Saturday, February 19, 2011

blog love-hate


My Mother always told me there would be days like this.
Some days you love and others you hate
Breaks are good. Getting away is good.

Time out for a little blog love-hate list.

Love that blogging is a virtual escape from reality time.
Hate it that it can be a time drain from reality and really doing what (I) should be doing.

Love reading all your comments.
Hate not leaving a comment for each and every one I get. I am like that.

Love getting more work from my blog to create more art.
Hate not being able to say no when I already have a waiting list of work to be done.

Love my blog time.
Hate that blogging takes time. Now do you understand my blog love-hate?

Love taking blog breaks.
Hate it when I take a break, that I might be missing so many fab blog posts.

Love the challenge blogging adds to my day.
Hate that I feel like I am so technically challenged blogging.

Love that blogging has no generation gap.
Hate that I feel old compared some new sparkly blogs.

Love seeing so many pretty images that inspire me.
Hate that I obsess over posting those same images that inspire so many.

Love when I win blog give-away schwag.
Hate when I don't win blog give-away schwag.

Love feeling up-to-date and in the know.
Hate feeling out-of-date or in the dark.

Love knowing that blogs share real issues too.
Hate knowing that some real issues will always be part of life, no matter what.

Tell me is it me, or do you have a blog love-hate relationship?
Care to join me in a little blog love-hate list?

Do you have blog love-hate?

How much time do you spend blogging every week?
Go ahead and leave a comment.
I am taking a wee blog break.

Back with some more "pve" to love soon!

29 comments:

Anna White said...

I think I said the word AMEN after ever line you wrote...certainly know where you are coming from...actually wrote a post about this very topic on my other blog..Me,Myself and I if you would like to have a read? I think its all pretty healthy to feel these certain feelings...and as I wrote in my post..I think its all about balance..and sometimes a break is good. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and honesty..thats what I LOVE about blogging ; ) x

Ann said...

Totally understand and have taken a few blog breaks myself. The dedication to our blogs takes a tremendous amount of time, of which sometimes I don't have!

Enjoy the break- it'll feel great!

Susan McClaskey said...

I am SO there. I don't even try to post everyday, but I find I'm always thinking about what I'll post next--unually I don't have a clue! I sometimes go for a couple of days without reading any blogs, then feel I've missed so much. Love your little cartoon--maybe you should give us all permission to use it on those days we just can't post...it could become the universal blogger's sign that "I'll be back sometime later..."

KELLY MARKET said...

I'm totally with you! I push myself through the days when I'm not feeling it and luckily since I haven't been blogging too long they don't happen that often. At the end of the day you can only give a certain amount of yourself and if it inspires one person or one thousand then it's worth it :) I heard Jennifer Boles (Peak of Chic) on a panel last month say blogging is way more than a part-time job, but a little less than a full-time job and I think that sums it up nicely, don't you :) And everyone needs a break! xo KO

Anonymous said...

I totally identify! I've been on a bit of a hiatus myself. It's not for lack of material so much as it is a lack of time, or the fact that my conscience bothers me if I spend too much time on it. Sometimes one just needs time to clear the cobwebs. And don't feel old! New and sparkly bling is vastly overrated. Your page has something way more important: class.

Heather said...

agree completely.
as artists it's hard, we could spend all day drawing, painting and sketching, but then realize, we need to be posting and it's hard!
plus where moms! maybe we need more hours in the day!
I think a break is good!!!!
enjoy it!
xxoo - heather

Divine Theatre said...

Yes, there is a whole big world waiting for us, away from the glow of the computer!
It's easier to blog in the winter, when the sun isn't beckoning. When the sun comes full force, who wants to be in front a screen spilling eerie bluish light?

Unknown said...

You took the words...right off my keyboard! Such a push-pull isn't it?! Love being a part of this world, which I feel has truly enriched my life. Hate that there doesn't seem to be an end to the time you can dedicate to it.

Love that I met you b/c of this world. Enjoy your break. I'll be here when you return!

xoxo

Unknown said...

It can feel like a job...when it does, I take a break. I agree with every line of your post, especially the one about a time drain and taking me away from what I should/want to be doing!

the gardener's cottage said...

oh patricia you really hit the nail on the head. i so have a love/hate relationship with my blog. some days it just flows and i love it and others i wonder what the hell i'm doing. the past few days i've been reading a ton of fashion blogs, something i don't normally do and my God the talent, beauty and grace of the women out there is astounding. i honestly felt like i dressed like a man after reading these beautiful blogs. so again the love/hate thing kicked in. i spend way, way too much time blogging b/c maintaining even a mediocre blog such as mine takes a ton of time. i don't know how other big time bloggers do it. so you are not alone by a longshot. thanks for opening up this discussion.

xo
janet

Unknown said...

PVE,

Thank You for: Your expressions, blogging, drawings, faith, gratitude, family, love, life, mothering, love-hate, and for being you. We all need the feelings of expressions that blogging brings forth. We all need what blogging allows our inner self to set in writing outward. We (almost exclusively women) are multi-facet and shine in many directions depending on the light we absorb.

I love reading all the comments here today because they are real and have no agenda just a change within that comes with the season of the year and the seasons of our lives and Love-Hate is part of who we are. Have a lovely break and I await your return.

