The Nonist has a public service pamphlet on blog depression that I suspect a few visitors of ProBlogger might need to read:
‘there is a growing epidemic in the cyberworld. a scourge which causes more suffering with each passing day. as blogging has exploded and, under the stewardship of the veterans, the form has matured more and more bloggers are finding themselves disillusioned, dissatisfied, taking long breaks, and in many cases simply closing up shop. this debilitating scourge ebbs and flows but there is hardly a blogger among us who has not felt it’s dark touch. we’re speaking, of course, about blog depression….’
Of course it’s not something I’d need to read…. hmmmm….. what is it that they say about admitting problems being the first step to recovery?
It seems that most of my favorite bloggers grow tired of their blogging and feel the need to take breaks at times. It’s the sort of activity that if you are looking for external validation, won’t make you very happy. And in many cases, bloggers seem to be the types who become consumed with what they are doing, which can lead to burnout.
What’s the saying- “Do what you love, even when no one pays you” – how about adding to that, “even when no one pays attention”.
I can understand personal issues causing breaks- but then would you close up shop on a brick and morter business or a hobby you love?
Blogging is my stress relief, I love it and I do it for me- if people want to read it everyday, WOOT!
Frugalforlife.com
I think blogging only works for (most) people when they do it for fun and go with the flow and blog when they feel like it, when they start down the SEO path and all that traffic maximising stuff then they headed towards madness – unless of course they start making big bucks out of it (though I also know some big income earners in other walks of life who are crackers – I can say this impunity because I’m sure none of them read blogs) but most of us bloggers are never going to make real money doing our amateur thing, or get our life stories covered in the media, and I’m too old to bother doing it any other way.(“Although, I do not hope …” etc.) My tip to depressed bloggers is to forget about all those traffic stats and don’t blog everyday, just when you are bored and feel like taking a break from some other more traditional recreational activity. Did I mention that I had this great wine from Rockford in the Barossa called Rod & Spur last night – now there’s an antidote to blog depression
BTW Darren If you’re up posting about blog depression at 3.54 am on a Sunday – hhhmmmm
The black dog of blogging is an unfortunate side effect of blogging, and it hits most people at some stage after you start, I find generally speaking around 6 months in, depending on results and who you doing it for (it tends to hit sole bloggers more) The real test is to get past this.
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I don’t think blog depression is itself a problem independent from any other hobby-like activity… It’s just burnout.
The beauty of advance posting Trevor :-)
Thanks for that its great! very timely though as quite a few bloggers have been complaining about apathy lately.
I’m a blogger from the Philippines. We have a great community of bloggers there and some of the most popular are by lawyers, journalists and writers who really put out great content. With all the great content out there it puts the pressure on me to make sure my content meets the standard. I find myself worrying each day about what to write about, how to promote my site etc. I end up doing a lot of research and taking days off at a time to write better stories. :)
I’m not depressed, I’m just taking a break!
Are bloggers not allowed to take time off? And I mean time off from blogging, not time off from work to do some blogging :)
Yes, we’ve probably all encounrtered this from time to time. For me, it’s the responsibility to keep coming up with fresh content! I don’t want my blog to stagnate, my readership to abandon me, my search engine rankings to dwindle.
Aaaaarrrrgggghhhh!!!!!!!!
I think it’s just and inevitable fact of writing. In any other medium it would be called writers block. Often the correct thing to do in those circumstances is to take a break.
And really it’s not remotely unprofessional if you think about it. Everyone takes vacations.
I think Chris Vincent hit it: it’s just like anything else. Interest ebbs and flows.
The problem is, blogging has become my main source of revenue. Virtually all of my new business comes in via my blogs. My entire network of contractors and peers has evolved through my blog. There is considerable pressure to keep things going. And for me, pressure = writer’s block.
I’m willing to bet I’m not alone in this. We start our blogs for fun. We write and link and comment like mad. Next thing you know, there are a couple of hundred people signed up to your feed, a bunch of new clients on the line, and the fun has been replaced with need.
Which isn’t to say that blogging has lost its fun. A break may be just what the doctor ordered to restore the joy to the act.
I also need a break, too. It has been too much working on my blog. Thanks for the tips. I really appreciate it.
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its was a good thinking but not a supper discription.
SO many people have wrote on this topic what did they get may be they get so many things