Today I thought I’d share a behind-the-scenes photo of what’s going on at ProBlogger HQ—one that illustrates why I love blogging as an occupation.
The picture was taken at my local cafe and in it you can see my pride and joy. No, not the Macbook Air—my eldest son, “X,” who is home from kinder sick today. We spent the morning in our local cafe (where I normally work most mornings)—him coloring (he’s doing a whale in that picture) and me blogging.
Of course my quality of work may not have been quite as high as normal this morning, as there were a few distractions along the way—I needed to help him write descriptions on each of his pictures, like the “Alien Fish visiting an Octopus with a broken arm” (below). But one of the main reasons I first was attracted to the idea of blogging as a profession was about the flexibility it might give me to be more involved at home.
Challenges do come with working at home—balancing home and work life can be tricky, particularly when you have toddlers who don’t always understand that Daddy needs to get a post out. But ultimately for me it’s been a real privilege to be able to work at home and be involved in the day-to-day life of my family throughout the day (not to mention the flexibility of being able to work on the road, take a few extra family holidays, and so on).
That’s one of the things I love about blogging, and there are many others. What about you? What’s the attractiveness of blogging for you?
I just started a blog a few days ago (and I am using your new e-book for it, thanks!) and the main thing that attracts me to blogging is the freedom.
I currently work over 60 hours a week, usually 12 hours a day and I am tired of it. My goal is to be able to travel and still make an income online. I know I have a long way to go but its people like you who inspire me to do so. Thanks for that!
Also I have always love technology and computers. I like building websites and coding programs. So it’s fun for me to be able to work on the computer. It doesn’t even feel like I’m working.
-Stephen
total bliss !!
I agree. It is total bliss!
While I am working hard to build my blog and my online presence writing for various blogazines, I also work from home for my traditional (read: paying) job. As a single mom, the flexibility is key for me.
Thanks for sharing this part of you. It’s good to know you juggle when their are sick days as well.
I actually sat down to write a similar post to submit to you for guest posting last night. Guess I should have stayed seated instead of feeding the family, lol.
But anyway one of the points that I was going to make was the ability to promote who I want to promote and if I want to break the rules, then I can totally do that.
Etsy (a place to sell handmade, vintage, or supplies) has over 300K sellers and everyone is always trying to find ways to get promoted. At http://www.insideetsy.blogspot.com, I seek out up-and-coming or already established sellers. They have to meet certain criteria, but every now and then I let it slide.
Your site is the one of the first three I check in the mornings and I have applied tons of the awesome information I have found here–like using the About Me and About This Blog pages. In just under two months I have gained 113 followers without using any carrots. (But I am working on that.)
Thanks for all you do!
I loved the picture that you created and it brought back memories. I blog to create an escape from the political and economic realities here. I accentuate what is beautiful and remarkable about a place where nothing really happens. It is a virtual world but it is a microcosm of rural life…”the story of a little girl who lives down the lane” It is also a great way to connect with people around the world and kind of reminds me of the many penpals which I had when i was a kid.
Darren,
Great way to spend a day off from school for your son. Hope he’s feeling better. I dreaded whenever my son got sick it was a tough decision for my wife and I who would take off from work to watch him.
As you mentioned, I love blogging since it gives me an outlet, spread the word for information that I think every coach or parent needs. Going to a game or practice doesn’t make a kid an all-star. I think they need more attention from their parents to get better.
I’m just starting out blogging but loving every minute of it. Thx for the post.
Tom
Hi Tom,
It’s funny you should say that. I blog for much the same reason. I’ve spent twenty years with kids of every age and their families and long to help them grow closer to each other by making wise choices. In the midst of it, if they come closer to Christ so much the better. I think know Him makes a huge difference in parenting approaches and willingness to learn. It’s my hope kids and parents become all-stars. (Including mine, God willing)
Oh, Darren, I forgot to mention. Love, love, love the photos. I might have to check out your digital photography school.
I think it is huge that blogging and self-employment in general can allow more flexibility for our personal lives. Our loves ones need time with us, especially our children. And although it changes as our kids get older, it doesn’t go away. I am preparing this week to move my youngest (18 yr old daughter) 3 hours away to go to school and begin her life. I am able to spend a lot of extra time this week with her, as it should be.
Bernice
Who is stealing your time?
