A Needed Boost
Assuming you’re keeping up with these posts as they publish — although I wouldn’t blame you if you’re not — the post you read yesterday is the first I wrote today. This one right here, two days on, is the second.
Two posts written in a day!
Almost unheard of around these parts. Especially when talking about posts scheduled for future publication, rather than being let loose to the wild immediately.
There is a practical reason. I’m up again to care for my mother tomorrow night. But the practical reason isn’t the main one. I was going to just see what I could get done when I got home tomorrow night. The reason for jumping straight into a second post is that I feel revitalised. While yesterday’s post isn’t anything particularly special, there was still a certain joy in writing it. Not just having written — but actually writing.
In fact, I can expand that out to feelings around blogging more generally.
Over the last several months, I’d certainly (and I think, rightly) put blogging firmly in the backseat. But the duration was beginning to have an impact. Motivation was waning, or at least at risk of it. And, at least within Time to Loot’s lifespan, that is something new. New, and unwelcome.
Part of Blaugust’s purpose has always been to revitalise the spirits of the existing bloggers, in addition to providing a time of welcome to those who might be just wanting to get started. For Blaugust’s so far, I’ve leaned more into that second focus. I didn’t need any revitalisation. I was already there! Keen! An eager beaver, even!
This year, I needed to focus more on the revitalisation end of things.
I didn’t really appreciate how much that was the case until I rediscovered a part of the joy of blogging with the prior post. The normally present spark was flickering in the background, at risk of going out, but has since been lit anew.
Of course, it might be worth checking in with me later in the month when we’ve had weeks of posting every day to contend with… It may end up looking back on this post with the lens of, ‘Oh sweet summer child’. But… I don’t think so. Sure, posting every day isn’t ‘my thing’ in the long term, and it does wear me out. But that’s quite a different sensation to what was happening and now seems to be restored.
So… Thank-you Belghast, for putting this thing together as you do every year — and to everyone participating, whether it be your first time or your tenth!
This was posted during Blaugust 2022, the annual blogging event hosted by Belghast. Blaugust is an event aiming to welcome new blogger blood into the fold and revitalise those who’ve been at it a little longer.
The Blaugust Discord is still available to join in year-round!
