Early last week, Cole threw down a challenge to himself and anyone else who was interested. That challenge was to make one meaningful blog post a day, every weekday for the month of August. Today begins the first full week of that effort.
I'm very excited to see what I hope will be a plethora of new (or perhaps consistent?) writers contributing their ideas to the blogposphere. Though personally, the one post per day challenge isnt quite for me. I've come to enjoy writing for personal reflection, and though its not an overly time consuming activity for me, it is one that demands the right state of mind. I have a feeling a post quota would end up making a chore of something I enjoy. Guess I'm not cut out to be a newspaper columnist, eh?
At its core, I just don't feel as though I need any more me. "What a strange thing to say", but its true. I'm pretty comfortable with the amount of time I spend thinking and writing about my ideas. That doesnt mean I'm perfect at it, or that I couldnt afford to spend some more time doing it. But I already know how to engage myself. I can do introspection...even if the results are nonsensical. And for me, thats been the biggest reason to keep blogging. I meant the nonsense, not the introspection ;-)
Robin Smail had a great post last week, discussing her own motivations for participating in the "One Post a Day Challenge". To quote her "I'm going to rely on the community for much of my input".
Robin's post, and that quote in particular, really struck a chord with me. Though I may not have an interest in posting once a day, that is an activity about me - my thoughts, my ideas, my writing. Why not turn things on their head, and make the "One Post A Day" challenge, not about me, but about the community? About other people's thoughts, ideas, and writing. The world may not be ready (or want, or need) more of Stub's voices. But we could all stand to do a little more reaching out to other people's. I can keep looking in the mirror. It doesnt mean I can't look around too.
Isnt it ridiculous that I was driven to write a post about Robin's, even to talk it with her in person about it, but I left no comment on her post itself? That just will not do.
And so, inspired by Robin's post and some questions I asked a long time ago, I'm going to participate in this initiative in Stubstyle fashion with the "One Comment A Day" challenge - the result of a BS Breakfast conversation with Stevie Rocco. The rules? Only to make at least one comment on someone else's blog every weekday for the month of August. I'll try and keep said comments meaningful, but its me - you know I can't make that promise =)
I have every intention of continuing to write my own posts in the meantime (I know you were worried). But this isnt about me - and thats what makes it so great.
Let the challenge... or perhaps more appropriately the conversation begin.
Image from icanhascheezburger.com
I'm very excited to see what I hope will be a plethora of new (or perhaps consistent?) writers contributing their ideas to the blogposphere. Though personally, the one post per day challenge isnt quite for me. I've come to enjoy writing for personal reflection, and though its not an overly time consuming activity for me, it is one that demands the right state of mind. I have a feeling a post quota would end up making a chore of something I enjoy. Guess I'm not cut out to be a newspaper columnist, eh?
At its core, I just don't feel as though I need any more me. "What a strange thing to say", but its true. I'm pretty comfortable with the amount of time I spend thinking and writing about my ideas. That doesnt mean I'm perfect at it, or that I couldnt afford to spend some more time doing it. But I already know how to engage myself. I can do introspection...even if the results are nonsensical. And for me, thats been the biggest reason to keep blogging. I meant the nonsense, not the introspection ;-)
Robin Smail had a great post last week, discussing her own motivations for participating in the "One Post a Day Challenge". To quote her "I'm going to rely on the community for much of my input".
Robin's post, and that quote in particular, really struck a chord with me. Though I may not have an interest in posting once a day, that is an activity about me - my thoughts, my ideas, my writing. Why not turn things on their head, and make the "One Post A Day" challenge, not about me, but about the community? About other people's thoughts, ideas, and writing. The world may not be ready (or want, or need) more of Stub's voices. But we could all stand to do a little more reaching out to other people's. I can keep looking in the mirror. It doesnt mean I can't look around too.Isnt it ridiculous that I was driven to write a post about Robin's, even to talk it with her in person about it, but I left no comment on her post itself? That just will not do.
And so, inspired by Robin's post and some questions I asked a long time ago, I'm going to participate in this initiative in Stubstyle fashion with the "One Comment A Day" challenge - the result of a BS Breakfast conversation with Stevie Rocco. The rules? Only to make at least one comment on someone else's blog every weekday for the month of August. I'll try and keep said comments meaningful, but its me - you know I can't make that promise =)
I have every intention of continuing to write my own posts in the meantime (I know you were worried). But this isnt about me - and thats what makes it so great.
Let the challenge... or perhaps more appropriately the conversation begin.
Image from icanhascheezburger.com
Count me in. By the way, I am counting this comment as number 1. Sometimes my comments are as long as my blog posts.
I'm with you and Stevie on this one, Chris, for two reasons:
Thanks, Chris! Thanks, Stevie!
Sign me up for this cult! The voices in Chris's head made me do it!! :)
Truth be told, I'm not sure if I was there yet on Friday Stevie =) I appreciated Robin's post, but I was still mulling over whether or not it would be worth-wild to try and take "One Post A Day" on. It took the weekend to bring some clarity to my thinking.
We'll have to reflect on this after August is over. I'm curious if we'll find forcing ourselves to comment as, if not more rewarding than posting ourselves - particularly given the constraints you mentioned around your own blogging.
Very cool! Looking forward to writing something that could inspire you to leave me a comment!
I had no idea when we had this conversation on Friday that you were in my camp on this one. :) I came to the party with the "one comment a day" because of my need to construct for too long a time my blog posts. And things are nutty right now, anyway, so less pressure is definitely better.
Curiously, I may actually be moved to comment on more than one blog post per day. Robin's aggregation of all the participants into the Google page has really helped me there.