Blogging

Some of you might wonder why I write this blog. Some of you might wish I would stop (so don’t read my damned blog, ok?) Most who do visit, seemingly enjoy what I write. Others, only visit to get the free pattern (I find you irritating….at least read what I write from time to time! Don’t think I don’t know, the stat meters tell me a lot!!)

Some of you write your own blogs, and you have your reasons for writing them that are many and varied. There are many blogs that serve as a personal showcase of beadwork for the writer. It is their own personal bragging page. Some bloggers write because everyone else does. Others might use their blog as a springboard to their own website to advertise their products

All of these reasons are great reasons to write a blog. Everyone who writes one, I am sure enjoys what they do. While I am fairly new to blogging, (unless you want to count The Cracked Bead on www.beadedbear.com as kind of a blog), I am not new to writing, but who cares about THAT history!!??

While the reasons that people create blogs might be an interesting study on ego, and the human psyche that would cause someone to share personal happenings to the farthest reaches of the internet, it is not what intrigues me.

What I want to know, is why do you read a blog? What is it that brings you to my blog, or to your favorite blogs? What grabs your attention? Is it pretty pictures? Do you then just look at the photos and not read the text? Are you one of many that cause a spike in my “readership” on Mondays and Tuesdays, and only visit to download the Mystery Pattern? Do you read my writing because you are only “nosey”? Or do you read because you truly get some form of enjoyment of the “Nonsense” I write?

I ask only because I am wondering which direction to take. Should I become more “Artsy” and “Serious”, discussing the finer points of peyote done under the full moon versus brick stitch done under the new moon? Should I only talk about the serious business aspects of selling, and how to make a living beading, designing, and writing and the woes of taxation on a cottage industry?

Perhaps the current phase of the moon, or the glass of wine (more likely) I had at dinner is making me be a tad more introspective than usual. My reasons for writing a blog (which started with The Cracked Bead) was to be honest about various aspects of being in the bead business, sometimes brutally so, even at times self deprecating if it gets a point across. At the risk of sounding egotistical, I have plenty of experiences. It comes with 25 years of being a beader and being very serious about my work. Don't you think there is a lot that can be learned, even from an old curmudgeon like me?

But in being serious, there is lots of room for humor. It is my favorite method of telling any story, because I think humor gets the point across much better than thumping one’s grey matter with a didactic treatise.

I ask you, my dear readers, what brings you here, what can I do to improve on what I do to make this more fun, and more interesting, and perhaps even more valuable to you?

Then again….maybe I should just “carry on” and not worry about who, if any one really pays attention to what I write. Blogging, like my beadwork must first and foremost satisfy me. If I bead, or blog just to become "popular" or "famous" or just to "please everyone" then haven't I really lost the soul of what I set out to do in the first place?

Hmmmm…..maybe I should drag out some of my really personal and embarrassing stories to see if anyone is really paying attention!!! ;)