I’ve been inspired by my friend Stacey to write here today, even though I think I don’t have much to say. Back when we all first started blogging, having nothing to say was never a reason not to say something. That was kind of the whole point. Sometimes I don’t write here because I don’t want to waste my readers’ dear, finite, tiny time with words that don’t make life better in some way.
Who do I think I am anyway?
Stacey is right: trying to be a ‘useful’ blogger all the time has gotten in the way of just saying hi, how are you, I’m making pea & ham soup for dinner. The smell is singing through my house as I type, so I’m half looking at the screen and half following my nose back into the kitchen. Soup smells so good. I hate it when the soup smell permeates my clothes, though. I’ll do the school run later smelling like a boiled onion.
Being ‘useful’ is my #2 goal in blogging and in life (being meaningful is #1), but sometimes I just want to laugh at something completely useless and meaningless instead.
I’m actually not drunk right now, no. Instead, I’ve been working hard all morning and this is my 10 minute break before I go get the kids from school and put them into their after-school activities so I can go and work some more. That’s why I’m making pea & ham soup today — by the time we all get back from extra-curricularing, we’re starving and food is needed NOW. Hello slow-cooker soup.
I love my job. I feel privileged every morning when I log into my work computer. Today I was going through all the pitches our lovely contributors send through, pulling out the ones that made me curious and leaving the ones that sank back into the page. Lots of the sinkers were very useful posts too, but they didn’t make me curious. That’s the thing about ‘useful’: nothing intriguing about it whatsoever. Nothing intangible, fancy or extraordinary. Useful is a bit boring when you think about it.
I’ll be off now. I’m borderline meaningless with this post and that’s a complete no-no in my opinion. If you’re going to speak, say something meaningful and mean what you say. Or maybe just babble on because that’s quite nice too.
What are you up to today?
This is such a perfect post Bron. I think we get stuck in the useful basket a little too much these days. Posts like these bring the real back to blogging – connection.
Enjoy your pea and ham soup. x
I like this post too, Jodi. I think it’s actually useful for me to get to be useless in my writing from time to time!!
Maybe we’ve lost the art of the everyday chat? Sayng hey neighbour over the fence has mostly been lost, we rush and text and tweet and get blog constipation over buzz-phrases like usefulness is king and creating quality content.
Enough already.
Usefulness IS boring and it’s definitely not why I read blogs. Usefulness is why we have Google and taste.com.au.
I may learn a thing or two from blogs but I don’t ever go to a blog looking for a life lesson. I go because I find the writer interesting or funny or they pique my curiosity in some way. I go to look at sweet baby snaps or country verandahs or hilarious piles of laundry. I go to hear that life is awesome this week, then shit this week. I go to enjoy myself and to CONNECT with a person not a usefulness professional.
Blog on. Be useless. There’s a buzz-phrase I can get behind. #uselessblogger
#doingit
Plus love all the reasons you live blogs. So much. You’re a good egg, Annette.
Yep, this nails it for me.
I love this Annette. That’s what I love about blogs too xx
I agree totally,
Reading blogs for me is like that chat over the back fence after I’ve hung the laundry and before I go to do the next job. I don’t want anything useful just a connection with another human.
Nothing better!
And this is why I love you. I need to check out Stacey’s post but this was what I needed to read today. The thing is I have been so caught up in my usefulness that I’ve sometimes lost the meaningfulness. Or I find I’m too meaningful but not very useful… It was my four year blogging anniversary in February and I’ve been questioning my usefulness while the blogosphere gets crowded with so many voices… and doing so many different mediums of communicating their message. You’ve also given me a penny dropping moment too about writing content. Thank you for this. You’ve also reminded me I haven’t checked my menu plan to see what I’m supposed to be cooking for dinner tonight. #mummyfailedagain.
When I started blogging it was just me and a screen and something to say. I think all the other stuff hot in the way. I’m tired of being an “influencer”. I just want to be a blogger.
Love it! Most of the time I love these posts more so than if you’re offering some sort of hack or recipe. I’ve grown to love so many bloggers and I love getting a sneaky look behind the scenes and into the inner workings of their mind x
That’s intriguing to know. I’ve always been hesitant to talk too much about myself for fear of putting everyone to sleep. Or to write without a “solution”. Bollocks to that.
I’m a practical person and someone who loves to research and gather info. So I do love useful. Very much.
I’m also very social though, so I’m also happy to hear about pretty much whatever – the frivolous, the funny, the serious, the sad, the mundane.
I like you too so I’ll always come back for a chat. x
I always love your chat, Vanessa. I’m a “solver” too, hence the useful thing. But I reckon sharing the issue to begin with or even the research journey wouldn’t go astray!
I love the chatty lighthearted post, I’ll just pretend you brought cake to the table xx
I’m so glad. Yoh can have some of my soup!
See this is the ‘thing’ with the push these days for blogs to be useful and helpful. Often simply being YOU and sharing meant building community. Community is useful and I miss it, my worry is we are drifting away from community in our quest to do what the blog experts tell us, yet community is needed more so than ever, desperately.
