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Professional Blogging: Does it kill the joy?
Looking over my other blogs and then looking at the stats of my personal Daddy Blog, I realized that I have lost a little of the joy I had in blogging. The sheer passion for hitting publish and wondering who would read my post and whether they would leave a comment that would spur a discussion.
These are the the joys of blogging that I myself experience when coming up with that perfect anecdotal post or that well thought out piece that I’m proud to publish for all to read. My Daddy Blog sits dormant like a ship caught on a reef taking on water. I last updated it in October of 2007. The anniversary of its birth is coming up on March 1, and I am wondering if I will be putting it out to pasture or if I can make it come back like the Phoenix rising from its ashes. I’m not sure of the answer just yet.
So what happened to the joy of blogging I was experiencing? It’s still there on a personal level, but now I am a professional. I am paid to blog, and help others get paid to blog as well. It’s now a job and a new career. I was told once by someone much wiser than myself that I should not make a job of what I enjoy otherwise it will kill the joy. The context there was working in the golf industry. I went against the advice and it did kill some of the joy, but I still love golf. I am wondering if the joy of blogging has had its own wound that makes it a dying hobby. I suppose time will tell in that regard. The first thing I must do is update that Daddy Blog and see if the joy comes back. No, I won’t start in on the metaphor of setting something free, the profound nature of this post is already getting away from me.
How about you? Are you a professional blogger? Have you lost the joy of blogging now that its a job or a career?
9 Users Commented In " Professional Blogging: Does it kill the joy? "
I haven’t lost the joy, but I do blog less these days. I was burnt out on politics. I’m incorporating more things that interest me, like my faith, digital technology, music, and books. I blog for businesses, but oddly enough, the professional blogging hasn’t descreased my joy for MY blogging.
Thanks La Shawn. You are truly a professional blogging rockstar to be sure. A highlight of my 2007 was finally getting to meet you face to face!
Oh gosh no! I still love blogging. At least 8 hours of my day is spent blogging and it’s never boring. I look forward to going to work each morning.
To me a bad day blogging is always way more enjoyable than a good day at a dull office job.
As someone who was an Administrative Assistant for various NYC businesses for 20 years, I can say I found my calling three years ago when I started blogging. I hope I never lose the passion. I’m enjoying myself too much!
I haven’t been blogging for long, and I’m not technically paid for it unless you count AdSense, but I can’t imagine *not* loving it. My mind is alllways coming up with new blog ideas while I’m driving, relaxing and drinking coffee, rocking my baby to sleep (last night, I was so impatient for her to fall asleep because I REALLY wanted to write something down! LOL).
I’m an active member on several forums and I have been for years. I love the ease of chatter that comes with such an informal setting. I think being paid to do it would be icing on the cake.
I can imagine, though, that if I wasn’t passionate about a subject I was required to blog about 2-3 times per day, I would grow tired of blogging on *that* blog. I don’t think the others would suffer.
Good point -
I would have to say - it depends on the client. Sometimes I am my own client, and I’m the worst - never happy, always want more, faster and to pay less. A bit like the man who represents himself in court having a fool for a client 
I am lucky enough to be working for a great company at the moment, and the joy is definitely alive and well.
Mark,
I love the lawyer thing. Yes, I too have a fool for a client in the blogging sense. I have fired myself so many times now I should be getting unemployment insurance.
It did kill the joy for me just a lil bit when I started blogging for the company blog at work. Maybe it’s the subject and all. Cuz I still love blogging on my own blog. =)
I only blog for *pleasure* at this point (although I’m interested in blogging for pay), but I’d say the issue here is really pertinent regarding writing in general.
I write creative pieces, fiction and nonfiction; and I write for clients - everything from copywriting ads to longer research reports to grant proposals. I do find that it’s hard to compartmentalize the writing commercially and writing creatively - even the commercial projects I love (hey, I’ve written a heavy metal corporate anthem, then heard it performed in the recording studio - nothing could be more fun) end up *competing* in my brain with the creative projects I choose for myself. But writing is about a passionate relationship to words (and images, thanks to blog technology - even audio and video, too) as a means of communicating, and that’s not such an awful way to spend the day.
Especially when you’re in your PJs at noon and your only commute is the lunchtime bike ride.
