Why I Blog

Back in September 2016, I wrote a post entitled I'm a Blogger?, it was a few months into my blogging journey and I was just beginning to acknowledge that I had, indeed, become a Blogger. Looking back, it seems strange that I had trouble in acknowledging that fact, but at the time the whole blogging world was still a huge and scary place to find myself. Today, it remains a huge world, but it's no longer scary.
Recently, I've found getting posts written and published has been a real struggle. Not because I have nothing to write about, not because I have writers block, simply because I've been so super busy. I've not been able to face sitting in front of a screen let alone producing a post. Seriously, a cuppa and a cuddle with Max is all I've had the energy for of an evening. Though I always manage to find time for puppy hugs, I mean who could resist this bundle of orange cuteness.

For a brief period, I felt bad that I wasn't posting as regularly as I would like, or that I was missing linking up with some of my favourite Linkys. I've watched my post reach on my Facebook page take a real dip and let's not even talk about Google Analytics, it's not pretty (honestly, I've been avoiding it.)

But (yes I know, you're not supposed to start a sentence with 'but', however, it's my blog and I want to), I'm not feeling bad anymore. Nor am I worried about my stats, or that missing linky. Why? Well, I sat down and thought about why I started the blog and what I wanted from it. My goals have changed somewhat, due to my work commitments, but whereas I once hoped to monetise my blog, I am now happy plodding along and using it as a creative outlet. That's not to say that I would turn down a review, but I don't want it to be my main focus.

I blog, because it makes me happy. I love reading other peoples blogs and sharing comments (although I've been struggling to even do that of late) and I love the blogging community. I've eluded to this before in a previous post, but bloggers really are a lovely bunch. Yes, of course if you're around long enough, you'll find there are fall outs and arguments, bloggers are human too, but thus far, I've found everyone to be super friendly, supportive and helpful. Even though I've not met any of them in person, I find I have as much, if not more interaction with my blogger friends as I do with my real life friends.

Blogging gives me a sense of achievement; it is mine, and I alone decide what I write, how I write and when I write, there is no input or interference from anybody else. I enjoy having a place where I can be creative, or on occasion tackle things that would otherwise go round and round my head and drive me crazy (or perhaps that should be crazier).

So there you are, perhaps my stats and the like are down, but for me and my lovely little blog, that's not a problem. We're not even a year old, but already I've achieved far more than I could ever have imagined possible. If you had told me (last April) when I first hit publish, that I would still be blogging and that people would read and comment on my blog, I would have laughed at you, but here we are and I really couldn't be happier with how it's going. Here's to many more posts and friendships. Oh and to all my blogging friends...May the stats be ever in your favour!