So happy to hear your voice 🙂
Oh and today I’m up to painting my library, wild screams of excitement. Whilst rolling I’m pondering my soccer experience on the weekend when my five year old played his first game. Sometimes it’s wildly funny me, old hand mum, with new first time mums, I try to be careful in how I behave and what I say, I try to blend in, however I slipped and gave myself away at least the gasps of shock indicated that 😉
The library! That means you had to move all those books. Nightmare! But it will be so good when it’s finished.
And I do hope my voice is never lost, even when trying to be useful. I like to add a little useless to everything I do 🙂
x
Bron,
Have been living with thousands of homeless books since before Christmas. It has been a ‘challenge’ at times. I’m counting down the days till they go back in. However David is suggesting that as the kitchen is next!! we should hold off on the library and set up a kitchen in the library. Probably for months I’ll be playing Ma Ingalls bucketing water in and out. When all I really want is my library. Priorities. I could cook outside couldn’t I. Children suggest that being winter we won’t have to brave the mosquitos, only the cold 😉
No your voice is never lost 🙂 Had missed your posts xx
HahaI can totally see you as Ma Ingalls, Erin. It will be ‘interesting’ times for sure. I honestly couldn’t do what you’ve done during this ongoing reno, but then… I can say that for everything really, can’t I!?
Good to read! I’ve been later to blogging and I’m sure everything I read talked about the need to be ‘useful’. Which is both daunting (and makes my writing stilted) and then probably there isn’t much left to say in response – because the answers been given (maybe that’s why there are more ‘likes’ than comments?) Bring back the chat – thanks for starting this 🙂
Of course, the chat never really went away, it just… moved. We chat, you and I. We know each other just because we blog and isn’t that marvellous!?
It seems like Stacey’s post has struck a cord with many bloggers- me included. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking that in order to be a ‘good’ or ‘successful’ blogger you need to write ‘useful’ posts- not true. when I think about the blogs I love reading the most it’s the ones where I feel like I’m catching up with an old friend for a chat and let’s face it, no one wants a friend who tells them what to do, everybody wants a friend who is real.
I don’t know why we all want to be “successful” anyway. Too much! Depends on how we define success, I think. This is quite the most successful blog post I’ve written in ages.
Oh I love this. I actually think I have quite a talent for writing about completely useless things. My brain absolutely dwells there right now so I have to get in on this. To me, useless posts feel kinda real and friendly.
“Real and friendly” is exactly what I think blogging is. And kind. And warm. And welcoming. Perhaps they are the most useful thing of all.
I swear I’ve been having blogging brain freeze since Problogger because I’ve been over analysing my post ideas and trying to fit into a certain box. All the rules and what we should be doing have kind of killed my joy a bit lately. I wrote about it a while back too {it seems when you have nothing to say you write about having nothing to say}.
Me too! Well, not via Problogger, but over-analysing everything I want to say – yes!! And I’ve totally lost the distinction between a blog and the parenting writing that I do elsewhere. Must rectify immediately!! x
I do like to be useful, it helps me feel like I have a purpose at the moment but it’s usually accompanied by a lot of frivilous fluff just because that makes the day far more interesting! I like posts that are like chatting with a friend, like this one is and I’d love a bowl of soup thanks (and the recipe!). x
Useful is good, don’t get me wrong. And I’m a ‘solver’, so on some level I’m always going to want to help people fix the things that aren’t working for them, or pass on something fabulous that is working for me. BUT, I mustn’t let that get in the way of sharing something of ME.
I should post my Pea and Ham Soup recipe. It’s such a good one. When I make it next time and have photos I will do it!
x
Ha! I don’t think I’ve ever been useful!! 😉 I do have a couple of craft type posts that bring in ridiculous traffic from google searches but none of those readers stick around. They pop in, grab the info and leave. They’re not “my people”. I value the readers that know me and know my family and comment regularly. Those people are the people I’m writing for and they don’t come to my blog for useful info, they come because we’re all friends and we like to laugh at each other. I really like being a useless blogger.
I do think that trying to be useful all the time disconnects us from what makes us real. x
For me blogging is about the connections we make. In real life, if we met up, we’d probably chat a whole load of uselessness and it would be awesome. If we did talk about only useful things it would be boring. And a little bit weird. I’m all for hanging out, chewing the fat and smelling soup. When it comes to useful, less is definitely more!
I absolutely love hanging out and chewing the fat with you, Sammie. x
I love reading ramblings from another blogger as you get to know them a little more. Connecting with like minded lovelies is the biggest kick out of blogging – even better is meeting these online friends with non stop talking (and drinking ALL the wine) when you meet them!
I write like I talk, so my friends see my blog as a little dose of Jo, which is handy when you live far away from everyone!! Lovely post Bron xx
I like to think that even when being useful (or at least attempting to be useful), I’ve always been well up for a chat as well. BUT it’s this new thing where I’ve realised that the chat is still ENOUGH. It was always enough before and now it’s enough again for me. x
Being useful is merely a matter of perspective.