Bette

The Buzz Blog said...

Love having made new friends through blogging.
Hate that some of them live halfway across the world and the likelihood of actually meeting them in person is slim.

But I love the fact that I have gotten to know you personally and that's a blessing. Have a great break and come back inspired!

Kwana said...

I'm with you. It does start to feel like a job for me at times and when that happens it starts to feel inauthentic. That's when I step back and have to skip a day to breathe.
A thin line between love and hate. That's how the old song goes right. Enjoy your break.

quintessence said...

Totally with you on this!! Love blogging as a creative outlet, love all the people I have met (including you!!), the feedback and the inspiration. The time issues are definitely a challenge which I haven't quite mastered - falls into more than a full time job category!!

Stephanie Sabbe said...

I have a total love/hate as well!! Love reading your list and know others feel the same way. Got my book today.SOOOOO excited. Thank you so much!

Leah H. Grier said...

You really are the best about leaving blog comments! It makes me feel special every time I read one from you. Have a good and well deserved break!

Visual Vamp said...

You said it all.
And beautifully.
xo xo

Tree said...

Totally understand... even though I'm a blog reader, not writer. You enter blog-world and when you next look up, hours have passed!

The engaging nature of blogging is like a good back-and-forth conversation with a charming person who has an interesting perspective. In this case, that would be you!

Karena said...

Patricia,

Oh so totally, there is just not enough time, my painting has suffered, however my dream of paying it forward..... my highlighting of other artists creations is so rewarding.

xoxo
Karena
Art by Karena

Michelle said...

So perfectly said Patricia!! It's an ebb and flow thing for me...if I am not blogging, I am busy with work, which is a good thing, but as I scroll thorugh my blogroll today, I am reminded why it's also a good thing for me to touch base with my cyber (and sometimes if you are lucky to meet them, real life) talented friends like you :)

Best,
Michelle

Loretta Fontaine (EcoHappy Blog) said...

Patricia- You are such an eloquent writer, matched only by the eloquence in your paintings. Adore your love/hate list.

But, you post like ... every day! Maybe you are smart and write like mad the first day of the month and then scheudule them all out, but WOW, every day!

I admire folks like you but don't know how you do it! Have a very restful break!

Loretta
I've decided I'm a three-times a week gal. Works for me.

red ticking said...

i feel the same.
we all love it and one another but wish we had more time... time is the greatest gift... and we will all be here when you are ready to come back... xoxo

Joyce said...

Yes, a well written post I'm sure all have felt at one time or another. It does get to be a bit overwhelming. The blog world has linked me to so many wonderful people I would never have had the chance to meet. I try to visit all daily, but sometimes it doesn't happen. It does make me feel bad, because I consider my blog friends as my close friends and I would always welcome a friend through my door. Actually I think some of my blog friends know more about me than my close by friends.
I use to try and blog daily and with visiting it was getting to be too much. I decided to go down to 3 days a week to post and to try not to get online on the weekends. Today the computer was up for work and then I can't help myself to make a quick visit. Smile... I always tell my husband I need a wife!
Patricia I did see your emails and will get the info to you. Also I hope your dinner was fab! xo

julielorusso@gmail.com said...

It sounds like YOU need some oxygen this week. Take a much deserved and needed break and then maybe scale back a little when you return. I honestly marvel at how much you do. I think you read AND comment on every blog out there. You always offer inspiration with your posts and art and you are SOOOO supportive. I feel fortunate to have "met" you. Hang in there, and take what you need--then maybe a little more. :)

Julie

Unknown said...

GREAT POST! I just want to say, 'ditto' to each and every comment you made ... soooo well said. And I guess blogging is like everything else, even if it is good ... too much of it can be bad. Someone else already said this, but it is about balance and I am striving to find that too (in everything actually). Because I am fairly new to blogging I am a little out of balance because like anything at the beginning it tends to consume you more out of passion (the newness) and the necessity to gain proficiency. Your post today is WHY I LOVE BLOGS SO MUCH. Enjoy your break and I will look forward to when you post again ;)

24 Corners said...

I feel a connection with each and every one of your love & hates Patricia. I love when I feel extremely inspired and the words flow with abandon but I hate when there's a complete lack of inspiration and I'm *not feeling it* (I'm such a feeler!).
Great topic, and it's nice to know we're all in this blogging boat together sharing the same konundrums. Enjoy your break!!
xo J~

I Dream Of said...

Oh Patricia, I'm catching this at a moment when I'm starting to wonder "how the heck am I going to keep up with this blog thing..." but at the same time "how can I not?" The reasons are all there in your wise post. It's tough. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do the things we love. Not to mention the things we would rather not. Everyone talks about achieving balance... but I think balance is one of the hardest states to achieve. Maybe impossible, truly. Anyway, no answers here, except I think we all need a good break... even from our favorite things... every once in while. XO Jeanne

Amy said...

Too cute, I do love that I also have a blog but I go through phases of not having the time to post and then feel guilty and then don't blog. It is a cycle! I am inspired by you and your positive posts, so recharge and get back when you're ready! *Amy

LindsB said...

oh you are so not alone, I could have written this whole post myself :)