Someone once told me: “I don’t have a blog because I’m not a show off”.
Quite a statement….so by default if you blog you’re a definitive show off.
Could this be a blogger hater? 🧐
Not sure she really understood what blogging was tbh. I know some people think it’s just posting things on social media in vain – they’re so off track.
Showing off? Maybe for some people – depends on your motivation, surely, as with all things!
Why do people blog – well lots of reasons, there is no ‘one’ reason for a start.
Sharing your own experiences can be a lovely way of re-living them and connecting with other interested readers in the process, exchanging thoughts and opinions on a shared topic of interest and potentially helping or inspiring another reader. That’s not showing off.
I’m often inspired, amused, informed and entertained by other people’s blogs (and on rare occasions, even my own 😝). I’ve learned a lot from the tips and insights bloggers share about all manner of things…and life!
If a blog is full of nothing but selfies and no other point or content, perhaps you could be forgiven for labelling it as mere self promotion and not much else, but honestly, how often do you come across blogs like that. They’re certainly not the rule.
I actually think it’s quite hard to show off on a blog (or any other platform) these days because so many people are posting similar things – the same travel destinations, the same fashion styles, the same popular talking points/topics, books, photographs….you name it. The nice thing is that there’s a lot to explore, and enough for most of us to find bloggers we enjoy reading and interacting with.
Sharing doesn’t necessarily equate with showing off – especially in this day and age where sharing online has become as much the norm as a quick gossip in the office kitchen.
Anyway, we shall blog on, regardless.
😊 Have a great week
Makayla
Great insight on blogging and posting. I often see people who pass judgment on bloggers start their own instagram pages for their hobbies and arts and don’t see my blog as being any different. It’s a great hobby and community to be apart of. Thanks for sharing! 🥰
seekingdivineperspective
It doesn’t hurt to check your motives on occasion, but what that person says sounds a lot like sour grapes to me. Perhaps the truth is, they don’t blog because they have nothing to say, or they lack the ability to express themselves, or they don’t have the discipline to write. So rather than appreciate those who can, they put them down. I should say, “ignore them,” but obviously they hit a nerve – look at the response to this post!
Cherryl
Good points, and I guess quite common behaviour – psychologically some people will always criticise/attack rather than admit their own lack in certain situations – not just in terms of blogging. Just hadn’t ever heard anyone say this about blogging before, it sounded so silly!! lol 🙄🙃
loujen haxm'Yor
I look at blogging as a sort of National Geographic magazine (as a kid I mostly looked at the really cool pictures.) But today I find that there are bloggers from everywhere in the world who Share Similar Genres of interests– my favorites being poetry and quotes, photography and art. Many of these same followers Help to Enhance my own ideas with respect to my writing and artwork, as well as Sharing where they live– especially when not necessarily in the famous big cities. It’s nice to know about different places and methods of creativity. Have a wonderful day, Cherryl.
Art
Cherryl
Hope you’re having a good week Loujen, I agree with you, we get a lot of enriching and inspiring content from bloggers, I just wish there was more time to indulge in it all 😊✨
equinoxio21
We shall, shan’t we?
Blogging definitely is not FB (which I practically dropped or IG, where I go once in a blue moon.
How have you been? I need to find a system to visit more often. Just don’t know how. I seem to have been swamped with red tape almost the entire year.
Happy New Year of the (water) tiger.
Cherryl
Happy New Year to you too, may it be a healthy and cheerful one✨ All is well thank you, and thanks for stopping by. Keeping up with blog posts can be an impossible task, especially if you follow a high number of blogs, I’m guilty as charged more often than not. WordPress ‘Lists’ can be helpful though – to categorise different bloggers for easier reference. Yes, FB and IG are a different things altogether…can’t really compare them to blogging, blogging is in a league of its own lol😊.
equinoxio21
And a nice league. I follow 300+ blogs. Crazy. If I visited 10 a day, which is difficult to do right, it’d take me a full month to visit them all…
Take care Cherryl. Spring is coming. 😉
Cherryl
Tave care too, and roll on spring 🐥🌼🌾🔆
Zanfers
I blog to create a writing habit. I often stop, give up on writing, now I am trying to write regular, shorter things so maybe next time I get inspiration for fiction, it will be easier to sit down on my ass and just write.
Otherwise I’m just having fun with it. It’s a hobby, distraction.
Cherryl
Yes, a hobby and a distraction that you can have fun with and no pressure, totally. I hope lots of writing inspiration comes your way this year✨ best wishes with that.🤗 💻
batik kusumasari
Not all bloggers writing things for “showing off”. Even though it is one of a platform for social media, blog is not an Instagram. Some people want to create art, like poems, some ppl create a diary, journey of their life, music lyrics, etc. Sharing and caring our creativity with other people doesn’t mean “showing off”. If it brings positivity to the world. Why not?