In one instance a blog post giving me detailed steps on how to make your delicious pea and ham soup is very useful, but on the other hand, when I’m feeling a little low and its dark and dreary outside, holding onto a cup of coffee and reading about your ten minutes to write this post as the amazing aroma of the pea and ham soup swirls around you – well nothing could be more useful or uplifting and perhaps exactly what I need xx
Yes, yes, yes. Connection is the most useful thing of all. It’s the thing that anchors all the rest. x
PS – I think a further post about Pea and Ham Soup is definitely in my future.
I go meaningful any day and useful second for sure. And you’ve made me hungry for pea and ham soup, which I haven’t cooked in an age. And your presence in the moment of writing and smelling soup is the gentle reminder we all need to stay present and grateful. X
Aha! I think you’ve hit the head on something else that has been lacking for me on the blog: presence. The writing right now and hitting publish immediately. Until yesterday, I hadn’t done that for a very long time. I liked it very much. x
Bron, you once described my blog as “right kind of joyfully silly” and it was a badge I wore with pride. Lately, I’ve been so focussed on being useful that I rarely sit down and bash out that funny idea I had in the shower. I’m going to try to find time to be silly again. Thank you. x
You truly do joyfully silly better than anyone I know, Amanda. More please! OMG, yes! x
And here I am getting all hung up on the fact that mine is not all that useful! It started out trying to be useful but I didn’t enjoy that kind of writing so mostly I just ramble. I’m still finding my voice and getting closer now I think. Planning now to try and blend the two! It’s been an amazing ride in self discovery if nothing else. Very timely post for me. Thank you x
I really do wish you did live around the corner, Shauna. Or perhaps, thanks to the marvellous interwebs, you already do. x
Such a lovely thing to say! x
Hey Bron, thanks for sharing this awesome post. I lost my way with my blog ages ago but it felt good to bash out a #uselesspost last night. Sounds like from all the comments above, we are screaming out for community & connection & brain dump blogging.
I loved your post. I am loving the #uselessblogger movement so much already. I think Annette is starting a Facey group so let’s get in on that. x
Love it. Nailed it. My blog is broken (sob) so I can’t join in with my meaningless meaningful post right now. But I really truly love this. (And YES. I used to work in a kitchen and was so conscious of smelling like the food. Now, whatever I cook, whenever I cook it, I feel like I can smell it in my food hours later. Days lhater. Washes later!)
It’s kinda, sorta nice to have a broken blog? Or probably not… but a forced break is surely good for the headspace!? x
oh yes! I definitely agree with it all. sometimes you need to write but then all of the BUTS come alive. Useful and meaningful, but sometimes it is so good to just say hi!
big hugs darlin gal x
Hi!!! I wish you still blogged, Cathie. x
There IS something in the air, I wrote about this last week, after saying I would NEVER write such a post. From one dribbler to another! Over and out xx
Well, I just went and read your “I swore to myself that I would never write this post” post and I’m very glad you wrote it. I wish I had read it last week, Em. I have actually never questioned “why I blog”… honestly, I haven’t. I’ve just questioned what I blog about. There’s a difference, I think and I reckon that’s what your real question is as well… x
#bringbackthechat!
It gets exhausting being useful all the time! Sometimes it’s nice just to waffle and have a little chat.
Today I went for a big walk after the school run, drew rainbows with my 3 year old, and started cutting out some vintage silk to make into little birds. I spent more time playing with all of my pretty silk, then actually doing any cutting. I may have also used my hair straightener as an iron.
Then I made pizza for dinner. It was delicious.
Wait a minute — hair straightener as iron? That’s the most useful idea I’ve heard in ages!!!
Bron
I am only really new to blogging except that I periodically wrote a few here or there before the last year. Again it is only in the last few months that I have really started reading outside a really tiny sphere of writers that I have followed since forever. It isn’t that I don’t like them anymore I do I still love reading them. I have joined a couple of link ups which meant that I was reading writers that I had never heard of before. I am really excited that I have found a whole new world of writers!
I have a huge fear of failure so hitting post on anything I write is totally anxiety inducing every single time! I am scared that no-one will read it and thus render me a huge failure but then I try to remember that I am writing to get the thoughts out of my head so it doesn’t matter if no-one reads anything I write.
Can’t wait to explore your blog!
I love this and the conversation that has been sparked around it. One of the things that I personally love about blogging is that it allows you to connect with a real person. It’s much deeper than instagram or Facebook in that regard. And the conversational blog posts represents the opportunity to connect. And that’s meeting a meaningful need within itself.
I love this. I think I’ve lost touch with how to be more irreverent.
It’s nice.
I think useful is over-rated when it comes to personal blogging. When I think too much about it, I get writer’s block because I can’t imagine how any of my ramblings can in any way be considered useful. But people do. They like to connect with others going through the same things they are. Some just like to connect. I like reading those so called useless posts. I love reading about people’s lives, the good, the bad and the ugly. I skip the “useful” posts, because I find them quite boring, unless I’m looking for answers to a specific problem and then I use Google to find the best one. I’d much rather read those posts that try to answer the bigger life questions, rather than the mundane and the practical.
I love this post, the whole #uselessblogger thing has been so liberating. I always love your writing. xx