To me, running a blog in 2019 is a great adventure. There are many new things to learn, and they are, frankly spoken, on hold at present moment. Right now, I´m learning from direct experience and prefer not to spend any kind of money just yet.
It will probably make a lot of things easier to do, but that is not my aim before next year. Some may be able to build up a blog with a vast audience in a few months, but firstly, I don´t have the money to do it. Secondly, I believe that it must be the content that matters most. And thirdly, I´m not so up to date on the more technical elements of it.
I know I will have to do something about it at some time, but it can wait for now.
Instead, I try to describe what it feels like to blog to a little audience. It is a privilege. And to be read is fulfilling. It gives me so much joy and relaxation to write on this blog. It inspires me to keep writing on my novel to be.
It is also inspiring to read blogs from other people. In like to find like-minded people all over the world and share my knowledge and experience.
Running a blog in 2019 is hard work, dedication and discipline. It helps me write better, and it strengthens my vocabulary and grammar. Now it feels only natural to write in another language than my native Danish.
My language is beautiful and difficult as hell. I fully understand that people coming to my country have their problems learning it. It is said to be almost as difficult as Mandarin. I prefer, however, to write in English, because I feel there are more opportunities to choose from and it fits my writing style.
My style is direct, simple and easy to recognize. If there´s not a me in it, it is not mine. Writing in first person POV with an omniscient view is my voice. Yes, I like to mix and twist between and across genres, styles and rules.
Some rules are meant to be broken, in case they don´t apply to what you are writing. And if nobody dares to do it, then a lot of reading will only be predictable and boring.
There are enough boring things that only hinder people from just living their lives. Why is it so important to want to know everything about everybody all the time, I simply don´t understand. We only have one chance to live this life.
Why on Earth would one then choose gossip and hatred from fake news ?
Well, people may choose whatever they want, but don´t try to make me understand the reasons behind endless talk shows, reality series and talent competitions.
It´s all about them money.
The worst part of it is that is so dull to watch. The same concept all over the world and then here in Denmark it shows up too. Boring, uninspiring and loud. Why it is so interesting ? What is it about sudden fame that makes people go star crazy over nothing in reality ? How is the real reality when all the cameras are off, and the next number in the endless crowds is called to the stage ?
As if the world had not enough challenges to overcome on a daily basis, we are stuffed with the same shows throughout the week. Luckily, there is an off button to most screens. I use it often, especially when these shows turn up.
I may be 50 years old, but I´ve disliked such materialistic bullshit as long as I can remember. It´s not getting any better, however, so I admit, it is not that often that I sit a whole evening and watch TV.
I´m equally critical, when it comes to social media. I dare to unfollow people who share gossip and celebrity news, because it is of not interest to me whatsoever.
I would rather meet people with real opinions, real lives and real ways of being human. I don´t run a blog about writing, blogging and witchcraft for the sake of getting as many followers as possible in order to make money online.
Of course I would like to earn some extra money, but not in the way so many lately have begun doing. I will never refer to a product that I not myself have tested or at least put on my own wishing list.
It is a major challenge to run a blog in 2019. There seem to be quite a few more or less rules of engagement, if you want to get close to what is referred to as success. It all sounds mesmerizing, but I´m not so easy to convince. It also happens to end up in serious money on a budget, and this is an area with many insecurities.
But maybe it is easier to say so, when I don´t have to make a living on blogging and writing.
Despite the many pitfalls I´m not scared to break and bend the rules, however. When I choose to follow someone it´s because they have something mindful to share. Something that I often return to and read again. For the inspiration it gives is worth gold.
Personally, to be the writer behind this blog is a wonderful chance to be read, and I therefore would like to thank each of my followers for that. Please feel free to comment any time and also to suggest ideas to write about.
Not that I don´t have my own, but it is always inspiring to hear the opinions of others.
Since I´ve begun writing on this blog, I´ve been much more concerned about writing good rather than being afraid of not not being good enough to write. It has helped me concentrate long enough to actually be able to produce something good, something inspiring and something direct.
