It's one month since I returned from overseas. Its two months since I last posted on my blog.
Funnily, just like that, I stopped. To start with I didn't have much to talk about from abroad, and then I didn't have time or inclination, and lately I don't really know why or if I should continue.
Our trip was hard work, very hard work. This was my fourth time travelling long haul with children, but the first time with two. Irritatingly hot weather and hot, sleepless nights, a "wake several times a night and up at the crack of dawn baby", a sick baby, a teething baby, family events and related organisations and generally a lack of downtime pretty much crushed the spirit out of me. Along with that all my creativeness ran dry and the small packet of embroidery items that I took with me sat unopened the whole duration of our five week trip. Telling, huh?
At home again I have a nearly walking one year old who pretty much ensures that my bottom does not hit a chair for longer than a few minutes at a time during the day (if you've had a toddler in your house I'm sure you can relate). Time for sewing or blog posting? Not really. Time for reading blogs? A tiny bit. Time for commenting on blogs? Not at all.
Instead I've turned my attention to a touch of spring cleaning around our house that has hardly called for the use of the sewing machine. I've had holes in the living room wall patched and painted, a bunch of pictures framed, new pictures hung in the hallway, sold a bunch of baby gear on Ebay, donated baby toys to the school fete, donated the bunting from my shop to the school fete, mended the straps on the high chair, celebrated a first birthday, made preparations to celebrate a sixth birthday, got into the groove of school readers and sight word learning, re-arranged and tidied the bookshelves, re-framed photographs, bought some new knives for the kitchen, won a set of saucepans, won a new necklace, shopped at the farmers markets, eaten lots of strawberries, had a guest to stay for a weekend, visited doctors and dentists and the like, had one late night out with friends, stopped night time breastfeeding, got the baby to finally sleep all night long, cleaned vomit out of the family car and put the goose down doona away now the winter chill has lifted. And that's of course aside from the usual everyday cooking, cleaning and care of small humans.
Where to next with me? I'm not really sure actually. I've re-opened my online shop and I have a few vague plans to sew items for it. I'm thinking a lot about blogging and the general online presence, about the feeling of "talking to a virtual brick wall", about the over-share and over-promotion on all the possible online forums available to use these days, about bloggers I've loved but have become infrequent posters or have even stopped, bloggers that used to talk craft but have expanded into a whole lot of topics besides and even about a blogger I loved to read and she died, and that suddenly was the end of her blog. I think about that often actually, all this stuff you put out there and how to reel it back in again if you need to. And why, I'm really trying to answer the why right now.
Why do you do it? Can you help me?
5 comments:
I don't blog but have other voluntary committments in my life and I find it useful to ask myself regularly -
Does this nurture something in me or does it feel like a chore? Is it pleasurable work or is it a drain on my limited recreation time? Don't know if those questions are any use for you.
My blogging mojo has been low of late too. For me it was all about embracing the small wonderful moments in a busy life with a complicated child. Many days are hard but there is often goodness there and if if I capture those moments it reinforces the positive in my life. Plus when I amcreative Iam happier. Found out some family are reading my blog and has stifled me a little. Hoping to get back into the swing too soon. And there is never a brick wall, I think just lots of busy women who don't always have time to comment.
Feeling exactly the same way here! I started my blog as a way of journalling what is happening in my world with my bubbas. I question whether when I post something crafty is it a "ooh look what I can make" (never intended!)? I so enjoy the writing side of it but like you said...if no ones reading it? And then why would anyone comment when I don't have time to comment on their blogs! Crazy land!! Might step back for a while myself...or start again....of just make it soley for me and my family as a virtual photo album of sorts. Ok I rambling now but rest assured I can completely empathise with you at the moment. Hope all is lovely in your world :) x
Hi Caroline,
I am Peter's sister (Eva's cousin) over in NZ and have been following your blog for a while. I only follow a few blogs and hardly ever comment, but they all mean a lot to me for a number of reasons:
1. They hugely inspire me. Amazingly creative people make amazingly beautiful things. I dream of being creative myself, and although sadly I am not, I draw inspiration from it.
2. It provides me with a little time out from my own mostly too stressful life (kids, house, work, garden, cooking - well, you know!).
3. It connects me with people all over the world, although this is a mostly one-way connection. It feels connected to me, and that's what counts.
4. Blog entries like your latest one show me that I am not the only one swapping winter for summer clothes, having doctor and dentist visits, broken sleep, cleaning up vomit from the car - aka mastering all the small and large dramas in life.
There you go, four reasons for me to read your blog.
Big hugs across the ditch!
Sabine
PS: What keeps me sane is telling myself that it is just a stage and will pass. Some stages take longer than others, and all stages will be replaced by new ones, but at least they all eventually pass. :-)
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