I will blog forever, but I don't think I'm going to be wavering about whether to keep going for a while. This was a tough enough and rewarding enough experience that it recharged my blogging batteries. And maybe recharging those batteries has also refreshed the creativity wells deep inside me.

8 comments :

  1. hey snowflake King and Queen,
    Just wanted to say thank you so much for blogging. I read your blog everyday thru feedly and I cannot tell you how much you mean to me and my emotional, mental and physical healths. You inspire me.

    THANK YOU BOTH FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART.

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    1. Lizard got such a kick out of "King and Queen"! Thank you, Snickers! (That's also his favorite candy bar of all time!) Thank you for hanging in with me all this time. I can't believe so many people missed my blog while it was down, but, boy, sure makes it easier to keep going, even when it gets rough!

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  2. I read your blog at feedly.com. it was very important to me, as I was studying English. I only have to thank you for it. I'm in South Brasil.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Are Maos Dadas! I'm so happy to have helped with your English, and so thankful to have a reader in Brazil!

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  3. I missed your posts when your blog wasn't working. I like reading your posts. I usually do. If I haven't read or commented lately, it's because my youngest son died two weeks ago. What to say? What to feel? I haven't figured that out yet. So please, count me a regular reader. I'll be back ... All the best! Regula

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    Replies
    1. Gosh, Regula, I'm so, so heartbroken and so sorry to hear that. I wish I could say something that would help ease the pain and the loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.

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  4. I can not imagine the stress of losing my blog and all the history I have on it. I am one that - while I glance at social media - I LOVE my blogs... sometimes I read without commenting - but I am trying to remember that you can;'t see I came to visit if iI don't ;-)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, Alycia! I can't imagine losing your blog, either! It's such a big part of so many people's lives!

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