Everyday, while performing mundane tasks, such as doing the dishes, I open the YouTube App on my phone, and allow it it show me videos that it has learned to curate for me. For the most part, the app gets it right — US-based late-night political comedies and TED talks.
Today, this talk popped up in my feed: “How to gain control of your free time.” I had watched this video before, but because my hands were engaged (and because this is a great talk), I allowed the smartphone to remind me of how wasteful I have been of my time.
Time management expert Laura Vanderkam says that when people say they don’t have time for something, what they mean is, that it’s not their priority.
When something is a priority for us, we make time for it, no matter how busy our lives are.
I have experienced this first hand, several times. Including, as recently as, last month, when I got around to digitise my mother’s art, in time for her 60th birthday. My previous attempt was way back in 2015. And after four years, with enough motivation to drive me, I finally opened shop on Society6 (This announcement should, and will be, a separate post) .
Under virtual dust
At the end of last year, one of my regrets was not having maintained this blog much. Two posts in a year was a dismal number, considering that the previous year saw me celebrate my 300th post during the NaBloPoMo.
I have several unfinished drafts and ideas — some that are many years old, and some only in want of a ‘featured image’ to go live.
As this video reminds me, somewhat harshly, blogging isn’t my priority anymore. And that is an unhappy thought. Why did I stop doing that which I absolutely loved?
The answer: The decline in my writing on the blog has coincided with my use of Instagram.
Most of my blog posts go through multiple iterations, with me reading, and re-reading them, to make sure it is something worth reading. There is this burden of responsibility, to do justice to the reader’s time. On Instagram, however, there is lesser pressure to write.
I do realise that this pressure about ‘quality of writing’ is pretentious. Clearly, I blog for very selfish reasons.
Another reason, is the decline in community participation — or more appropriately, the narcissism factor. Back when WordPress had ‘featured posts’ on its homepage, and ran Weekly Photo Challenges, there seemed to be a greater incentive to post (read, greater likelihood of ‘likes’). Blogging was chance to discover, and be discovered. (The Discover tab on WordPress now is rather uninspiring)
I found Instagram to be more engaging. Words are less appealing than pictures. Those who couldn’t be bothered to read, are happy seeing pictures (and that includes me). Today, Instagram is what WordPress used to be — fun.
And so, since that NaBloPoMo in 2017, when I gingerly opened my Instagram account, writing has moved to another platform.
Finding a way back
Over the past two years there have been so many exciting things I should have written about here — in my safe space — but didn’t get around to. (I published on four different platforms, travelled to new places, let go of toxic relationships and put myself on a path to heal myself).
Most nights, I lay awake simply because there are so many ideas jumping in my head, waiting to explode (here’s why).
This, rather impulsive post, is my attempt at making a comeback to blogging. Will it succeed? Only time will tell.
Musings of an eccentric mind 