Cherryl
I couldn’t agree with you more 😊👍 thanks for reading Batik, why not indeed 👩🏽💻
sharonsiconictravelphotographyblog
Not into posting pictures of myself. I try to cover things that interest me and may be out of the ordinary. It is a good diversion.
Cherryl
You’re right, blogging really is a great diversion, a healthy and often helpful one too. 🤗 thanks for reading.
Nastasjialee
Loved this post! I inspire as a blogger myself and get inspiration from other bloggers , it’s nice to have people sharing things they like or enjoy.
Cherryl
I couldn’t agree more, thanks for reading, and happy blogging 🤗
aparna12
Wow. This is an amazing post. I think your take on blogging is awesome and perfect. Enjoyed reading it.
Cherryl
Thanks Aparna 💐✨
Sustain | sustain-blog.com
Thank you, Cherryl, for a wonderful post 😊
Officialmave
This is true I am a natural show off and if anything else, I am keeping a record of what I know while I know it (or think I do!)
Natasha
Well that’s one reason I’ve never heard about why people blog. Makes me wonder if the person tried before and it didn’t go as anticipated. But a strange perspective. Thank you for sharing this with us though. Have a good week!
Cherryl
Have a great week too Natasha, there are some pretty inaccurate stereotypes out there, that was the first time I’d heard that too 😊✨
Louise H
Great post, for me blogging is a way to find like-minded people that I would never meet up with in real life – mainly because they live absolutely nowhere near me! I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on this and totally agree.
Cherryl
💫💛
kagould17
Showoff, sure. How about, “If you are a blogger, you like to share.” ? Readers can choose to accept, ignore or repudiate the gift, but, at least a blogger puts it out in the open. Thanks for the thoughtful post. Allan
Cherryl
Absolutely Allan, sharing is caring, take it or leave it, like anything else people do (on or offline), and for some bloggers it takes a lot of courage to share some of their artistry, personal thoughts and experiences, so we’re definitely not just a bunch of show-offs. Thanks for reading and flying the bloggers flag 🤗
Karima Hoisan
Wonderful post…your title caught me right away:) I blog because I am a poet. I have been writing all my life and by blogging, I can find a whole community of poets to share with..It’s been an amazing experience these last almost 12 years.
Cherryl
Lovely to hear this Karima, and testament to how meaningful blogging and blogging communities are. 12 years, that’s fabulous 💫
Maryanne
I don’t know why people are so hard on writers. They call us narcissists when we write, but at the same token they will worship musicians who promote their work.
It makes no sense and I can’t figure it out. But keep writing. It’s something you’ll never regret. Writing a blog is a beautiful way of self-expression (and can even lead to work as a writer!) It’s also a great diary, to remember what you’ve done and to see how far you’ve come. It’s also a way to expose yourself to other writers.
I’ve been blogging on WordPress since 2012 and it’s one of the safer places on the internet. 🙂
Cherryl
You’re so right, and wow you’ve been blogging long enough to have really seen the difference between WordPress and other platforms. WordPress doesn’t seem to have any serious competition really, it’s the only serious blogging community I know of – I hope it grows bigger and stronger 😊💫
Rebecca Cuningham
Thank you, Cherryl for writing about this topic. I hadn’t heard this perspective and it explains why my relatives turn away in disgust when I mention a post without even looking at my blog! 95% of the people who read my blog regularly are people I’ve never met. So glad to know you and all my blogger friends out there!
Cherryl
It’s weird isn’t it, that people we are close to are not (at least not openly) curious to see what we are sharing and using it as a way to appreciate our interests and maybe even learn a bit more about us. That irrational dismissal or willful ‘ignoring’ says a lot.
Thank goodness for like minded people and the blogging community – I’m glad to know you too Rebecca, thanks for connecting on this 😊💫 I’m sure many other bloggers feel the same.
Rebecca Cuningham
Thanks for this discussion, Cherryl!
glendabjack
I like writing and I wish I had more time to do it.
I’m in my 5th year of blogging. I have a travel blog and I started mainly to curate and memorialize my travel adventures in a more organized manner.
I love revisiting my blog posts and if I inspire someone in the process then great. Certainly 2020 did a number on a lot of travel bloggers who had monetized their platform before that. That’s when you know who is true to their “passion”. I stuck with it and became a tourist where I live.
