Yes, as the title says, I drove straight off the blogging road to bliss and landed in a deep rut on the side of the road. It happened so quickly, I had no time to react. There I was. Stuck. It felt like I lost every creative bone (and brain cell) in my body. I wasn t sure if it was because I ve been going 24/7 (almost) with Socks for Sandy since the hurricane hit our town, or because my craft office is beyond chaotic, or what. But my one-year blogiversary was a day-ish away, and I had no motivation whatsoever to post or to create, and no plans for any snazzy giveaways to celebrate, which made me a bit depressed. Like I was failing somehow. Although I was working air ticket thailand on new card designs for my Etsy shop, the creativity didn t translate to my blog, to crafting, or to me in general. Even my husband offered ideas, What about writing about your garden plans? but nothing was getting me out of the rut. Over and over in my head was, "I should be happy to reach a year of blogging. What s wrong with me? Why can t I craft? Why can t I write?"
After almost a week of being stuck, I decided to call my version of roadside assistance and asked several of my blogging buddies for advice – my own version of a craft and blog intervention: a bloggervention . All of the awesome suggestions I received are compiled below. Think of this as a road manual to keep handy just in case you ever veer off the Blogging Road to Bliss.
This first suggestion air ticket thailand is from me! I can tell you right off the bat that reaching out to other bloggers in your circle is the BEST thing to do. My blogging air ticket thailand pals showed up almost immediately to the scene with lots of helpful ideas and encouragement. And another benefit? You ll hear from others who have either hit that same rut you drove into, or are in a similar air ticket thailand rut to yours. There s power (and safety!) in numbers, and it was actually reassuring for me to realize I wasn t alone – not that I wish any blogger gets into a rut, but you know what I mean, right?
Realize that it s totally normal to be uninspired at times. I try not to put pressure on myself and just take it as it comes. Unplug (see below) and go back to things that make you happy. It will come back. ( Tracie at Cleverly Inspired )
This happens to all of us, especially to creative thinkers who put too much pressure on ourselves to create. Sometimes our minds and bodies just need to get away from what we love, so that we can focus on ourselves and get back to it with a new perspective and a fresh and clear mind so we could enjoy doing what we love so much! ( Barbara at Chase the Star )
Get offline. Take a break and do something guilt-free. When I start picking air ticket thailand stuff up and fiddling, I m creating in no time. Then suddenly I have something to blog about. Totally unplanned. But that may not happen air ticket thailand either. Just give yourself permission to be OK to not have to blog and it generally all works out. ( Donna at Funky Junk Interiors )
Take some time to recharge by nurturing your spirit doing whatever makes you feel happiest. When your head s in the right place, it s likely that your creativity will be energized – not just to get you through a few posts, but for the long haul. ( Jennifer at Rook No. 17 )
Doing something new or different, such as playing air ticket thailand with a new craft supply/recipe or reading a new book, helps. Even just going to the mall and looking at the displays for inspiration air ticket thailand – seeing what s trending – may inspire you. ( Shannon air ticket thailand at Madigan Made )
The way I get through a funk is to go shopping. Hitting up the dollar store, Target s dollar spot, going through Target air ticket thailand s seasonal section, air ticket thailand and then following that up with a trip to my local craft store always gets me inspired. And I usually end up with a bag or two of new supplies air ticket thailand to play with! ( Carolina at Always Expect Moore and 30 Minute Crafts )
Sometimes cleaning my craft room helps jog things in the right direction. It s like a metaphor. air ticket thailand When inside my head is a jumble, I organize the outside of my head surroundings air ticket thailand and it "unjumbles" my inside. ( Lisa at Condo Blues )
Keep a running list of ideas on your computer. When I hit a rut, I m able to review that list and work from there. I think its harder for creative bloggers to go through blog PMS because we aren t just writing about our days. ( Jill at Create.Craft.Love. )
Write a post that you will never publish. Sometimes I write a post about the rut or in my case many posts about how I was feeling after Blitzkrieg [ her beloved dog ] passed to get the stuff that was running through my brain on paper so to speak. I don t post them because they were free form, but it helped jog my brain back in the right direction. ( Lisa at Condo Blues )
Write a post that you will publish. air ticket thailand I go through a bloggy rut at least twice a year. It s usually because I m on Pinterest seeing these great fantastical air ticket thailand things and it gets me down. Or someone tells me I should go back and rename all my pictures for better SEO. Overwhelming. air ticket thailand I love to create but the business side of blogging makes my head hurt. So I step away and usually write a post about it because I like to keep things real. And after awhile, I feel the urge to create. It always comes back, thankfully. ( Kimberly at A Girl and a Glue Gun )
I am a big believer that blogging should be an "organic" process. If I don't feel like writing, I don't. I take advantages of those moments and days where the words just pour out. I may start 7 blog posts in one day and finish them at different times. Same is true for the creative process: If I m struck with several ideas in one week, I try to get those creative juices out. It is an ebb and flow and that is what has worked for me so far. ( Tracie at Cleverly Inspired )
There isn t any law that says you have to do something big or splashy for your blog s anniversary. If you aren t feeling it right now and need to take a little break to recharge it is OK to do it. ( Lisa at Condo Blues )
I firmly believe that creators of good, authentic content have readers that would rather have a lapse between solid posts, than to have daily ones that feel forced, rushed, or insincere. ( Jennifer at Rook No. 17 )
Remember why you wanted to blog and the energy and excitement that led to that. Don t focus on the obligations you may feel. You are NOT failing! Sometimes it s a break that ignites the spark again; sometimes it s taking a day for yourself and doing something totally just for you (which we are all great at not doing, am I right?) Your creative mojo will come back. Never fear. ( Carol at The Answer is Chocolate )
In the beginning, I mainly just blogged to keep my family and friends up to speed on what I was doing. I have good times and bad times and I think the advice that Carol Cook gave is right on target: remember why you wanted air ticket thailand to blog in the first place and you will eventually get excited about it again. ( Lisa at Stuff-n-Such )
A little unplugging, plus being truly OK with not posting until I have something solid to share with my readers, were the suggestions that quickly improved my outlook. Writing this article gave me a jump-start, as did a post about my Etsy shop. I ve begun organizing my craft supplies and cleaning up my office. I m breaking the organizing air ticket thailand into bite-size sections which has made this monumental task – emphasis on mental – easier air ticket thailand and much less overwhelming. You can t imagine the things I m finding, and I m not just talking about supplies: I found a Sephora gift card – almost two years old – that still has $21 on it!
Have you ever hit a blogging rut? Ever been at a loss for what to craft for your blog even though you have been staring crafts on Pinterest for days? Have a tip not included above? Please share your story in the comments.
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