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Life of a Blogger
There’s a lot of time and energy that goes into this thing called blogging. To even be able to run a decent website, you gotta be passionate and diligent about it. If it isn’t a full-time job, it needs to be one of your favorite hobbies. I’ve been doing this for nearly 10 months now. I remember when I was writin’ posts on Myspace and gettin’ happy when 10 people viewed it per day. Couldn’t tell if it was an ex stalking my posts 10 times, or if it was 10 individuals who returned regularly. I wrote cuz I enjoyed writing. I got a fair share of criticism and a good amount of laughter. In my mind, I was breaking even and that was fine. Once I realized Myspace blogging was more restricting than skinny jeans, I decided to start my first blog.
Wait, More Restrictive Slim?
Yes. More restrictive. There weren’t all these features that you see on each side of the page. There was no cool lay out. There was no option to subscibe so posts could get delivered to your email. On top of all this, people could see my face. When you got a full-time job and people can see that you’re the person writing freely about whatever whenever, there’s a certain level of risk involved. I couldn’t say what I wanted to say or joke how I wanted to joke. There was always an element of “what if” lurkin’ in the back of my mind. I couldn’t enjoy my hobby to the fullest. What kinda of relaxation and leisure activity is that?
The Grind
Nowadays I’m putting in probably 15-20 hours a week, and I’m not even postin’ everyday. Between the behind the scenes administration, responding to comments, keeping the readers engaged, the post writing here, and my writings over at Single Black Male; I really sometimes feel like an underground artist grindin’ to get his name out and fightin’ to keep his movement moving. At this point, writing is my gift and my curse. Everyday I’m becoming more and more involved with it. My accountability and responsibility to myself and this website to continue pushing forward increases as the number of people tuning in continues to grow (Somewhere between 250 and 300 people daily). I don’t get paid for this. I’m just a man pursuing a hobby, which became a passion, which became an unpaid part-time job. And honestly, I’m okay with that. I know that if I stop, my life will change dramatically and not necessarily in a good way.
For those of you that write and run websites, you understand what I’m sayin’. For those of you that don’t, make sure you leave comments on your favorite sites and let the writers/admins know you’re there. Even if they don’t respond, it let’s them know that you do appreciate the time and energy they’re putting in to provide a fresh perspective to the world. I know I’ll be commenting on a few sites today myself.
Can’t Stop Won’t Stop,
RSS & Twitter
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I appreciate folks like you. You give me something to do through a ruff work day and a much needed laugh. My blog isn’t the type that’s easy to comment on since it’s mostly personal and I don’t promote it but I get hella excited when I do get a comment. Keep doing what you do!
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I love this site. Like Reign said, it gives me a much needed laugh at work as well as others’ insight onto things/issues that occur to all of us. Please continue to do great things. All 3 of y’all!
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 9:15 am
Thanks for the love!
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I agree.
May I add, having a team behind your blog makes blogging soo much easier.
If it weren’t for blogging, I wouldn’t have met so many amazing people from all parts of the states (and outside too!)
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Slim Jackson Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 10:12 am
A team definitely simplifies things. Gotta have the right mix though!
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:45 am
Exactly! Otherwise it will turn out like Kool Aid and Salt
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 9:15 am
::scrunching up my face::
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If it wasnt for blogging, i would have never met my e-boo……
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 11:45 am
Is that me? :p
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Hmmmm Thanks for this blog. You know that I know that you know that we all know that this is seriously a full-time hobby. It takes some hardcore grind!
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I run 3 blogs. My own (Awesomelyluvvie.com), my group blog with my hilarious friends: (igville.com), and the one for The Red Pump Project. I have at least 3 posts a week on AwesomelyLuvvie and the rest are more sporadic, but best believe that it’s because of blogging that I get no more than 5 hours of sleep a night. It’s become a passion, hobby, and networking tool for me like i never thought it would.
But yeah, it takes up at LEAST 10 hours of my week. I tripped and fell and became a writer.
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You guys have done an exceptional job with this site, and I am tres proud of mi tres compadres. I ain’t no blogger, but I show’l do preciate what y’all do. I’m always here, and if I don’t comment, I’m definitely lurkin. Youuuuuuuuuu
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I appreciate what you guys do takes major dedication! I started a blog on livejournal and xanga been on and off for five years. I’m too consistently inconsistent to actually stay at it enough to gain a solid readership.
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i know when i sit in the lab and i have a lot of down time between experiments so reading blogs like this and occasionall updating my own helps pass the time. i try to leave comments whenever i feel it passionate (and even when i don’t) about a subject. keep up the good work, good job.
wait. you don’t get paid for this? your site doesn’t have something like adsense for google?
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Slim Jackson Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:51 pm
We don’t flood the site with ads cuz we don’t wanna affect the reader experience. Therefore, we ain’t gettin ad clicks like that and the revenue from it might as well be nil.lol.
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Hey Slim,
Just sliding over to give mad love to this blog. You, along with Tiff and Seattle are a lovely threesome (I said are not had) that keep me laughing and thinking, sometimes simultaneously. Keep up the great work, ya’ll!
Also, I think it is important to note that this blog is my first stop in the morning blog drive-by. Yes, ya’ll have a bit of a hold over me.
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Sowhatiff Jenkins Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 9:18 am
If I wasn’t milk chocolate (read: dark skinned) I’d be blushing.
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Slim Jackson Reply:
April 5th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I see you Tiff…I see you.lol.
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I haven’t been up to date with this blog in some time but I definitely enjoy your writing even if I do disagree with you viewpoints ever now and again. But hey, challenges produce personal growth. Thanks for all the time and work you put into these blogs!
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Slim Jackson Reply:
April 3rd, 2009 at 9:53 pm
Thanks for coming back by to leave a comment! I like when people disagree. It keeps things interesting.lol.
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I would like to say that I had stumbled across this site through facebook and haven’t stop reading it ever since. I don’t have a blog but enjoy reading and maybe commenting every now and then. Love Love Love this site so y’all keep doing what you do!
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Y’all’s commitment to this blog continually amaaaazes me! I love it! Keeps me seemingly laughing @ the professors during my physiology or anatomy lectures, having mad people turning around to give me ill grills all the time. & the fact that u have engaged so many people in your writings is inspiring, so keep.it.up!!!
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As a new blogger I totally feel you Slim! It is a lot of work…so much that I’ve been passing out on my couch early every night for the past 2 weeks.
I want to thank all of you @ 3ways for inspiring & motivating me to branch out and do my thing…As a result of breaking out and pursuing writing a lot more seriouly I am no longer suicidal & I actually have a few paid projects lined up…so thank you guys for the push!!
I will continue to support 3Ways to the fullest and have even subscribed ppl by e-mail without their authorization??!!
…..back to my couch
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Thanks to the folks who dropped by to leave some love on this post. Saw some folks come out the wood works that I haven’t seen in the mix in a while. Yeahhh!
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The support we get from our readers is truly dope boy fresh (read humbling). Like Slim said, its a lot of work but the pay out well worth it. It was all a dream…we used to read other blogs, and had our own little sites, and created something that has only gotten better with time. Like sex with a good listener and hard worker. Thank you all for the support!
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i dnt what to say
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