Another thing was that I was tired of seeing a certain type of traveler on social media. It could make you feel if you’re not glamorous and young you shouldn’t be sharing your experiences. I want to show that no matter your age, race, gender, relationship status you shouldn’t exclude yourself. Sharing is loving 🥰
Cherryl
Hi Glenda, I’m glad 2020 didn’t throw you off your passion or turn you away from blogging, you’ve adapted instead. 🤗👍 I think the more diverse and unique examples of travel we see on platforms the better, it can certainly get a bit monotone seeing and hearing the same predictable formats again and again – the ‘official’ travel guide books and sites do that well enough already 😁
I’m grateful that people (including bloggers) are not afraid to showcase and share online otherwise I’d have missed out on a lot of inspiration, laughs and useful info, it’s all very much welcome.
Keep sharing and have lots of lovely local adventures this year 🥰💫
glendabjack
Thanks for your uplifting words and for reading.
William Connors
And one of the best ways to improve your writing is to write. Good writing skills are an asset in sundry professions, and practice makes perfect (or least something akin to that).
Cherryl
True, good advice William, thanks 👍✨💫
Anita
I blog because it’s my veritable passion. I enjoy writing.
Cherryl
So glad to hear this, keep sharing your passion and happy blogging Anita 🤗
Raksha Mitruka
I blog to share my experience and learn from other’s experiences. Its always lovely to interact with experienced people 😊
Its just a matter of perception , a few people see other green plants as weed 🤷🏻♀️
Cherryl
Perceptions, values – we all differ on them don’t we, unfortunately, sometimes due to ignorance✨ Happy blogging Raksha 😊
Raksha Mitruka
Thats true !!
Got your point 👌
Stuart Danker
I think the person you’re talking about probably thinks of bloggers as influencers, like Perez Hilton. Which couldn’t be farther from the truth, lol. Thanks for upholding the blogger identity!
Cherryl
Lol, yes – maybe 🙂 the terms are easily thrown atanyonee who seems to be presenting something online.
OriginalTeenMuslimah
It’s those people who’ve never actually SEEN a true blog themselves that make weird statements like that 😂
Cherryl
Yes, they have their own ideas about what they think blogging is! 🙄
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William Connors
I started my blog, because we had taken many trips with our daughter when she was very young and she couldn’t remember much of what we did. Then I thought some people might be interested in traveling to the same places and get some information, especially about traveling with a young child. I had often met people who wished they could travel, but said they could not do it because they had kids, so I wanted to show that is was possible. And then I reestablished contact with an old friend, since she had found my blog by chance. Finally, I enjoy looking at old and new photos and reminiscing about past endeavors. Show off? To whom? Few people read or care about my blogs; they are more for me, friends, family and anyone else interested.
Cherryl
Your journey into blogging is a lovely one, and I’m sure many have appreciated it.🤗 I have always included blogs as part of my research before travelling anywhere, and it’s handy to be able to ask questions to someone who’s been there. I felt the comment “I don’t have a blog because I’m not a show off” was a rather snooty one.
kimvannie876
It all depends on who is blogging and why they blog, so it might be true in some cases while not true in others. Regardless of this people consume different blog/vlog content and it allows an outlet for some, people are encouraged, motivated and many other positives from posts. The speakers sounds a envious.
Cherryl
I’m with you, I think on the whole, most bloggers are just enjoying having an outlet, absorbing from others and the interaction it brings.😊🔆
Leela Gopinath
Well, let me tell you Cherryl, though no one has told me so in as many words, there are a few people who think its show off. I noticed it when I started blogging. But just like in all other social media platforms, you have people of different kinds. There are people who read the blogs and pretend not to read them too!!….what goes on in their minds is difficult to understand….So just let them be….good luck to everyone who thinks bloggers are showoffs…
I have found it a great way to express myself and most of all keep my vocabulary and English skills from rusting….especially when you are retired from your profession . The follower counts do not matter….I do it for myself and that’s it!!!
Cherryl
Thanks Leela, you make some great points and I agree “There are people who read the blogs and pretend not to read them too!!….what goes on in their minds is difficult to understand” they’re like phantom followers who don’t want you to know they watch your content online….weird and creepy. I know a few that do that because they’ve let little coincidental clues slip during conversation.
Like you I do it for me and if it amuses or helps even one reader in some way then that’s all the better 🤗 Lol, some accounts I’ve seen with sky high follower counts are not particularly interesting to me so I’m not really influenced much on that basis.😊
fauxcroft
Blogging is about writing and the more you do it and read others work, the more you grow and develop and become better. That’s not showing off, that is learning and transforming, whilst also spreading, love, positivity and tolerance as well as understanding towards others. 🙏Faux
Cherryl
I couldn’t agree more, blogging is wellbeing enhancing to both the blogger and the reader in so many ways.🔆🤗💻
Shanti
I blog mainly because I feel lost when I don’t. Love how it connects me to other writers – our little tribe on the internet. It’s my therapy and I love this post Cheryl and all the comments. Following your blog to read more now.