I love this post. My husband has recently started his own business (not blogging related) for many the same reasons as you. Definitely looking forward to more vacations.
Your son will be a good artist like his dad someday :)
I like blogging as it serves as an online journal to connect with the rest of the family and keep them updated about the growth of the kids.
Wow.. I like your son’s “Alien Fish visiting an Octopus”. I like aliens too and I love blogging
I love the community that it creates. There are a whole slew of friends I have made, and now conversate with because of blogging.
Absolutely! This is one of my favorites as well! You find people who have similar interests that you would have never found just by going about your everyday life. I love my blogging friends, as well as my twitter friends!
Bernice
I enjoy blogging for the exact same reasons. I love being able to start my morning at the gym and then coming home to my son and doing what doesn’t feel like work and getting paid for it. Life is good!
Darren – your pictures say it all really about the attraction of blogging. For me I love writing but don’t get the ‘sitting for months writing a manuscript in the hope that it may be published’ scenario. I started blogging because it gave me an outlet for my writing.
It probably sounds really silly but, because the things I’ve written are on the net now and are used by others on their websites to I feel like a real writer – that’s got to be a self worth thing!
I also use it to publicise my businesses too.
Jackie
Hi Darren, being flexible and able to attend to my family is my top reason why I blog. After a year off from 9-5 job, I am in this new comfort zone where I find myself loving my new work at home jobs. I can’t imagine going back to employment again :)
Well, work at home definitely has it’s pros and cons. It may mean having to organize and plan our time better. Not forgetting, handling occasional disturbances. My daughter always appear with her toys etc while I am writing. It’s a joy to see them grow.
Cheers, Ann Khee
Darren,
This is the #1 reason I started blogging. I am still not a full time blogger, but really working hard towards this goal. My ultimate aim is to be able to spend as much time as I can with my family. I hate day job, hate to leave to work and be questionable. I want to take a vacation when I wish to and if I feel like I have to spend today with my family, I must have a flexible schedule.
Not that I don’t want to work at all. But I strongly believe that I can be very productive if my schedule is as flexible as I want it to be :)
You are one blessed guy :)
Cheers,
Jane.
For me… it’s having my own printing press.
What would Gutenberg think?
Love this Ivan! And we don’t have to wait on our SLOW publishing industry!
Bernice
Hope your son gets feeling better soon Darren!
Having that kind of flexibility is a distant dream for me at this point. Maybe one day.
I think what I love about the beginning stages of blogging is the creative outlet. There is just something so amazing about putting together a thought or idea into words and then sending it out into the world. I absolutely love that feeling of hitting publish on a post I have put a lot of creative energy into and then knowing that is it out there for all the world to see. It’s such an energizing feeling and it makes me want to do it again!
xoxo
Jennefer
lovin it!! Wow what a cutie…total freedom 4 u :)
Keep up the good work, Darren. For what it makes of you as a father and husband first, then a blogger.
I love blogging because I love to talk to people and having a conversation. I didn’t do well socially in college or high school, and it always made me feel really weird or like a freak because I couldn’t make friends. But, that hasn’t been the case. I’ve been able to make more friends with blogging, or just awesome people in general, and I really enjoy that.
Darren I completely agree with you.
I like to find some joy from blogging too.I am a music blogger and while blogging I hear songs usually- thats my pleasure. I love blogging some times( when i’m sick of blogging) only because I listen to music.
And you got a cute son
Regards
Chris
Very Cool Darren,
This is the exact reason I’m making the shift from employee to self-employed. I would love to sit and watch my kids color all day. Thanks for the inspiration and motivation to keep me moving forward.
Darren, where you are right now is exactly where I am seeking to get to albeit with a few minor differences.Thanks for being such an inspiration!
Thanks for the great article; I have learned most things like how to apply for post a blog jobs
I think you said best, the flexibility coupled with doing something I love to do – write while raising my family. I don’t think there could be better reasons for me.
Nikki,
It is awesome to have the flexibility to be there for our family. To close the laptop and read a book, or watch a hummingbird out the window. It is important though, that new folks coming into this opportunity know that is usually means you will work all kinds of crazy hours, probably more than at a regular J-O-B, and even thought it is long, it is worth it, for all the reasons Darren and the other commentors have stated!
