A Blog by Gill Bruce

On: Struggles With Personal Blogging

On: Struggles With Personal Blogging

Since blogging began, it has helped both established and aspiring creatives to find a platform, so they can engage with their audience and deliver the content of their dreams.

It’s a double-edged sword. Blogging has allowed many excellent writers to surface and gather the following that they deserve. There is also a lot of mediocre ‘churn’ that typically comes with a social form of publishing

I have a hypersensitive ‘churn gland’, to the point that I struggle to maintain any type of personal blog. I much prefer writing about things far less removed from the inner workings of my own life. I’ll explain why:

I’m fairly ‘boring’

I don’t mean to shoot myself down – I’m happier than ever these days. But I’m not the sort who gets up to super-exciting things. If I’m not working, I’m looking after my two kids, aged 1 and 4. I’d make an awful Mummy Blogger (see below for the ‘I’d Make an Awful Mummy Blogger’ section). I don’t get to go to lots of launches of things these days and less and less do I want to write about them anyway; unless it’s somewhere fun or independent that makes more of a story than ‘I was invited along to town’s new Bella Pasta and I ate some pasta’.

I take crap photos

Sadly, I’m not a photographer and I find as much joy these days in looking at perfectly arranged vases of tulips next to an avocado, as I do trying to take them. Personal tales require they type of photos that I just can’t take very well; usually because I have a child threatening to do a poo, or one batting my yoghurt-smeared phone out of my hand. I like royalty free professional pics, and the rare, uninterrupted time with my SLR on auto, that kind of does it all for me.

I’d make an awful mummy blogger

Yes, I’m always with kids, but I am definitely no parenting expert. And so I do not profess to be one. Some bloggers do a fantastic job of making parenting look so stylish and breezy, others do well writing about how hard it is (and have a realistic take on parental booze consumption). Others now blog full time and have fantastic, shiny hair not full of sweets and sick. I love my kids, we live together, eat together and do loads of stuff together, but I don’t have that ability to write myself as a funny, fashionable or sagely mum.

Gimmicky language maketh me cringe

And there’s a lot to be had out there. Perhaps it’s a competitive thing; scared of not being exciting enough, so there’s this tendency to exclamate, swear loads, use slang. I can’t get on board with it.

I probably sound like the dullest blogger on the planet. You could probably say that is true. I’m just an old-fashioned defender of the published word and I take my hat off to those who really care about it too.



6 thoughts on “On: Struggles With Personal Blogging”

  • I’m a pretty boring person too. I really don’t get up to much that I can blog about but I think the great thing about blogging is you can make it as personal or not as you want it. When things happen I blog about them, otherwise I find something else to write about rather than forcing anything.
    Whatever you want to write about is fine.

    • I like your easy going approach and you’re so right. I just can’t blog with myself as the roving, daring journalist… I’m too busy pairing my family’s socks (or blogging for companies)

  • I can totally relate to what you say. It really can be hard to find things to write about when it comes to personal daily things.

    I do write posts like that, but I have categories that is easier. Like inspiration on fashion for kids and women. Blog tips and recipes. Personal blogs can include different things :)

  • Bruh, you and I have a lot in common. We’re both tutors. We’re both freelance writers. We use the same WordPress theme! We also take crappy pictures, are kind of boring, will most likely avoid mommy blogging in the future and despise cliché, gimmick-filled content. Hello, twin :)

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