First, allow me to stress how very much I hate the term “blog,” especially since it has become commonplace to use the term interchangeably with “website.” Is this site, A Rain of Frogs a blog? Probably. I just consider it my personal website. The fact that it is indeed a “web log” is irrelevant, because I plan on it being more.
But that’s not the point. The point is that those of us who have sites like this (or blogs, if that makes you feel more special), sometimes the sense of obligation to write is overwhelming.
Sometimes we’re just not inspired to write. And on those days, we probably shouldn’t. There is no way in hell the quality of the product is up to snuff if we’re disinterested in the topic.
Other times we are inspired, but lack the time, (or in my case the skill) to coax the required meaning out of our words. Concerns over offending or disillusioning our readership come into play as well, further crippling our ability to produce quality entries.
As I approach the 100th post on this site (this is post 98), I’m starting to feel some of these pressures, and that’s counter to the original reason this site was created: to be a creative safety valve, to allow me to blow off steam on something that doesn’t matter. Somewhere along the way it become important to me, like all things I have a part in creating. I know what’s coming, I know what’s involved in getting there, and I know there will be days (weeks!) where I am not really inspired to contribute to this site.
I’ve got some major creative goals ahead of me, both in terms of my larger community site and this one. Much of it requires me to drag myself out of the creative slump I’ve been in for such a very long time, a feat I’ve been finding very challenging. Much of what I see in my head will require more than just writing my thoughts.
That said, I refuse to let this site bite back, to make me feel like I have an obligation to it. I’ve been very consistent in writing to this site, posting something every weekday, and I plan on continuing so. If I have a day in which I have nothing to say, I won’t say anything. My obligation isn’t to this site, it’s to myself.
And to both of you, my faithful readers.