Work + Projects

Blogging, Now

by erin |

selfie

I wanted to Instagram this picture of my very capable-looking jury duty outfit, but then the good judgment part of my brain lit up and thought perhaps this is frowned upon with the judicial powers that be? Could a juror revealing that she will perchance be selected to assist in the fate of another human’s traffic violation repercussions result in a hung jury? (Is it hang jury? Jury that has been hunged? Pauly Shore, send help.) So instead, I snapped the photo and kept it to myself, which is pretty unheard of for a blogger. Scandal!

And OK, since we’re on the subject: let’s talk about it, shall we? I hear pretty much daily that blogging is dead. “Instagram killed the style blog!” “Twitter is the new email!” “Bloggers, diversify! Quick!” I mean, the New York Times shut down a slew of blogs, and when the New York Times does something (anything!), people take note. But here’s what I think…

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Storytelling doesn’t die. I mean, women alone share like, 20,000 words a day. It’s true, I read it in the New York Times. (Get it?) And blogging is storytelling, but with a megaphone. We’re just here, on our soapboxes, sharing what we know – the good and the bad and the mundane and the pointless and, sometimes, a few words string together in the right way and spark a life change in someone we’ve never met.

It’s good. It’s necessary. We’re cavemen, carving our stories on the walls of this Internet mountain – words and pictures and documentation that we were here. We existed.

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I think about this all the time, about the kind of picture I’m carving. Is it worth it? Is it profound enough to exist in my mountain for future generations to view and question and fill in the blanks about the kind of people we were?

The answer, of course, is yes. Absolutely, yes, one thousand times over. Whether we’re snapping selfies or pinning marbled wallpaper, we’re telling a story that history will use to piece together the puzzles of this age. And that’s a story I want to be a part of, regardless of the size of my megaphone or the value of my sponsored campaigns. Whether I’m sharing denim cutoffs or human rights, breastfeeding or political inconsistencies. I’m a piece of the puzzle. We all are.

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Blogging won’t die, because it was never truly alive. The stories, the voices – that’s where the heart beats. And storytelling, friends, is forever. (Just ask the New York Times.)

  • Preach. If there had been Twitter during Homer’s time, someone might have proclaimed the death of the epic poem at some point, and he would have shrugged and said exactly what you just did.

  • *cheering* Was just having this conversation with a filmmaker. He told me that the tech side of filmmaking is reproducible — anyone can learn it — but the writing…the storytelling…he said “if you can write and tell good stories, you’ve got a job for the rest of your life.” Storytelling is valuable, in every sense of the word.

    • I couldn’t agree more, Asha! It’s an art form, and a very practical one at that. :) We’re lucky to be able to practice daily!

  • I want to marry this post, skip off into the sunset and live happily ever after with it.

    I love it that much.

    “The stories, the voices – that’s where the heart beats. And storytelling, friends, is forever.”

    This is the reason TO blog, and since that’s not going away, blogging will always be around. :)

  • I’m glad I read this! I’ve been blogging for a year now, and I love “storytelling” online so much that I was sad when I started hearing people say it was dying out. I believe you’re right. And, even if blogs cease to be real moneymakers at some point, I’m sure people will still love reading the true stories. :)

  • Ahhh! I absolutely love this statement – “We’re cavemen, carving our stories on the walls of this Internet mountain – words and pictures and documentation that we were here. We existed.”

    And you’re right – it IS all about storytelling.

  • Bloggers are so important especially for new parents. Yes Instagram is part of the answer but bloggers like yourself provide so much insight and everyday fun that publications just don’t do. I know sponsored posts are a necessary part of blogging, and sites like momtastic who appear to be inundated with this must just be losing readers. True, honest communications are what we want from bloggers and you nail this all the time. Don’t go changin’!

  • Such a great perspective! I totally agree! Thanks for bringing a voice to this. Storytelling is forever. So good. Also, love your selfies! Too cute.

  • I totally agree!!! It is a good comparison..Blogging won’t die until people have for some reason forgotten how to read..

  • This is exactly why I still read blogs Erin! The storytellers, the heartbeats, and all the in between. It is like curling up to a good book. Instant photography can never replace the blog, just like a kindle can never replace the smell of paper pages in print. Thankful for your voice my friend! xx

  • YES to all of this. I’ve been blogging for ~15 years — since before it became a “thing” and even now after it’s “dead.” My blog is nothing spectacular, and I don’t have thousands (or even hundreds) of followers, but it’s this amazing thing that I’ve built, a record of a significant portion of my life from single college girl to married working mom. I can’t imagine ever quitting just because someone else says it’s over. :)

  • I was just wondering the same thing as I am contemplating about starting to blog again. I took a really long break with the demands of work and regret doing so. It’s hard to get back in the social media scene, but I think blogging (or some form of it) will be consistent. We will continue to want to share our experiences and connect with others.

  • Say it sister! I’ve heard / read many a “the blog is dead.” and on one hand, I get it. But, on the other, keep on keeping on. I’m a believer in, if you’re into it, others will surely be too. I don’t think there is a space that’s replaced it exactly. Not in the community and depth of it… with that, I’m reading your slow blogging post next! x

  • Hear, hear! I actually have an ongoing discussion on this matter with my boyfriend. He thinks blogging is dead. That it’s hard for anyone to be heard, because to be heard means to post multiple posts per day.

    What I can’t seem to make him understand is that there’s this whole community here of people sharing stories and connecting with each other, like you do in the ‘real’ world too. That’s never gonna change, no matter if you post three blogs per day or one each month.

    Then again, he reads totally different blogs than I do, so he might have a point as well. Doesn’t mean I agree with him though ;-)

  • I love this post !
    I remember reading one time that ‘women are the keepers of our history’ … I have been writing down ‘stuff’ ever since … in journals, sketch books, and on the internet since a few years ago. It doesn’t matter that I do not get a response but marvellous when I do.
    I love reading what other women write !
    I got your site through one of them.

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