#MAYkingItWork: If You’re Not Having Fun, Then Why Are You Doing It?

/ Ally Bean

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Having fun? 

Thinking about my personal blog…

Wondering how it fits into my life. At this point.

Not daily, but at least weekly.

Ideas expressed. Information shared. Observations noted.

Adding value is fun.

Never mocking or mean.

Photos and images to add a cheerful vibe. Pretty.

Quirkiness a given.

Lest there be no fun. 

No ruts, please. Keep it varied. Can you say eclectic?

Do it or delete it. Do it or delete it. Do it or delete it.

[The academic ‘publish or perish’ concept adapted to the personal blogosphere.]

Kindred spirits are fun.

Looking for people who are curious and thought-filled. Creative. Sincere.

Well-developed sense of humor a plus.

No one self-absorbed &/or uptight need apply.

No fun there.

Follow me. Follow me. Follow me.

Welcome. Nice to meet you.

Comment when you got ’em. I’ll do the same thing for you.

And please, for the love of all that is good, remember to have fun.  

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H/T to #MAYkingItWork hosted by Isa-Lee Wolf  and David.  Read about it here.

#MAYkingItWork is a commitment to making something come to fruition in May by finishing a writing/blogging project/post that you’ve let slide/been thinking about.

And lately, my gentle readers, I’ve been thinking about the effort I put into keeping this blog and what makes it worthwhile for me.  In a nutshell, I blog because it’s fun.

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How about you? Why do you Keep a blog? Why do you read someone else’s blog?

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80 thoughts on “#MAYkingItWork: If You’re Not Having Fun, Then Why Are You Doing It?”

  1. I enjoy different aspects of it at different times. Sometimes I enjoy the writing (most times) but not always. Sometimes it’s a drag. But I always love the conversation in the comments. I love getting to know people from a distance. I love that it keeps my mind cranking. I’m always looking at things and saying, “is this a blog post?” When it’s all a drag, I’ll quit but not anytime soon. Hope you don’t either.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Kate, I know what you mean about the writing. I look at all experiences as a potential blog post. I tell people that I like to keep a blog because it keeps my brain clicking and my heart open, but some days when my brain doesn’t feel like clicking, I don’t enjoy writing. However, overall it’s fun for me to do this.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I always feel that I will keep blogging until I don’t get more out of it than I put into it, if that makes sense. I read the blogs that interest me. I’m more apt to read the blog of people who read mine and comment on mine, feels more like developing a virtual friendship then in some ways

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    • teacherturnedmommy, I know what you mean. There are limits to how much time I can [or will] put into maintaining a personal blog. I read blogs that interest me, and often reach out to different bloggers who I think might be kindred spirits. However, that effort is kind of a crap shoot. Everyone blogs for different reasons, I suppose– and not everyone is friendly.

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  4. I’m very glad that it’s still fun Ally Bean, would hate to see you end this blog.
    As to my intent, I’ve thought seriously along the lines of “why bother” but some need keeps me from hitting delete to the entire thing. I think Connection defines it. If I didn’t blog on occasion then I don’t know if I would be motivated to stick around WordPress at all…until I realize that I would be missing the words of some wonderful people who would slide right out of my life. That would not be fun.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Deb, I understand the “why bother” question? I’ve faced it down many times. I agree with you in that if I didn’t keep this blog going, I’d walk away from too many interesting/encouraging people who I’ve met via blogging. And that would be a bummer. I’m glad that you keep deciding to keep going with your blog, btw.

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I love blogging. I’m thrilled to find others who are blogging tidbits of their lives in a funny way and/or treating their readers to interesting insights, poetry, photos, recipes, etc. It’s the best part of the internet imo.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Paula, I agree with you 100%. Blogging is the best part of the internet. I feel fortunate to have gotten to know so many different people who I would have never met before the www. I am a better person because of these people, no doubt.

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  6. I liked the poetry style of this post. And the introspection. And the oblique Phil Collins reference.

    I’ve definitely had stretches where I can’t think of a thing I want to say. The best part of a blog is that it’s entirely yours, so you can do with those stretches whatever you want. At this point, though, I’d swear 90% of writing is ennui about writing.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Isa-Lee, I like ennui. It’s a marvelous theoretical underpinning to that which you write about. Everyone can relate.

