The Psychology of Blogging
Hi, it’s Aimee from Greeblemonkey. Izzy asked me to blogsit today while she is having way too much fun in Chi-Town. And while I am completely flattered, I was also at a bit of a loss for what to talk about. Then I figured most of you are bloggers and probably have the same problem sometimes. I started wondering about the whys, hows and whens of other bloggers habits. The inner Id.
Recently at a party, I was talking to a friend about my blog. A friend who has zero interest in blogging, and kinda thinks I am a wee bit nutters to put all the personal stuff I do out on the internet. I was trying to explain all the facets of blogging that fascinate me. There is so much.
Like how, seeing as I am a graphic designer and web developer, I am really into the design of a site. I can get turned on or off by the font. (Note from me to you, Helvetica/Arial was designed to be boring. Avoid it at all costs. Unless, of course, you are actually boring.) But my point being, the package of blogs attracts me just as much as the content. What makes you change your banner? How far do you like to go with your design?
And then there is the content. What makes you decide what to write about on any given day? How do you go about it?
Personally, I dream my posts. Literally, they come to me in my dreams. Kooky, I know. Don’t worry Izzy, I am not laying down stakes for the Church of Greeblemonkey… But almost every day, my last dream of the night will shape what I write about that day. (Since I have such nocturnal proclivities, the fact that my blog posts work themselves out in my dreams doesn’t actually surprise me all that much). And then I form the words in the shower, and get them into the computer over breakfast. I can’t tell you how many awesome words have been lost between the shampoo and cereal.
And then there are the readers, and interactions with readers. What makes you read? What brings you back?
It took me a while to turn on comments… mainly because my blog started out strictly as a way to document our lives, a way for me to remember Declan’s early years. But it became more than that, much more than that. The support and fun I have had on my blog and on friend’s blogs has built a sense of community. And events like BlogHer foster and proliferate that community.
So what if some people can’t quite get their heads around blogging. People didn’t get Freud back in the day either.
Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go take my second shower of the day so I can come up with a post for my own damn blog.
I find that people who don’t blog, just don’t “get” it.
As far as my banner, Izzy did mine so OBVIOUSLY I love it with all my heart and want to marry it. I’d probably change it regularly if I had the faintest clue about how to do so. But since I’m going to marry my current banner, I’ll keep it around for awhile!
I obsess about my posts, so they come to me in dreams or while nursing in the middle of the night. They are usually exponentially more hilarious at 2:30 am than they are the next morning.
Great topic, Aimee! I could talk about blogging and the whys and hows and psychology behind blogging ALL DAY LONG.
Good post! You might enjoy This post of mine.
Love this topic.
So the other night, I dreamed that you were married to Danny over at Dad Gone Mad and he was kind of giving me a hard time because apparently, I should have know that. I said, “Wait..so Aimee is hot wife? I thought her name was Beth. Well, who’s Declan’s mum, then?”
I had read both of you before going to sleep that night. How’s that for weird!
I wonder what Freud would say…
I was very confused.
I love your typo there. \”hot wife\” I\’m not but I will take it!
I would like to take this opportunity to apologize for my utter lack of creativity. I need a banner… ack.
hmmm…too much to think about on a friday…
i usually come up with what i’m going to write on my drive to work. it’s the 20 minutes of the day that are all mine. no one’s talking, screaming, whining. it’s where i do my best thinking.
and now that my brain is fried, i must go off and eat some chocolate and then i can come back and answer the rest
:)
You did NOT just call me boring!
;)
LOL
I just hard coded Arial in my template over Tahoma and Verdana. I adore Arial. And this isn’t a Disney Princess Mermaid Fetish. LOL
I’ll choose it often. I like the classics.
It’s so subjective. Busy blogs turn me off. It’s messy and confusing. I like my neat and tidy and clean blog. Other people don’t mind three columns and a lot going on. Like I said, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
It’s funny your friends are like that about blogging–mine too. With so many bloggers it amazes me I know none outside of ones I met online. LOL
Ali, are you still logged in as me?
True, design is very subjective! But it also has lots of rules too, unfortunately. Which makes things easier sometimes… Sometimes harder.
But that’s one of things I love about blogs too. Is that if you don’t care about design, you don’t have to worry about it.
And I don’t mean to imply that you don’t care about it, or that *your* blog doesn’t look nice, because it does. I just meant in general.
Again, it comes back to the psych of blogging. What parts are important to people and what parts are not.
And P.S. Don’t get me started on the limitations of web fonts, the way PCs see fonts, etc. ;) That’s a whole ‘nother post in of itself!
I think of my blogposts in the shower as well. :)
I just had this conversation last weekend. Here’s what I’ve come up with when my friend said she was “anti-blog”:
Ok, you read magazines, right? And you pick your magainzes based on your areas of interest, correct? And you have certain writers that you really like, or op-ed journalists, etc.? So, blogging is like having your favorite magazine with constantly updated articles from your favorite writers on topics that interest you. What’s not to “like?”
Good one!
LOVE this post!
I often come up with posts in the shower as well! It’s too bad it’s a little unsafe to bring my laptop in the shower with me.
he…my bad…i guess i was still logged in as you! oops.
‘lost between the shampoo and the cereal”……that was my favorite line. Having been a long time reader of schloobie…i mean greeblemonkey, I can only imagine what great ideas fell thru that crack especially since what does make it is very entertaining :)
Nice post. A bit weird on the dreaming thing but I totally love your pictures. :) I too will painstakingly pick a font for a project, although I think my blog is set for Arial.
I just have to shout out that Aimee is my IRL friend! We have gotten drunk at each other’s houses!
Ahem. I also wanted to say that if you are dreaming about blog posts instead of crazy scary stuff (and you are actually sleeping), then that in itself makes me happy - not worried.
And that I really hope we might collectively be able to entice you into attending BlogHer next year.
Nadine, I can’t wait until shower-safe laptops come out. I’ll be the first in line to get one!