Blogging can often suck, and even when it’s going well and feels like you’re growing and gaining followers etc it still can suck. Blogging is fundamentally work. No matter how much you sugar coat it. It’s literally writing a publication that some folks may read. You’re not likely making any money from it and if you’ve removed comments then you’re actually just keeping your stress levels down but not actually making your life any happier.

If you manage to publish an entry on a regular basis - awesome. But if you fall short you’ll likely spiral into depression about how much you suck and don’t do anything right.

However you may be lucky enough to see someone mention you somewhere in a tweet or something and you’ll be happy for a moment. Until the crushing reality hits you that everything you now do is measured against that. If you don’t write everything amazingly now people will unfollow you and yet again you’re sad. I’ve come to understand why people would only publish one or two books in a lifetime as this process is gruelling. But in the digital world you are expected to pump out original content non stop while working, while enjoying life, while spending time with family, friends, time for yourself and who knows what else.

If you’re standing in a line waiting for a coffee that should be enough time to write a blog article right? You can easily write something that is well thought through with great arguments that’s ready to win awards, you only need like 5 min to spit that out. Everyone else is doing it right? Are you just not capable of it? The hour just passed and you didn’t post anything, feeling any better about writing your blog? No, of course not, rather than look cool and sharing something you’re reading this trash.

Now that I have your attention, I’d like to share a few thoughts on how to make blogging suck less.

The reality is that slow, meticulous work takes time, and there is no reason for a blog to be treated as a some publication that needs to pump out another article every day. Rushing through things just to gain more followers and look like the cool kid is just as pointless and uncool as it sounds. It’s also not about being the first to market on a new topic or having to be the perfect expert in your field. If you are an expert that’s amazing, keep doing what you do, but for us regular folks, there is no need to be the master of the universe in what you write. In fact attempting to be and not knowing what you’re talking about will just start digging proverbial holes.

Here are some easy ways to make blog writing suck less.

• Write less often
• Write from your own experiences
• When you have an idea, make a note, with points rather than writing it instantly

Rather than demand of yourself that you write a blog article a week, write one a month, or hell every couple months. If you’re busy thats fine, let your readers know by posting an article of one line, “I’ve been really busy, see you next month”. People follow blogs because they’re interested in that person’s opinion and knowledge. You don’t owe your readers anything necessarily, but, posting in 2013 then never posting again makes you a ghost, and digital ghosts are not very interesting.

Blog writing is about sharing experiences and your point of view on them. Blogging is not about running a news agency or having to share every little thought that pops into your brain. It’s also not about overloading your readers with dozens of articles a week. Doing so, will inevitably result in people reading less, since they become more picky about what they want to spend time reading. Sharing how a technology works is great, but share your experience with it. You don’t have to invent something new to have an opinion on it. That being said, writing is always easier when it comes from experience. Writing about a technology you have used and didn’t enjoy is great. Writing about a technology which you briefly read about isn’t nearly as valid, and will only make you anxious about the responses people will make.

You do not have to be a genius to keep a blog. You do not have to only write about brilliant things and shape the world with your knowledge. Everything you write doesn’t have to be flawlessly original. If you have an idea keep a list of them, if you have no time to write it now, scribbled down a couple points on what you may want to say and write the article later. You don’t have to write about the same topics everyone else is at the same time they are. You’re allowed to write when it feels good for you.

Blog writing can be very therapeutic and allow a person to collect their thoughts on a subject. People who read your blog will have a chance to learn about you, if they find what you write to be interesting maybe they’ll reach out, maybe they won’t. Maybe, you’ll never make a dollar off what you write, but, then again, you also could. Blogging lets you share you, and above all other reasons that’s the most important one on why you should do it. Yes, blogging can suck, it can be stressful, but only if you let it make you feel stressed. Remember that a blog is not a service to anyone but you. You are writing because you want to share, not because you have an obligation to your readers.

This article was inspired by @themsaid. I read an interesting article in his blog which highlighted why people should write on their own blogs not on tools like medium and a post the other day talking about why people should share. Personally, I’m glad he shared.