These are my goals when writing. Right now, as I´m writing this post, I´m listening to good old fashioned blues, it is smooth in my ears, it is making me play music on the keyboard, it is relaxing. That is my best mood today.
Today my anxiety was there, oh yes, it showed its ugly teeth, it snarled at me, it stared me straight in the eyes. My breath was intense for an hour, then I was able to shut the damn thing off for once. I remembered that I had planned to write after dinner.
And now it is there still, it is in the corner of my eyes, it won´t look me in the eyes. But today I´m strong enough to keep myself occupied with something I love. Other days the anxiety has me boxed in the corner. Then medication and meditation are the only way back to control.
My other ailments are also pretty present today. I hurt like hell all over my body, I have restless legs, and I´m moody due to the ever changing weather this fall.
But I don´t care. It can hurt, it can try to scare me, it can try to make my day. I´m ready for that today. And I keep on writing, no matter how bad a day may seem from the outside. This way running a blog has affected my overall mood to the better.
So it is enriching to work with.
I dare to write about deep personal matters in a direct language, for I believe that honesty is the only way I can define myself as a writer. I write about real life things, not fictional worlds. That is reserved for my novel to be.
Oh yes, there is a novel somewhere. I´ve begun it, so much can I tell you. Showing will take some time, but I just know that I will get there someday. It is alright to believe, to dream and try to do my best with it.
However, I don´t dream about fast fame, fast money or fast cars. What comes fast often also goes fast. I would rather wait and let this blog project evolve around itself and the many impressions I get from people all over the world.
Sometimes, I like to write a letter to someone online. Where there is contact and where there is chemistry, I´ll stay and return from time to time. I think it is of great importance to reach out for like-minded people whenever possible.
Because there are so very few good people left these days. It is as if the world has gone even more insane than ever before. Crossing borders is okay, as long as we can agree upon one little thing as privacy.
It is for all to experience, not only the vast silent majority.
And the lack of privacy is a big issue in this modern world, I believe. In Denmark everything is known about you from birth to death. We are so thorough registered everywhere that privacy is a quiet evening behind closed doors.
We are also not polite anymore. I think it is unhealthy for a society that there is so much gossip and bullshit around. It divides people more than it connects. And it is, worst of all, so unbelievably boring.
Why do people not concentrate on living their own life ? We get this one shot only.
However fascinating the modern world can be, it can also be a tough road to take. I prefer the road not taken, as Robert Frost did. My path differs a lot from many ordinary lives in my country. I respect the ways of life of others, but I can no longer live my own life on a big lie.
I have lost some illusions during my life time already. And they are not coming back, so my husband and I took the consequence and changed our life style for the better without even looking back over our shoulders.
We have lived a different life for almost 4 years. And we don´t regret it. Today, there are only few people close to use, but there is a growing number of like-minded people in my mail box every day. So there is room for hopes and dreams, yes there is.
This is what ii is to run a blog in 2019. It is a personal journey, it is a way of life, and it is inspiring.
Thanks to my family for enduring my long hours behind the keyboard with earplugs and loud music going on. Thank you for being the reason for me having the time of my life. Thank you for being present in my life.
My family consist of my husband, my father, our neighbors whose youngest child we are good parents for and a handful of friends in the category good people. And I allow myself to add the good people I´ve met all over the world.
What happened to the rest, they left us behind, and then we left them. Without looking back. That has been our biggest lesson in life. But at the same time it is liberating when you are through it for good.
It hurt like hell when we went through it. But we overcame it by steadily saying to ourselves that we deserve better than this. And with hard work. determination and confidence, it is possible to survive a biological family where the ties were too strict, to unattainable, too one-dimensional. When enough is enough, then it´s final.
Next Monday I´ll try to present you for my kind of stream of consciousness on a blogging day. I used to hate Mondays, now I look forward to writing my next post about writing and blogging.
And remember, dear reader, I´ll post on Friday how I´m living after the phases of the Moon and the Sabbats on a daily basis.
The Northern Witch' s Blog 