Cherryl
Thank you Shanti, glad you liked this post. Lovely to hear your reasons for blogging – keep it up 🤗✨
Kym Gordon Moore
Cherryl, I want to say “for real?” 🤔 Yep, I think that particular individual who made this comment either just didn’t get it or they simply did not do their research into the amount of work that goes into this channel of social media communication. Like you, I have learned so much from so many people, whether I am connected to them or not.
Your narrative is spot on and if you’re showing off 😜 I’d say go for it, because I certainly am! LOL 🤣😆😂 Big hugs and smooches girlfriend! Keep doing what you’re doing! 👏🏼
Cherryl
Lol, yes if anyone ‘is’ showing off, well good for them, it’s not what you do but how you do it I guess! Sending hugs back at ya’ – and keep doing what you’re doing on your blog too Kym.🤗👌💛
Kym Gordon Moore
I truly appreciate you Cherryl. I urge you to continue on your mission as well my dear. Don’t allow anyone to block your blessings, and stay strong. Here’s to a FANtabulous week! 🤗💝😘🥂🌞
Cherryl
Right back at ya’ Kym, stay blessed💫😘
Enviroart
We’ll said Cherryl, I too have learned a lot from other bloggers and have been entertained,mit has nothing to do with showing off 😊
Cherryl
Glad to hear that, thanks for sharing✨😊
francisallcorn
Interesting topic. Why do we blog and there is no single answer? I know my reason and it is very simple. I like to write but lack the talent to think up plots so instead blog about my everyday life. It keeps my mind active, and goodness knows, it needs it as I grow older. I write for myself and share with others who have the choice of reading my stuff or not.
Cherryl
You’re so right, it definitely keeps the mind active (at any age really😊) and readers can take it or leave it, no harm in that. Thanks for sharing✨
Leigh Roberson
Very interesting post! I’ve never thought of my blog as showing off. In fact, I don’t promote it to my friends – they know all my stories anyway! LOL I blog because I enjoy it and I purpose to present positive, encouraging and even funny stories about life, my life. “Haters” gonna hate I suppose! Best Wishes! Leigh
Cherryl
So glad to hear your response Leigh, and it’s true about haters! Happy blogging and best wishes to you 🤗
pvcann
sounds like someone who is jealous or just jaundiced.
Chris Adedoyin
I blog and I blog to make contributions on the lives of people. That is not show off. I believe it all depends on our motives.
Cherryl
Absolutely agree✨
KEVIN FOODIE
The title of this blog sounds like a controversial statement, but may hold some truth. Blogging is alot of work. “Show off” can be both a negative and positive term depending on how it’s context.
As you said it’s hard for bloggers to showoff nowadays because the community is pretty much blogging on the same wavelength. However, I observe that some bloggers believe that they are better than others because they have more visitors or followers.
veenafuna
Now i feel like paying you a visit.
Cherryl
I guess an obsession with follower counts will always preoccupy to some people 📊
veenafuna
here for the comments and loving it, my reasons why…
My Life in Our Father's World
I blog because God told me to. I pray that everything I publish will help others in some way. 🙏
Cherryl
Fabulous, God bless x💫
Gospelroad#66
I don’t blog to show off, I blog to share important messages on a platform that’s a great advocate for free speech. I’m no where near good enough at writing to show off anyway 😅 I have so much to learn.
Cherryl
Lol I’m always learning too, and yes thankfully blogging is a great way to self-express and share info freely🤗
Kate Duff
I blog because I enjoy writing so much and following other writers and poets. I have never even thought about a blog as a means for “showing off” because I found it so difficult to share my writing when I first began and gradually grew with confidence. I can honestly say my blog has changed my life. I don’t think people who don’t blog can really comment on people who do because they have no idea what it’s like. Blogging is more like a conversation with like minded people – and no one would partake in a conversation for very long with a show off 😊
Cherryl
You make some good points Kate, very true, and blogging is often a progressive journey for many of us, finding our confidence over time, like you reflected – and still wondering if we’re doing it right despite how long we’ve been blogging! 😊 Thanks for sharing this✨
Kate Duff
A pleasure, thanks for reading Cherryl 😊
fauxcroft
Maybe bloggers do it to convey a message, inspire, motivate and share positivity. I know that’s my aim. 🙏Faux
NattyTravels
How bizarre! I think it comes from a lack of understanding of what blogging is and why people do it. I think people are always sceptical of things they don’t understand. X
Cherryl
Very true indeed, it’s easier to criticise things we don’t understand 😊 thanks for checking-in✨
Raksha Mitruka
That’s so true !
Cherryl
Yes, I think that’s the impression most of us tend to get, thankfully 😊💫