I was full of steam and energy when I started the WordPress Blogging 101 course. The closed community for course members, and the free resources for everyone on The Daily Post had me inspired, excited and (not going to lie) reading blogs until 3 a.m. on the regular.
But during the second week of the course, I was on a mini-anniversary-vacation. Beach! Date! Local winery (unfortunately not Instagrammed because the sun was in my eyes as we strolled through the vines and met another couple with the same anniversary)! I was unplugged and in a mental place far removed from blogging.
I also had a health issue and saw an ENT for the first time. It was a minor issue, but I think I have medical trauma, or medical things bring out my trauma, so that took up a ton of headspace.
Also, I’m in a pretty important wedding party and planning has kicked into full gear.
The result of all that is that I have done nothing for my baby blog since the last post, and I’m struggling to gain motivation.
It’s deep summer, in a year where my summer is not confined by the limits of an office. The crisp, contained academic year is like the shore I can’t see from a boat that has been flung out into untrammeled waterspace. Emotions, not facts, have crowded my mind. Words are rafts that are hard to hold onto, and I miss the faces and interests from which I feel adrift. Other nautical metaphors.
Despite this gulf, I’m sure I’ll catch up. All the lessons are voluntary, anyway, and I still have the emails.
Coming to this blog in the hopefully-near future:
– A new and improved About page
– An updated header, taking into account the wonderful feedback other bloggers left on my current design choice
– Blog posts based on prompts and challenges
– Some writing on symbols and why they matter. To get started on that thread, peep these links:
“How We Changed The Facebook Friends Icon” – Caitlin Winner
“As a woman, educated at a women’s college, it was hard not to read into the symbolism of the current icon; the woman was quite literally in the shadow of the man, she was not in a position to lean in.”
GLAAD on tumblr: “Munich and Vienna have installed traffic and crosswalk signals that depict loving LGBT couples for this weekend to celebrate Pride!”
Connecting the dots? Deeper thinking? That will hopefully happen some day soon. For now, enjoy the loosely scattered thoughts, like sunflower petals strewn across a path on a 90-degree mid-July day.
andreachout.wordpress.com 
It’s so hard to stay motivated with blogging, isn’t it? I lost a lot of motivation too, but I want to keep going to see what my blog becomes and I encourage you to do the same! From a blogging 101 classmate
Thanks, blogging mate! I appreciate the encouragement.
It is hard – and sometimes I feel like my posts are so irrelevant and boring and I’m tempted not to post. But then I remind myself that if I don’t post then I won’t be improving. The point, for me, was to post daily. And if I wanted to get better id just have to practise.
Maybe try writing posts and scheduling them at times you have motivation. currently I have none so have to post every morning but randomly I’ll get motivation and write loads of things and keep them scheduled.
Exactly. I’m sure getting into the habit of regular posting will help. Scheduling sounds like a great idea.