There are times when blogging seems easy. Natural. Maybe even like breathing. Other times though when it’s hard. Awkward. It could be possible that you feel like you’ve become an alien on your own blog. Or that there’s nothing more you can add to the words that pour out into the blogosphere, day after busy posting day.
Perhaps it starts to feel like you’re losing, or have lost, your blogging voice.
I don’t know if that’s ever happened to you. It does, to me, from time to time, and the last month is the hardest I’ve ever found it. Hard to get back into the groove. Hard to find the way back in. Hard to re-find what it is that allows me to say, remember, believe, that my words, too, count.
Happily, I think I’m there now. How do I know? Well, my unconscious mind is back waking me up in the middle of the night with brilliant ideas for posts she’d like to write (thank you, dear sweet muse).
And what did I do to try and get my voice back? Well, mainly I waited.
There were a number of other things I did too, and I’ve shared them below. They won’t necessarily work for you, but maybe some of them will help you start blogging quietly… or loudly… if you ever find yourself losing your blogging voice.
1. Give yourself breathing space
Enjoy some time away from the online world. Spend time outdoors. Read a novel. Breathe in and out. Take photos. Switch off your blogging mind for a while.
2. Give yourself permission to be quiet
You’re feeling like this for a reason. Give yourself the time and space to reflect, be quiet, work things out.
3. Remember it’s part of blogging
As some of you have reminded me before, the relationship we have with blogging is fluid, dynamic. It changes over time. That means going through high points, and low points. We need to learn how to ride through both.
4. Remember your readers are human
Your readers will probably notice you’re being quiet… and not mind. They’re human. They’ll understand. They might be concerned for your well-being, but they’ll understand, and will be glad to see you back when you’re good and ready, but not before. Write for humans, write for yourself, know the feelings, the content that is not human readable content took people away from your blog.
5. Comment quietly
Writing comments on other blogs is a quiet, gentle way to work your way back into blogging. Pick those blogs where you feel most at home. Where you know you can pop back, quietly, without fuss. Start rejoining the conversation there.
6. If you’re on Twitter, keep tweeting
Twitter is rapid, conversational, fluid, friendly. To rejoin the stream you don’t need to do more than say hello, and give an update on the weather. No need to explain your absence, or write something clever when you’re ready to get started again. Just show up.
7. Check in with your purpose, values and intention
Make use of the time and the space to remember why it is that you’re writing, blogging, spending time online. Check to see how that aligns with your values, purpose and intention. Look for things you need to change to re-align your actions with your values.
Identify things you can do less of. Perhaps things you want to do more of. Things that will allow you to write more clearly, with greater confidence.
8. Start back with something easy
Share something personal as a way of breaking the ice and making contact with your readers. And personal doesn’t need to be deep, reflective or introspective. It doesn’t need to be private. It could just be a report on the weather, or some pictures of where you had a sandwich lunch.
9. When you’re ready, acknowledge some of the stuckness
It’s a way to reconnect with your readers. To share something of what’s been going on, and how you worked through it. Sharing some of those more reflective moods is a way to establish a sense of connection, of rapport with those who read your work and support and encourage you in what you do.
And it helps you to feel connected back to your own words too. Rather than trying to convey a sense of confidence you don’t feel, you can just tell it as it is.
10. Write a list post
Yep, it works a treat, every time 🙂
Have you ever felt like you were losing, or had lost your blogging voice? What worked for you to help you get it back again?
