Addison Ore over at Bookends blog tagged me in a writing process blog tour recently. I have never done one of these *tag you’re it* kinda blog posts so be gentle.

I hope you enjoy reading it and silently correcting my grammar and over use of ** and – and way too many of these . . .

I chuckled a little at Addison tagging me. I thought to myself “Me? Really?” I haven’t had it in me to write or share many things lately  and my first reaction was that I wasn’t worthy of this tag. What the hell can I share that will inspire someone else? And much like Addison’s blogmate Carla, I have felt a bit Under Pressure to write while so many other things are going on in my life. gah. Have you ever felt that way?

Now, as I understand it I need to tag two bloggers that I admire and get them to answer these questions like I have. Liv Jones and Rebecca Subbiah, TAG! You’re it.

Whenever someone tells me that they enjoy reading my blog – for a split second I go all Sally Fields accepting an oscar for Places in the Heart. (Not kidding at all.) So thank you Addison! :) Liv and Rebecca I look forward to your acceptance speeches posts. ;)

Let’s rip this band-aid off okay?

I’ve been pretty sucky at writing regular blog posts for quite some time. Some of you regular readers know that it’s been pretty sad in our family for a few years. For you newbies, let’s just say there has been a lot of death and sickness (that hasn’t let up! gah) and my/our priorities have changed. I have personally pulled back from volunteer activities and any non-essential activity to spend more time with loved ones and healing/thinking.

For a while now I’ve taken a bit of a digital detox and reevaluating what I want to do with my online life. I have not managed my 3 a week blog post goal and even gave up writing all together for a while for a lot of reasons that I’m not going to talk about here. I am not convinced the things I have gone through are things that belong on Twitter, Facebook or even in a blog post. . . I am not one of those people who blow sunshine and lollipops 24/7 and I also believe that we shouldn’t feel pressured to share anything we don’t want to. So there.

Something that I have thought a lot about lately is that there are so many disturbing things going on in the world and I often wonder if me writing a blog post about a recipe, DIY or social media something or other will really make any fucking difference. . . I’ve got 99 drafts but a blog post ain’t one.

 

So if I’m not publishing my blog posts what have I been doing? Well, go get another cup of coffee and keep reading.

 

What are you working on?

I’ve spent a lot of my free time working on my DIYs. Some make it to my blog and others don’t. I have quite a few that are still just drafts waiting to be finished. Whether or not my DIYs make it to my blog, they bring me joy and keep me centered.

• two handpainted signs
• hand stitched apron made from heirloom fabric
• crocheting a lap blanket
• making candles
• potager garden
• hand stitched tea towels
• designing and building furniture from reclaimed lumber

When I do find the inspiration to hit publish – I love to explore new recipes, writing klout free reviews and sharing my two cents on social media. Occasionally my DIYs even make it.

 

How does your work differ from others of its genre?

Hrrrm. Which one? Writing about DIYs, Reviews, Recipes or Social Media?

I guess with all of them I share what I’m passionate about. I do try to be as thoughtful and helpful as I can.

DIYs: Nothing pisses me off more than a DIY with no fucking instructions. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen DIY posts on Pinterest that take you to a blog where the husband built what ever it was and the wife posted photos but no cut list, no step by step intructions nothing. I know my DIYs are becoming better because I’m learning from other bloggers. both good and bad. There are things that may look good on Pinterest but offer no value beyond a superficial pin. I hope my DIYs make folks feel like they can do it to.

Reviews: I’m still playing around with this a bit and trying to find my footing. I like the smattering of posts I have and look forward to getting better at sharing. My reviews are things and products that I enjoy not something I just parrot out because I’m paid to.

Recipes: Though I am not a food blogger I DO enjoy making up and discovering new recipes. I’m not going to try to sell you on anything but I will do my best to get you to try new things and introduce you to other amazing food bloggers that inspire me.

Social Media: I’m not a guru nor do I claim to be. I like sharing resources and tools so folks can help them selves. If there is a person snagging photos from Pinterest and uploading them with “image source Pinterest” or otherwise behaving badly –  yeah, I’m going to have an opinion and probably share the hell out it.

 

Why do you write what you do?

I write about what catches my eye or inspires me. I wasn’t kidding when I said I had 99 drafts. I have material to publish – I’m just not sure if that’s what I want to share. I’m changing so what I want to share is changing. Right now I’m writing about DIYs, Reviews, Recipes or Social Media – in 5 years that may change. I hope folks will know that when they come here they can grow with me.

 

How does your writing process work?

Is this a trick question?

In a perfect world I wake up refreshed and ready to write. In reality, I wake up tired and questioning how I am choosing to spend my time and when I’m 80 will I really regret not spending more time on Facebook.

All kidding aside – usually if I have an idea for a blog post I write it down. As fast as I can! Don’t ever let a good idea slip by because you didn’t take the time to write it down! I keep note cards with me at all times and I use the WordPress App to upload images and save drafts. I never know when I’ll be inspired or by what. Sometimes the general idea comes first and sometimes the title. I also have two boxes full of ideas and DIYs in various stages of completion so technically I should not be wanting for any ideas. I call it composing ideas. That great idea may need to marinate a little bit. Digging through that box is great fun. It helps me remember that it’s okay to take a break sometimes.