Does anyone blog for fun anymore?

| pinaymama@sg

I recently realised that nearly 90% of “blog ideas” or “how to blog” advice out there inevitably ends with tips on how to “boost rankings”, “promote content” or “monetise” your blog. I arrived at this guesstimate while doing a quick Google search for fresh writing prompts and it got me curious…

Does anyone blog for fun anymore?

Now, before you answer that I have a confession to make: this isn’t my first blog. I wrote my very first post on Blogger back in the mid-2000s and named my blog ‘Girl Goddess #9’ (a small nod to one of my favourite books as a ‘90s tween). I wrote a total of 17 posts in that blog before life got in the way and I stopped. Since then, I’ve started — and abandoned, for various reasons — a few other blogs over the years.

Throughout the years however, the reasons why I start a blog have always remained consistent. I blog because of Three Cs: connect, create, and capture.

1) Connect.

The blogging community felt quite different back then. Everyone was still kind of new at it. Most of us treated our blogs like online journals, so the vibe was more intimate in a way. It felt great to find like-minded people from all over the world who cared about the same things as I did, but who were different enough from me such that I could learn something new.

That’s what I loved (and still do) about blogging – the connections I make.

2) Create.

It takes courage to put oneself out there and create, whatever it may be: long-form posts, poems, family recipes, photographs, reviews, how-to guides, even travel itineraries. There are so many cool and creative blogs to be found, each with a unique story to tell. I don’t think I’ve scratched the surface at all.

As for me, I didn’t start out blogging to make money. I first discovered the monetising route wasn’t for me when I accepted a commission to do sponsored posts years ago. I didn’t enjoy the experience at all. It felt like a job – which is exactly what I wanted to avoid by writing freely in the first place.

So, I decided from then on to just write about my interests and maybe share interesting things to others in the process.

With that, I say: sorry random stranger, I’m not interested in learning about SEOs. No thanks WordPress, I’ll pass on “integrating social media” to my site (I’m not sure I’ll have the time to maintain a Facebook / Instagram profile for the blog anyway). I think I’ll stick with my day job to fund my expenses.

… or not

I’m speaking for myself, of course. Your mileage may vary!

3) Capture.

When I write my #SundaySofaSojourns, I share a memory so that I can remember. (Also, I want to put you through that tongue twister of a title. 😉)

When I write about my experiences, I’m often trying to freeze a moment in time, again for posterity… if my kid ever thinks to look at his old ma’s blog (in the future, when he’s able to read beyond CVC words!). I hope if he ever reads it, he’ll find a glimpse of his mom doing, well, other things besides being his mom.

In other words, I’m usually writing for myself and those dear to me.

It’s what I find fun — and if it isn’t fun, why bother?

Think critically dear readers,

P.S. If you’re new to my little corner of the internet, please feel free to poke around. I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings — or maybe disagree so strongly you’re motivated to comment. Let me know, I’d love to learn from you. And to those who take their time to write me an encouraging comment or two, maraming salamat!

Featured image by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

26 thoughts on “Does anyone blog for fun anymore?”

  1. My blog is basically my relationship journal where I write down what I have learned about the Filipino culture and my reflections about it, relationship advice, the Tagalog language and everything else I need to know to boost my marriage.
    So the blog is basically an opportunity for me to force myself to read material I need to take my interracial marriage to the next level and journal about what I read
    And, of course, not only is this an uplifting thing to do but it’s fun as well

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I agree with the concept of using our blogs to learn more about something. Writing to me is definitely a thinking process too. 😊 Love reading your blog, Ed!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. My College friend and I started Blogging 5 years ago as an outlet for writing. It’s been good for me to have a Blogging buddy, because there were times when I was tired, not thinking creatively… BUT then I knew I had to write, because HE was writing every week. I didn’t want to let him or myself down.

    Last year, I told him I was “all out of ideas.” He said, “NO, we have to keep going…” He was right, and here I am still writing and meeting NEW people — like YOU.

    So, YES, people still Blog for fun. Although with COVID a little fun has been taken out of it, but that too shall pass, right. Have a good day! 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Having a writing buddy sounds like a great idea! It “forces” us into a writing practice to help scratch the writing itch. Glad you kept going, and glad to meet you too! 😊

      Liked by 1 person

  4. To answer your question: yes! Staying home all day, I needed to entertain myself, and at the time blogging/online journals (remember MySpace? Xanga?!) was the answer. I don’t think I’ll ever quit — cheapest form of therapy the way I see it.

    Liked by 2 people

    1. Lol! Don’t get me started on my MySpace days haha. I also had LiveJournal for a while. 😆
      I completely agree with you on blogging being a form of therapy. I remember reading somewhere that blogging/writing is but one script for thinking — when we externalise our thoughts by writing, it enables us to manipulate it in ways not possible when we’re just thinking about it internally.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. Here’s the thing: there are still people who do so, and they usually focus on engagement. 😉 The problem with most new blogs nowadays is that they see the platform as a get-rich-quick scheme to earn money, which was never the case. It would have worked years ago, when there weren’t much people. Now, blogs are a dime a dozen – and the market is over-saturated.

    When you see a blog that says “earn money”, “improve your SEO”, “get paid per click” – that blog gets the banhammer from me. I get a lot of follows from blogs like that, but a simple remove and block does work.

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Sure thing! Here’s one to start off: if you get follows from blogs that have generic SEO content for different topics and no clear “About” page, drop the hammer on those.

        Liked by 1 person

  6. Admittedly, I got into blogging for writing practice and some modest online presence. But I can’t get myself into the content-mill mindset. My first rule for blogging is always, always be genuine. Am grateful for the few connections I’ve made and finding your space. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  8. I agree with the idea of blogging to “connect, create, capture,” certainly not to advertise and make money. I started my blog in 2013, the year before the novel, Tiger Tail Soup, was published. I’d done a lot of research, and it didn’t all fit in the novel. That’s why I called my blog “Behind the Story.” That first year many of my posts related to the novel. I wrote about the cities of Xiamen and Gulangyu and their history during WWII. I wrote about foot binding and my marriage to my Chinese husband. Since then, my posts have been all over the place.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. That’s a fascinating backstory to your blog, thank you Nicki! Now that you mention it — conventional blog advice often suggests to stick to a “theme”, but I think there’s a lot to be said for the all-over-the-place approach. More interesting blogs, in my opinion 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  9. Fun might be pushing it a bit but yes, I write my blog because I want to, not for follower numbers or money. I’m an infrequent blogger at best and of course I get frustrated when no one reads (other than my dad and my mate) something I’ve spent time on. But that’s not why I do it. I worry about getting it wrong, about my tone, about my poor self editing but the practice is useful. Like you, it’s not my first blog and I’m still not totally sure that it’s what I want or need it to be but it’ll do for now.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hear you! 🙂 I haven’t been the most ‘disciplined’ blogger in the past. Fully agree it’s the writing practice that keeps me coming back, plus (as another commenter pointed out) the comfort I get from writing. Thanks for reading my post!

      Liked by 1 person

  11. I still blog for fun and it’s been five years. But I have to admit making money out of blogging crossed my mind before but I don’t think I can handle the pressure of being consistent in posting lol.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I hear you about the pressure! I’m a naturally anxious person, so the mental strain of having to write a “worthy” post would probably more than offset the financial reward for me. Haha. 😅

      Liked by 1 person

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