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Monday, June 2, 2014

On Peaks And Valleys

Yes, I am still alive! I know, I’ve been gone for a while.

And that leads me right into the topic I want to put out there today.

Whenever you read about successful blogging by the experts anywhere, they tell you that one of the KEY things is to blog regularly. Lots of reasons why and they are all good reasons.

Yet, so many bloggers I know blog in spurts. Does it make me want to read their blogs any less? No, not really, in fact sometimes I find the blogs that give me a great big blog post every single day a bit much, because I will inevitably fall behind.

 

I am very much a “spurt blogger” too. For weeks, even months, I want to share everything on my blog. I find the time, I take the photos, it all flows nicely. And then I inevitably enter a phase where it’s jut not happening. Usually, something else needs more of my attention, or I am just simply “blogged out” for a bit.
I used to have a lot of guilt about this. After all, I wasn’t doing it right.  I was letting my readers down. And it’s not like I don’t have anything to share - I just couldn’t quite get “my act together” to just keep doing it. Surely I would lose every single reader I ever had if I just quit blogging for a month.

Especially if I did that on a semi-regular basis.

 

But lately, it has occurred to me that first of all, the guilt doesn’t help anybody, least of all me. In fact, if there’s guilt in the way, chances are that blog post are even less likely to happen again, because well, it’s just no fun! Who needs that heaviness?

Second of all, it’s part of who I am. Be it on the blog, be it in my art, be it in real life. I work, play, paint, blog, be an extrovert/introvert in spurts. And I thoroughly enjoy it!


And then I need to retreat a little. Find my center again. Refuel. I enjoy the quiet then. I enjoy focusing on something else for a bit. I enjoy my own company for a bit.


I’m not talking completely exhausting myself, crashing and then needing to retreat to recuperate and “save” myself. Even though, that’s been more my tendency in my earlier years. These days my peaks and valleys are more rolling than spiking. *grin*

 


What I am saying is, that I have realized that this is, as much as anything else, who I am.

I am a spurt blogger.

I am an introvert with extrovert spurts or an extrovert with introvert spurts and I need  both.

 


For many years I always thought I should be finding the balance between the two at all times. Like, if I were to do a “spot check” on my life at any given time, I should be able to see balance (slightly more or less) between aspects of my life at all times.

And, not surprisingly, I always failed. Then I would beat myself up about not being able to find the balance, etc.

 

I have come to realize that when I am on fire, when I am inspired, when I am in the thralls of creation - there is no such thing as balance. Not in those moments or phases. The balance will come again, but it’s not there in those moments and phases of creation and change!

I have also realized that this doesn’t mean I am “unbalanced” either.

Much like on an old fashioned scale, when you add weight to one side (or take it away for that matter,) there will be a temporary imbalance as the side that’s being added to will swing to one side. Until you balance it out with the other side. It’s how it works.  And it’s a good thing.

 

Perfect balance at all times would be standstill. And life, the universe and we as human beings - we just don’t do perfect balance/ standstill for any length of time!


And by realizing, accepting, and honoring that I have found much more joy in my life - with both the “peaks” and the “valleys.”  Neither is good or bad. They both just are.

And I mean really honoring that. Intellectually we all know that there can’t be balance at all times. This is nothing new.

 

But to really truly internalize that and enjoy the swinging to the left and to the right of the proverbial scale, and enjoying visiting each side AND the swinging in between, to embrace the chaos that can ensue in the process -  that took a little more work for me!

Embracing the chaos and trusting that it will all work out in the end - that’s not only a true act of letting go of control, but of trust and receiving. Not something that comes easily to me. But I am getting better!

In all areas of my life.

 

And yes, that also means that there may be blog posts every other day for several months. And then there might be nothing. For a month. Or two.

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9 comments:

  1. Very nicely put. I find myself cheering you on. Yes I have missed you, no it does not make me want to not follow you. I always look forward to your posts an beautiful art etc. this mermaid is beautiful. I am so like you but haven't come to resolution yet so I get a bit stressed. Keep doing what you do and I will continue to follow and enjoy. Maybe I will learn to be more accepting of my hermit phases too!

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  2. Thank you so much for your kind words, Dee! Yes, it takes a while to be accepting of, or even *shock horror* celebrate, the things we always judged as "wrong" in ourselves. Baby steps! I'm cheering you on too! Give yourself a break, find the beauty in the hermit phases and enjoy yourself!

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  3. Well said! I find this kind of the same on the other end as well. I will usually sign up for email updates for blogs when I can and a FB page also. And there are many days and weeks where I will just delete the emails and move on because I don't have the energy, time, or interest at that moment to go and read. And unless my desires have really changed, I don't unsubscribe either. I know eventually I will be ready to check out the blog again.

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  4. So glad to see your name come up on my RSS feed! I totally agree with you. I'm trying to blog regularly because of reading similar advice, but when I ask myself 'does it matter' when it comes to my favourite blogs, then the answer is no. I'm happy to see their blogs whenever they come up (I might wish they update more often, but I'm not going to unfollow them!). I feel the same about people who update every day. I get a chance to read my RSS feed about twice a week, I tend to lose interest a bit when people update every day and there are a bajillion unread posts from them. And then usually you find that updating a lot dilutes the message. Updating for updating sake, rather than because they really have something of quality to share. And if you're updating because you 'feel you have to' it will come through in what you write, it won't be free but it will be reluctant. So yeah! Totally get where you're coming from!

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  5. Ohmygosh, Birgit, it's as though you took every word of this post directly out of my head ... except the blogging part, as I gave that up years ago ... but yes, this is me in nearly every aspect of my life. I've been like this since the day I was born and I've always been treated as though I'm wrong. *sigh* The life of a creative soul! :) I'm just glad to know you're alright and happy to see you whenever you surface. Take care.

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  6. I am a spurt blogger too. Recently I was gone for a couple of months, and I miss my regular readers. Some of them don't know I'm back, I think! Anyway, I really like your blog and anticipate spending much more time here.

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  7. True words Birgit. I am finding that the blogging world is also changing and that there just aren't as many readers who regularly visit. It seems like two things seem to be happening: 1- people just pick and choose from their feeds and 2- they are more likely to visit the 'big name" bloggers/sponsors and see what the design teams are producing. Kind of like the big box concept for the blogging world lol. Thoughts on this?

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  8. This was just what I needed to hear today. Thank you for your wise words. I had not planned to subscribe, but now I will. I would rather have (& be inspired by) heartfelt, "in the flow of the moment" sporadic posts rather than consistent posts that come from a place of exhaustion & blogging obligation guilt. So glad you respected your inner voice, thanks again!

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  9. I just found you today so I guess it is ok to spurt blog... people still find you. Thanks so much for the wonderful info on making my own shimmer mists. I am looking forward to perusing through your blog. Have a happy day! Mary

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Birgit Kerr