      I agree that doing your own thing on your blog is what helps make it fun for me. I enjoy the comments, oh yes I do– but writing and sharing in my own way is what floats my boat.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Donna, I imagine that everyone writes a blog for many reasons– not just one. But lately I’ve been thinking about the “why the heck I’m doing this?” question, and my answer turned out to be: TO HAVE FUN! So I think I will.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Fabulous!! If everyone could approach their lives with this in mind, what a wonderful world this would be (as the song goes). Thanks Ms. Bean.

    Liked by 1 person

  9. Well, you know I have such a serious, stuffy, uptight blog that only concentrates on extremely boring and tedious observations and information…. so I’m not sure I’m going to be able to squeeze any of this “fun” you talk about into my routine. Heaven forbid I would engage in such frivolous behavior…. or even worse, dabble into the loathsome world of sarcasm!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Yes, evil, you are one uptight, self-absorbed dude– NOT! I’ve never said to myself: “golly jeepers, I do hope that evilsquirrel13 can get over his angsty take on life and learn to just be himself.” [I have, however, said that about a few other bloggers along the way. 🙄]

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  10. I’m in That Place right now. I’ve had my blog since 2005, and recently, I’ve started wondering if it’s time to give it up. I’m not sure it’s adding the same value to my life that it used to. To that end, I’m taking a little hiatus right now (kind of inadvertently) to figure it out.

    You and I have the same philosophy about bloggers and commenting. It’s tough for me to continue to comment on blogs when the writer doesn’t respond to the comments. I’ll never understand that; why bother to encourage comments if you don’t want to engage the reader in a forum that makes it possible? That’s the best part!

    And I think that’s what I miss about my Old Blogging Life–lots of my formerly Regular Commenters have disappeared. They are all on facebook where reading bits of blurbs and hitting “like” is faster and easier. Reading blogs on phones and tablets and then commenting is worky. It’s not about numbers for me; it’s about the chatting. So I have a little thinking to do.

    Liked by 2 people

    • nance, let me start off by saying that I’d miss you if you stopped blogging, BUT I GET WHAT YOU’RE SAYING.

      I don’t understand why people have comment sections on their blogs if they have no intention of engaging with their blog readers– or if they have no intention of encouraging all their commenters to get to know each other. It’s kind of weird; if you don’t want comments + connection, then shut down the comment section.

      [My guess is, and this is only a hunch, that some bloggers use FB as their preferred place to discuss what they write. Therefore if you or I are not part of their FB network, what we say is not relevant.]

      I, too, find that readers come and go quickly anymore. Back when we started you were a reader/friend for life, but that was before FB taught people to be less sincere and more shallow in their online communications. Today it’s all about the “likes” I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

      Liked by 1 person

    • Jill, I agree that I blog for the friendships and the conversations in which I learn oodles. I consider that fun. Twitter is becoming like FB. I mute more people anymore who are so self-promoting that I can’t enjoy the rest of what they have to say there. You have your priorities right, in my opinion.

      Liked by 1 person

  12. “Why am I doing this” is a question I ask myself most days. It’s that constant checking in that I’m spending my time doing what matters to me.
    This is a creative outlet for me – taking photographs, identifying a potential story, writing, commenting. I’m a person who spends a lot of time in my own head. Blogging gives it an outlet.
    … and for now it matters.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Joanne, I agree about the creative outlet aspect of blogging. That’s why I started my first one– just to see if I could do it, a challenge to myself. Like you I’m almost always in my own head, so blogging lets me focus elsewhere. Your last line sums it up: “… and for now it matters.”

      Liked by 2 people

    • Dan, I have to admit that I sometimes wonder why some people keep a blog. It seems to be a burden for them, but maybe that’s fun for them? All I know is that at this point in my life I like my fun to be thought-filled and creative in a way that connects with other thought-filled and creative people. That’s fun for me.

      Liked by 1 person

  14. First off, I’m so glad you are still blogging. I blog for fun. Here in blog-world, I live among my own. I love my relatives, friends, and neighbors, but very few are writers. It doesn’t matter if I never meet bloggers face to face, for we have strong bonds.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Anne, I’m glad that I’m still here blogging, but I admit that my original reason for writing this blog was not to have fun. It was more of an intellectual/navel-gazing pursuit that morphed into a creative/fun pursuit. I agree about no need to meet people face-to-face. It’s ideas that connect people in the blogosphere.

