Matt Birchler asked an interesting question recently: when do I stop blogging? My immediate reaction was why stop at all?
He says he can envisage writing less as life changes happen but as for stopping completely? "I don't think so."
A comment that struck me was:
Some of the longest running blogs I know about are run by people in their 50s, so they’re not even that old!
Hey, I'm in my 50's and have been at this for over 20 years — nearly 16 of them "here" 1 — but know I'm a youngster compared to some. Apart from some breaks (primarily due to mental health reasons) my blogging has expanded and grown, I finally feel that I'm starting to get the hang of it but still have room to improve.
Matt and Kev both suggest that it will be a decline in the community around blogs and blogging that might lead to it tapering off but, from everything I've seen over the past couple of years, blogging is stronger than it's been for a long time.
I think there needs to be a degree of flexibility with any approach to blogging. We change, our interests change, so our blogs should reflect this. Trying to do the same thing in the same way forever will lead to a decline. If, as Matt suggests, the current "community fades away because we all get older and move onto other hobbies" then there is nothing stopping us blogging about those new hobbies and finding others who share those interests.
We have a choice: throw in the towel because "it's just not the same any more" or adapt and survive. Community may be a reason to keep blogging but nothing says it always has to be the same one. Our relationships wax and wane over time, it's only natural, and we make new connections as old ones fade away.
I blog because I am drawn to it — it is part of me in a way that no job is or ever could be. I may step away, sometimes for long periods, but I always come back. Blogging transcends my now, it encompasses my past and future, helps define who I am for others. It even helps me discover and decide who I am.
Blogging, in my opinion, is a lifelong journey. The platforms and formats may change over time and blogging might look completely different in 30 years, but I think I'll still be here (or somewhere) sharing my thoughts on whatever comes to mind.
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as I have outlined in the past this site may have changed URLs and platforms but I consider it the same with the archive going back to 2008 ↩
@colinwalker What a fantastic take on this topic. My only regret about blogging—and having my own space online—is that I didn’t start sooner.
I think my regret is stepping away some times and for too long when I could have worked through issues on the blog. There were definitely times when I needed to step away but think I have done so too easily at times.
@colinwalker So very true. Sometimes, the best therapy comes from the discussions fostered with others who remind us we’re not alone.
I see no reason to stop if you’re enjoying it.
Absolutely!