Bernice
Setting boundaries while working at home
Great post, and fabulous alien fish & octopus! I’m relatively new to blogging (about 7months) but am hooked. Prior to starting my blog, I quit my job as a Career Counselor to have my second child and be a stay-at-home mom. I soon realized I was faced with an opportunity. I used to ask my clients what their ideal, dream job would be. If money were no object, education and training (or lack of) didn’t matter, and time were of no concern, what would be your dream job? For me, the answer has always been “I want to be a writer.” So, I think of now as the ideal time for me to start writing. Blogging is my starting point: a way to develop discipline, find my voice, and just get started. That’s why I blog.
Right now I consider my blog in hobby status. I hope to make money and dream of it being a career, but it is a journey. I do love that it is totally mine, my thoughts, my views, my passion. I do not have to bow to clients’ ideas/needs.
I also love when I write something personal and get responses from around the globe, connecting with other parents who can relate to the topic. I am truly amazed by technology.
I’m happy for you and a little jealous. Maybe one day I’ll join you. I’m working towards it. -www.awkwardengineer.com
I’m a bit of an introvert, so I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I love connecting with other people.
And, I’m typing this comment with my son “helping.” (I will blame any typos on him :) )
I’m creating things on a rainy Tuesday morning, in my house, with the cutest little boy in the world on my lap. What could be better than that?
Thanks for sharing Darren. That is exactly the reason we have chosen the business we are launching this summer (www.fb.com/sayitinshirts).
My wife and I have been a “hybrid” homeschool family (1 child still in traditional school until this fall) and we decided earlier this year that we’d go all in. I needed to find or create something that would allow me to spend more time with them and be involved in their homeschooling.
This post encourages me and confirms we are on the right track and that it can be done, with challenges, but as I expected the rewards are great!
Darren,
Love this post. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” :-)
As for me? I dig blogging like you , for the flexibility and the “connections” across the miles.
Hey Darren,
It’s a real nice post you’ve got in here. I do agree that being able to work at home was a luxury that any person can afford if they really want to. I remember when I was still working as a freelance writer and all I need to do is just work for 4-6 hours and then get paid with good money and then go out and party or bond with my friends. Oh how I miss those days.
But I guess what lured me into working in an office is the stability and the assurance that the thing is solid and it might last for a long time. Don’t get me wrong, the internet could be an everlasting web but I’m not really sure if I could keep up with it. Anyhoo, it’s a good feeling when I stumble upon these kind of posts.
By the way, you’re son’s lovely :)
-George
Hi Darren,
I hope “X” is feeling much better. :) And I particularly like the octopus with the broken arm.
For me, working from home is my ultimate goal. The flexibility is obviously one of the big attractions, but when you mentioned working from your local coffee shop most mornings, I groaned with envy – every morning on my way to work, I pass by the cafe and fantasize about spending the morning in there with my laptop!
All in good time … keep up the great work and all the best to you and your family.
Great post and many thanks for this glimpse into the warmer aspects of blogging!
It’s amazing that you can balance everything like this. I don’t have a lot of distractions and still have trouble getting those posts out sometimes.
Blogging has opened my mind and broadened my horizons.
I blog because I was feeling starting to feel stale and uninspired. I wanted to freshen things up between my ears – as I reach middle age, I realized it’s becoming easy to stay status quo. Taking a risk and learning something new was a bigger step than it should be. The technology of it all was a little overwhelming at first, but once I got hip deep in it, it isn’t that mysterious or difficult – and that’s cool to know.
I dream of breaking free from the chains of working for “the man” but I’m a long way from that. Instead, I’m getting my little brain fizzing about this or that – and it feels good to have this way of connecting with others from all over the world who are interested in the things that I’m interested in!
One of my dear friends is the “go-to” person for our group of friends – who to ask to tweak the photos in Photoshop, or make a newsletter, or make the graphics for a poster – and she is 82 years old. That’s who I want to be!
All the best – Chris
Hi Darren,
Great to see your son having so much fun.
I enjoy being self employed too. Last week one of my children was ill as well and I was able to re adjust all my week to match his needs.
Thing is as you know not everyone wants to take all the lack of security that goes with self employment.
The ups and downs of incomes and the large amounts of responsibility.
Myself, I can’t get it out of my blood and the blessings of being able to spend time with my children are wonderful.