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I had a slight panic attack at first thinking that you were ending it all! Another blogger “friend” who I’ve been following since last year’s A to Z and who completed the A to Z challenge this year suddenly sent out a message saying she was no longer blogging and her website has been marked as private now. It makes me wonder if everything is okay. I want more information, you know? On the other hand, is it really any of my business? Most of my posts are the just for fun type. Occasionally I will try to direct people to my Etsy site or to a company I am affiliated with but I try not to be too much like a used car salesman or insurance broker. Would definitely miss you if you were gone.

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    • Janet, no, I’m sticking around here for a while longer. I haven’t been thinking about leaving the blogosphere, I’ve been thinking about how I’m going to fit this writing gig into my real life without it taking over my real life… like it has been this past half a year. [Make sense?]

      How intriguing and peculiar that a blogger friend went private without so much as a word of explanation. I’d be curious, too. Although once upon a time I knew a blogger who did that because family members had found her blog and were mad at her for what she’d said. Things like that happen, you know?

      Liked by 1 person

  16. Blogging for me isn’t always fun, but it’s like a need to write out my thoughts and feelings. It helps me organize and process events in my life. Cheap therapy, I guess.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Margaret, interesting reason for keeping a blog. I process behind the scenes, then try to turn my life into funny. Or insightful, I guess. Or informative. In fact, come to think of it, I’d like to do more “reports” on topics of interest to me. 🤔

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  17. Great minds think alike!

    I did a blog post awhile back (7 or so years ago). In it, among other things, I focused on the FUN aspect of blogging:

    If you blog to CONNECT with others, to expand your horizons, or to exchange ideas, have FUN! Enjoy the journey . . . within whatever time parameters you choose or have available.

    I ended the post on a fun note as well:

    Regardless of our exact motivation(s) for blogging, we probably enjoy writing as a creative outlet, at least some of the time, or we would find some other way to share, create, explore, dream, discover, and spend time.

    The goal behind all goals . . . happiness. (Or so says the Dalai Lama. And I agree with him.)
    That’s my goal for blogging . . . to enjoy the journey and see where it leads.

    After all, if it’s not fun, why write? 😀

    Liked by 2 people

  18. nancy, well there you have it! The Dalai Lama’s approval. I could hope for nothing more. 😊

    I agree with all you’ve said, of course. I started my first blog as a personal challenge to see if I could figure out how to keep one. But over the years, as I’ve grown as a person and as I’ve changed up my blogs along the way, I’ve come to believe that the best connections happen in the blogosphere because of shared fun [happiness].

    Not that all of life is puppy dog tails and rainbows, but even writing about the less than parts of life can be fun [of value?]… in its own way. Like you said: enjoy the journey and see where it leads.

    And right now for me it leads to here.

    Liked by 2 people

  19. I prefer to read posts that are honest and to the point. I believe that blogging (even if it’s just once a week) strengthens a writer’s ability to communicate. Sometimes it’s not fun but it is satisfying.

    Liked by 2 people

    • JT Twissel, I’m with you. Too much cleverness for the sake of proving you’re clever obfuscates, while getting to the point demonstrates honesty. I won’t go so far as to say that writing for me is always fun, but it’s a process that gets me to the fun part. And when it comes to personal blogging… girls just wanna have fun! 🎶

      Liked by 4 people

  20. Please DO NOT frighten me like that again! I totally thought you were leaving. Then I would be sad, and I didn’t want to be sad, because I’m having a really happy day. 🙂

    I remember back in the day, when I first started blogging in the early aughts, it was as you speak — a place for connection. It still is, just not nearly as much as back then.

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    • Tara, an astute [happy] observation. There is still the possibility of connection, you just have to work harder to make it happen. So many other social media out there to distract from the best one, blogging!

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  21. I blog for a variety of reasons. It’s fun… most of the time. The more I write, the more I write. That’s important. It keeps the writing brain on the track. I enjoy engaging with others. I read other blogs: 1) We have things in common, which I enjoy. 2) We have nothing in common, and I’m learning a new POV. 3) To learn new things. I’m going to stop now. LOL

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  22. When there are only so many hours in the day, our hobbies and pastimes need to be fun. Life is too short to do otherwise. Glad you’re still having a good time blogging, because we enjoy reading it!

