A Decade of Blogging
WordPress has informed me I have blogging for ten years. Ten years! A decade of posts. My oh my how the time did fly on by.
No cake, presents, or hoopla, although a quiet reflection is perhaps agreeable.
The decision to create a blog derived from the admonition of a presenter from a writer’s conference who said social media presence is important in creating a personal brand.
Cricket Muse was launched as a blog about my writer’s journey as a reader. I remained incognito until recently. I had determined to blog behind my nom de plume until the publishing of my first book.
In 2020 Someday We Will, my debut picture book about anticipating visits from loved ones, particularly the grandparent/grandchild connection, was published by Beaming Books and I unveiled my true identity as Pam Webb. Cricket Muse is still around and provides reviews at Goodreads.
Ten Year Reflection:
- People seemed chattier ten years ago. Looking back at early posts there is a noticeable difference between replies then and now in length and depth. Perhaps we are busier, more distracted. I know my responses are less than they used to be when I reply these days.
- Blogs simply disappear, which is sad, since friendships, of sorts, are made whilst blogging.
- Really good stuff is learned along the course of blogging: new words, reading titles, perspectives, and stories. There is so much available to learn and absorb through the blogging world.
In order to plump my social media presence I opened an Instagram account. Truthfully, I much prefer reading blog posts to reading Instagram posts. The difference is akin to enjoying a baked potato with all the substantive trimmings rather than snacking on chips from a bag. But guess what I end up doing more often than I should? Yup, snacking. So easy to swipe through those Instagram posts—it is addictive. Gotta love those cat reels.
I am not that concerned about follower or post stats. It is a boost, of course, to be noticed, yet I blog because I like to share my thoughts, and as an ambivert it’s a way to converse with others without the stress of in-person dialog.
The biggest benefit from blogging is the people met along the way:
Mike Allegra: probably the longest-running blog acquaintance at present, at least seven years. We have wrangled over literary tastes in our short-lived Debatable posts. A fellow writer and a funny guy.
Mitch Teemley: Mitch is amazingly talented and well-versed in all kinds of stuff. Prolific in postings and entertaining to boot.
Tish Farrell: her photos get me traveling without having to leave home.
Jillian Hoffman: sharing a love of picture books.
Interesting Literature: this post feeds the English teacher within.
Chel Owens: she understands my cow whimsy and has a bodacious outlook on life.
Kathy Temean: she provides the best inside scoop on the children’s lit side of life and she promoted my book!
Tref: that weird uncle who I never had and says the most random stuff.
Sandra, Into the Light: magnificent nature photos.
Pete Springer: a most recent discovery, fellow writer, and Humboldter (Humboldtian?), and knows all about the wins and woes of being a classroom teacher.
This is just a smattering of blog folks I exchange with and as some leave for other pastures of creativity there are more who come along.
To another 10 years, and then some.
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Pam Webb 