Best of health to all your family,
David
This is what I hope to achieve, flexibility and more freedom. I aim to be self employed whether that’s through blogging or through my career path.
What a great way to work :) problogging rules!
There are far too many benefits to list, and I’ve only really begun to be able to rely on my online activities to put on the table during the last year or so, so maybe I’m not the best person to ask.
This said, there are so many positives — none more so than having control over my own future, my own life and ultimately, my own destiny. Which I believe is everyones ideal. I’m very lucky.
Although I have older kids who wouldn’t need a sitter if they were home from school sick, I still enjoy being home when they walk through the door. Blogging gives me that freedom.
I’m just starting out blogging and although I like, sometimes it feels more like a chore. I bought a couple easy to remember domain names and I;m testing out some ways of automating the content from RSS feeds and such so hopefully I can generate posts on this I like and not have to type up posts as often
Hi Darren, being flexible and able to attend to my family is my top reason why I blog. After a year off from 9-5 job, I am in this new comfort zone where I find myself loving my new work at home jobs. I can’t imagine going back to employment again :)
Well, work at home definitely has it’s pros and cons. It may mean having to organize and plan our time better. Not forgetting, handling occasional disturbances. My daughter always appear with her toys etc while I am writing. It’s a joy to see them grow.
Cheers, Ann Khee
I have a bit of Malaise at the moment, however I love the flexibility that blogging gives me to travel… and do things like this: (see photo) http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozlady/5678645396/
Love this site and will use the article on malaise to get me out of this current slump. Thanks!
Great post Darren! When you said “challenges do come with working at home,” that really hit home with me. Most people who don’t work for themselves don’t understand the concept that it is sometimes difficult to get away from your work and focus on more important things such as family. As a business owner, I usually find myself working into the wee hours when I should be unwinding for the day. I maintain a few websites as well as run a home based business, but my parents still think I have all this free time because “I work for myself.” Ha! Couldn’t be further from the truth!
Aww, that’s really sweet! And about that MacBook Air, I picked up the same one, your review of it on YouTube convinced me. It’s hands down my favorite Mac ever, I do all my blogging and school work on it.
Darren,
It’s very obvious why you love blogging for a living, beautiful family you have there. Spending time with kids, priceless!!!
Darren,
This is a short, powerful post. Thank you for your contribution here. Your ideas are value added, as usual.
Well, since you asked: I think many creative people like to blog because they want to escape from office politics and still earn a living. When you work in an office, you may not always get along with your co-workers.
You and your colleagues may not bond, because you have different work styles. There can be power struggles and cut-throat competition for the one and only top slot. In the workplace, different people can have different temperaments or personalities, so that can be an added factor.
For introverts, blogging can give you the opportunity to work from home without the attendant fuss. You don’t have to meet irritating or annoying people if you don’t want to; don’t have to keep on smiling at the boss breathing down your neck, looking over your shoulder like a gorilla in the jungle searching for prey.
In the office, you can be in a high-powered meeting and receive an emergency phone-call. You may not always have the flexibility to deal with such a crisis. After all, if you have a job, the job comes first no matter what your personal life. That also tends to be the unwritten rule in any workplace. Look at you: you can work out of a local cafe and take your son along for a ride. In that sense, people like you are fortunate. Surprising, though, since bloggers weren’t even around only a generation ago. Cheerio.
Hi Darren,
I only started blogging last year but have had “long term” writers block resulting in only a handful of posts. Incredibly frustrating.
However, recently I moved to Italy where I have just completed a 6 year project renovating a 250 year old “Rustica” stone house. With it finally finished my wife and I have moved out here from Scotland. One great location to another.
My plan now is to blog more frequently from our inspiring location here on Lake Como, where our house is located. I occasionally look up from my laptop to take a look at the view of the lake and surrounding stunning mountain scenery and it never fails to please and inspire my next piece of work.
I think that a combination of this great location and a copy of your ebook “31 Days to Build a Better Blog” might just be the answer to solving my long term writers block.
Thanks
Iain
I think it’s the freedom that comes from blogging which I love most!
One day I want to quit my ‘real’ job and open a shop. I see my blog as the starting point for that journey. One day :)
The same goes here, except it is grandkids. I now get to spend time with them, more than I did my kids when working for corporate America!