    Liked by 3 people

  23. I’m happy to know that you’ll be around for a while! I was a little worried at the beginning of your post that this might be a “goodbye” message. I think we all can feel a little overwhelmed now and then, but – at least for me – it’s the connections we all have made… I can’t imagine letting go of those. I will make a few comments on a new blog if it looks interesting but if they don’t respond I’m out of there. I do this for fun and because I love the community that we’ve created.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Janis, I like the community, too. In fact that’s the only thing that has kept me doing this for so long. I like writing and I like being creative, but without the conversations that happen as a result of my posts I’d be bored with blogging. Plus, like you said, getting to know other people around the world is enlightening and worth the effort to do so. It’s fun, dammit.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Akilah, I like your reason. I’m somewhat the same way. I enjoy tweeting, but many of my experiences + thoughts don’t lend themselves to so few characters. Enter, my blog.

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        • A time and place for everything! I enjoy reading blog posts more and more the older I get. I don’t know if it’s that I have more patience or curiosity, but people do write about the darnedest things. 😉

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  25. Post perfectly said.
    Comments perfect in reply.
    Fun or shrug why
    Write on and smiles fly.
    Blogging and the community are a challenge, but so enjoyable – the trick is finding time so neither life nor blogging obscures the other. (and it’s been a little difficult for me to hit self imposed deadlines as much as I used to…but with the terrible heat and humidity settling in now, my outdoor time is coming to an end – which will me more indoor time to fill…no. I am not doing more cleaning of house…)
    Paw waves and cheers to ya’

    Liked by 2 people

    • philmouse, thank you. I wanted to jot my thoughts about my current expectations in regard to blogging. Like you said, it’s a challenge to keep real life and blog life in balance. Once the heat hits your area I look forward to more posts from you, and I wouldn’t worry about how clean your house is. We out here in the blogosphere will never be the wiser. 😊

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  26. I still do it because, yes, it is fun. It’s still fun to write and, through it, I have met some amazing people, virtually and in person. It’s an all other world that neatly fits into my world. You included.

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    • camparigirl, when I got thinking on it, I realized that if I stopped blogging I’d miss everyone who I’ve come to know via blogging. Plus it still is fun for me. I like your “it’s an all other world” idea. That sums up blogging perfectly.

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  27. I suppose I blog / follow for much the same reasons as you’ve stated, but I write mostly because it helps me organise my thoughts or lets me “stretch” mentally. Sometimes I’ll schedule posts for a few weeks at a time, so I can do other things without wondering if I need to force myself to sit down and publish something …but I usually get restless and write more anyway!

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    • Pistachios, I’ve never tried getting my act together and writing/planning posts ahead. That might be a way for me to have a bit more downtime whilst still maintaining a blog. Hmmm? Perhaps that’s a way in which I need to stretch! 😉

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      • I used to hit “publish” whenever I finished a post, but now if I’ve already got one posted for that week, I’ll try to schedule it ahead. Doesn’t always work out that way if a post has a feeling of urgency behind it e.g. if it’s about an event on a particular day. Hope it helps for you (if you get around to it) 😉

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  28. I was one of the one’s who started reading this thinking you were quitting blogging; Hey, don’t scare people like that!
    Seriously though it has to be fun, enriching, rewarding…and all of that can mean different things to different people.
    I’m having fun sharing and discovering with others on my once-a-week thing and with the current demands being made on my time that is as much as I can manage. Since going down to one post a week I miss the connections and interactions with others the most.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Norm, I’m sorry that my title got people worried. I never thought of it from that point of view– I was only writing the question I’d been asking myself. Still, thanks for your concern.

      I like your weekly thing, but I can understand how it could be limiting. I’m going to try to post at least twice a week, but with summer on the horizon… I could become a weekly blogger, too. For a while.

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  29. It IS fun 😀 Your posts are fun 😀 I read blogs that make me smile and laugh, or are helpful, or teach me stuffs. I’m persnickety, but open-minded.
    Also, please forgive me for being uptight 😉

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    • joey, I don’t think that you [or I] are uptight. I think that we’re discerning, displaying just the right amount of persnickety-ness, in an open-minded way, to make us fun-filled. And willing to keep blogs for that very reason. To have fun, in our own ways.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. I missed a week on my blog last week – I usually schedule posts but somehow – it didn’t happen. I’m forgiving myself though as I’ve been above-and-beyond busy. I have *much* to catch up on, which is why I’m here, frittering away my time, gaining enjoyment reading your blog.

