Busting the Blogger Blues

I never would have admitted it a few years ago, but I love writing. I love having the opportunity to share something new I’ve learned or simply my opinion on the way things should be done (or the way they should not be done). However, lately the sun has been shining and my family has been off of school and it just seems harder and harder to stay focused on blogging. While we still produce content on the site, it has been a little here and there. I hate to admit it, but I have been experiencing the blogger blues. That being said, I am declaring the blues are over and sharing a few tips from past experiences that help to keep me on track when I feel like I have nothing to write about.

Inspiration
I am a big believer that sometimes it’s okay to just not write. Sometimes, we aren’t inspired enough and we need to take a step away from the screen and get back out into our daily lives. Inspiration can be found anywhere – from work to family to friends to an experience that you wouldn’t expect when you were hanging out at the beach. Many times, we suffer from bloggers block because we simply haven’t been inspired enough. Perhaps you’ve been in the dredges of a large project or going through some things emotionally. In those times, it’s hard to find inspiration so I always recommend unplugging and doing something you truly love. In these moments of joy and passion, you will rediscover your love for writing and find a wealth of topics for you to cover when you are ready.

Create systems
At the end of the day, it’s important that we have systems to support us. We aren’t going to feel like blogging every day, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. While a good break every now and then is completely fine, we can’t allow our blog to be subject to our every whim. Instead, make sure you have a good backup of blogs that you can use when you are suffering from bloggers block. Creating a series on your blog is easier to keep up then writing a fresh post to fill in content on down days and having a list of topics that you can go to on a regular basis to pull fresh content is also helpful. Sometimes, you just have to force yourself to write and having a list of topic ideas will often help on those days when it doesn’t feel as natural to blog.

Focus on the reward
One of the hardest things about blogging is that you often feel like you’re talking to yourself. You spend a lot of time writing this blog and editing it, adding a picture and adding all the right tags, and then it goes into the universe and seems to get little response. Maybe it gets retweeted a few times, maybe you see a few views, but it just isn’t getting the love that you want. In these times, you have to remember what you were doing it all for. Focus on the great feedback you’ve received in the past and remember that you have created your blog for purpose. If you started your blog to educate a group of event planners, like I have, then that education is important on a consistent basis. Providing that education and inspiration on a regular basis is important whether or not your readers appreciate it each and every day. Over time, they come to rely on you as a source of information and you are achieving your goals simply by producing content consistently.

Blogging is one of the single best branding tools for an organization, but it is also one of the most challenging. It requires a lot of discipline, tons of grit and a forgiving nature toward yourself when things don’t stay on course. We all suffer from bloggers block from time to time, but the important thing is how we get back in the saddle and continue creating systems to help us stay focused. Are you a blogger? What tips do you have for other people looking for inspiration on a regular basis?