Blogging Imperfection
I'm putting together a fun book blog tour for
Audry Fryer's new book:
Until Next Sunday and part of organizing a tour is reaching out to book bloggers asking how they'd like to help (review the book, author interview, etc...). One blogger signed up for the tour on Tuesday and declined on Wednesday saying " on second thought, I have been awful about blogging...". That conversation prompted me to write today's post about an imperfect blog.
Years ago, I read an article by some sort of business/life coach advising that your blog doesn't need to be perfect. I forget exactly who said it or their reasoning, but I think of it often. Now, your Freshman research paper, your memoir, or a newspaper article definitely needs to be edited and perfected, but I don't want my perfectionism standing in the way of my blogging. If I wait until I have the perfect topic, the perfect amount of quiet, the perfect amount of editing time, etc... I'm never going to have any content. I've come to think of my blog in terms of conversating vs public speaking. When I talk to a friend, we have a conversation; I may say "Um" a lot, I may forget to make eye contact or make too much eye contact, I may laugh to loud, mumble, or speak too firmly. That's okay though - we are having a conversation. I didn't rehearse or polish things - I'm relaxed. That's exactly how my blog feels - like a conversation with an old friend. Even if I forget to call for a few months, I can pick up the phone and we pick up where we left off...laughing too loudly and everything! It's not public speaking where everything has been polished and perfected. My blog has typos, time gaps where I forget to write, the pictures are silly, and I guarantee there's run-on sentences...but my readers still love and accept me (like a dear friend).
Doesn't it help to look at blogging that way? You've been away for awhile - but it's okay. You typed were instead of where - it's okay. Those imperfections make you more loveable (in real life and in blogging). Hopefully if you've stepped away from blogging while waiting for everything to be perfect you'll get back to it - there's no time like the present and I think you're amazing even if you aren't perfect! Truth is...your imperfections are what make you even more amazing!
I can't wait to read what you're blogging about - so get to it!
PS - if you'd like to participate in the blog tour mentioned above, fill out this Google Form!
As our time together comes to an end, let me ask you:
Has your perfectionism held you back from blogging or anything else? What can you do to move beyond that?
If you are someone who has a perfect blog - how do you feel about those of us who blog to imperfection? What would you like to tell us?
Since I never leave the farm - tell me about the Spring weather where you live? Tell us a little bit about your 'neck of the woods'? What's going on with you friend?
Share it as a comment on this post!
Hugs,
~Crystal
About Today's Author:
Crystal is a foodie, farmer, and friend! She has 6 children and lots of special young people who call her "mom" even if she isn't 'their' mom! She starts each day sipping coffee and milking cows with the love of her life and occasionally ends the day with a glass of wine. Crystal is raising kids and cattle while juggling cleaning jobs, bartending shifts, music gigs, her job as office manger and she escapes reality a few hours each week riding horses and reading books (not simultaneously)! And who knows, she may start blogging again sometime soon: http://bringonlemons.blogspot.com/
In the meantime, you can find her posting pics of food, cattle, and more on Instagram and Facebook!
3 comments:
Crystal,
I don't know that it is my perfection that holds me back from querying but I want not a good match but a perfect match.
Definitely a detrimental attitude!
I let my fear of imperfection keep me from doing a lot of things--creating new podcast episodes, blogging, finishing or revising manuscripts, etc. The list goes on and on. I"m trying to be better about it!
I'm a perfectionist, and if it weren't for deadlines I'd never get anything done! Perfectionism is one of the worst traits for a writer, so to battle it I make sure I set deadlines that involve another person, editor, or instructor to hold me accountable. We all want flawed protagonists, so why can't we accept our own imperfections? Perfect is boring. :)
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