    I hope if it never stops being fun, so that the rest of us always have somewhere to come to divert ourselves from our overflowing to-do lists/in boxes 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • deb, aren’t you sweet? Thanks for the compliment. Once I started thinking on the “why” of my personal blog, I decided that I no longer felt the need to keep a blog as a diary [pseudo memoir?].

      I also realized that I’ll never fit into any established blogging niche, so I might as well have fun here. Which I have been, more and more over the years, but I’ve never thought before this to put my point of view into a written manifesto– or whatever the heck this post is.

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  31. I think it’s useful to have these periodic “thinks” about why we do things, and reevaluate their meaning to us. I think it not only keeps things fresh – who wants to be doing things simply out of stale habit?! – but helps one see if intent and production are aligned.

    I’m whole-heartedly in favor of keeping your feet on the joy trail, and so blogging for fun gets a big thumbs up from me. And I’m certainly glad you’re doing it Ally! I blog for fun as well, but also because sometimes it feels like I have things to say and if I don’t get them out they somehow disappear. Sort of the use it or lose it principle. If I don’t blog regularly, I start to feel like there’s so much to talk about, I don’t actually know where to start, and then that shuts my energy down making it even harder to overcome.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I like your phrase about intent and production being in alignment. That’s exactly what I was musing upon when I wrote this. I plan on having fun here, but I don’t want to limit fun to silliness.

      I consider writing about things that happen in my life &/or research projects to be fun, in their own ways. Like you said: “sometimes it feels like I have things to say and if I don’t get them out they somehow disappear.” I’m the same way. Hence my eclectic approach to content creation, as they now call– writing.

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  32. I first started blogging (a different blog) as a form of therapy. But these days, I blog mostly because I enjoy it more so than because I need to. I love writing, and blogging is a great way to stay in practice, if nothing else!

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  33. FUN post, Ally. And also, now I know why I like the pansy so much (and why as a child, I chose Pansy as my name). I love to blog. I began because I was told that, as an author, I had to have a presence on social media. I had no idea what I was doing, and I began with two followers – myself and my nephew, who set up my blog. But within weeks, I began to read and follow other bloggers, and found out how much FUN it was: to read their fabulous creative writing; to learn about the lives of others from the U.S., Canada, Europe, South Africa, Australia and beyond. To tone up and tune up my own writing so others would enjoy it. And then, to find that I was making friends throughout the world. A win/win reason to blog.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Pam, you’ve summed up my experience with blogging, too. I knew no one who did this, started on my own, and soon came to realize how cool it is to meet people around the world via this social media. I’ve learned about other people and I’ve learned how to express myself along the way. Win-win it is.

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      • Total win. Blogging 100 Non-blogging 0. Despite the score, I don’t have any non-virtual friends who blog. Good news, many friends read my posts and send me an e-mail, saying something like “I didn’t know this about you.” (Bad news – sometimes they say that about one of my fiction flash fiction pieces – NOOOO, I say, that’s my character, not me – but I can’t convince them….) Other friends (who don’t read my blog) totally don’t get why I write one. Hey, that’s okay. My BLOGGING virtual on-line friends “get it.” xo

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  34. I like “old school” bloggers – people who share stories and snippets – penpals of the digital age. I blog when I can (which hasn’t even been monthly, lately) to send my own little message out into the world. I like keeping a record of the things going on in my life. I like when people have interesting things to say (I’ve learned a lot of my internet penpals) and it’s just…fun.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Kate, I’m definitely an “old school” blogger. I started blogging for kicks and have kept going because it’s fun to learn about other people and it’s fun to try to figure out how to engage with other people using snippets of my life as the catalyst. Taking a step back from blogging to write this post gave me the perspective I needed to realize that I am having fun… still.

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  35. Great post Ally Bean thanks! Blogging is … putting yourself out there in some way I guess. My SA friends don’t know that I blog – a few do, they may read it I don’t know but they don’t comment. It’s great to have a connection with people who I like in spite of never meeting them. Sometimes a laugh, sometimes cause for pause in the blogs I read.

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    • Susan, I’ve never denied keeping a blog, but I don’t lead with it when I meet people. If someone in real life is interested in following along on my blog I’m here, but blogging ain’t for everyone. And thank goodness, I say. Bloggers gotta blog, ‘ya know?

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