Alphablogs

We are currently in the process of moving our blog from wordpress.com to this self-hosted site here.  If you see anything funny, don’t worry, it’ll all be under control any moment now!

The following is an interview with textile artist NishaO. Her web site showcases her beautiful shawls. However, Nisha has much more to offer – among other things, she’s done fascinating work with textile workers in remote areas of India – and therefore she is thinking about starting a blog. Here is our conversation:

Why are you interested in blogging?
After Isabella’s presentation, I realized that with blogging, you can have a much better web presence. If you have a business and you’re blogging, your name will be much more prominent.

Also, it looks like a great way to build a community, broadening your horizon and finding like-minded people with whom you can exchange ideas.

What do you think blogging might do for you?
A while ago I went to a seminar that pointed out very clearly that blogging is the latest marketing tool. The presenter did a lot of high budget projects, so the thought occurred to me that if she does it, it’s probably a good idea for me, too.

To be honest, first I didn’t pay much attention to it but then when Isabella talked about it, it was reinforced.

Why haven’t you started blogging yet?
I don’t consider myself very computer savvy. It seemed to me a very technical thing, and was a bit intimidated by that.

I’m also not sure what to write about. What language should I use, or could I just write the way I speak? What if it takes too long? Also, if you have to do it every day or every few days, that requires a lot of discipline.

But now it looks like the only thing now is that I just have to start.

Do you read any blogs right now?
Once in a while. Once I was looking at marketing my work, and what I found on blogs was very interesting. But otherwise, not that much. I keep on finding things that are completely irrelevant. I remember spending one whole afternoon reading blogs without much of interest. I haven’t really figured out how to find the blogs that I would find interesting.

How can I find my blogging community? And then I suspect it’s like reading a good book – once you find it, you can’t put it down.

What don’t you like about blogs?
There is so much out there, I get overwhelmed.

What would help you start and maintain a blog?
Now I’m very curious about blogging and I do know it’s a good thing. I like connecting with people. It’s just that I need to get started (I have a few other things on the go right now).

I guess it also depends on the response I’ll get. When you discuss things, that’s what keeps you going. Depending on how people respond, something interesting pops in your head.

It’ll be a discovery process.

If it does bring traffic to my web site and if people want to buy, that would be a big incentive. It’s not just about the money or your business. If it helps you grow, then you feel motivated from within.

Now that i know it’s very easy, that’s not a problem.

It was the same with email. First I hardly ever used it but once I got into it, I do it all the time. The moment I saw it’s useful, and that it doesn’t take time, I began to enjoy it. I want to see what people are up to. I think it’s going to be similar with blogging. I think that would definitely keep it going.

technorati tags: blogging, artists, east+indian, canada, starting+a+blog

Josh Kenzer of Radical Behaviour has a fabulous post on blogging motivation. Here is an excerpt:

1. Job - When creating and maintaining a company blog, your are paid your regular pay to perform this task. However, I have seen many company blogs abandoned shortly after starting and this is for one of two reasons. First, the owner or someone high in the organization is the blogger. Second, the blog isn’t a company priority.
2. Revenue - If the blogger is receiving income from his blog directly, they are very motivated to keep blogging. For most, this isn’t enough revenue to quit their full time jobs, but it is enough to provide positive reinforcement. When the revenue doesn’t match the expectation, the blog becomes abandoned.
3. Passion - Enthusiast or hobbyist will often create blogs to showcase their passion. I have one that has been maintained for almost a year and a half now. The sustainability of these are based off two factors. First, is the blogger passionate about their topic that they can weather the initial months of talking to the wall. It can feel like an outsider trying to join a conversation that is already too full. Second, will the blogger receive positive reinforcement with others appreciating the contribution to the topic or will the blogger receive punishment which will then be associated to the hobby itself.
4. Voice - The blogger has something to say, and they want someone to read it. You can also call this ego blogging. This one is tough to sustain. In my opinion, most people overestimate how much they have to say.

Read here for the whole post.

Our job here is to help with number 2 – and I guess, with number 4; the two, in fact, are connected. A good blog has an authentic voice. Part of my personal passion is to help people articulate their voice. That sounds a little strange – but the truth is that just as with a singing voice, it also takes experience and skill and determination to develop a writing voice. And, let’s be clear, that voice can have a wide variety of tones, pitches and colour. “Authentic voice” does not mean you have to sound stiff or relaxed, casual or formal, intellectual or down-to-earth. It just means that you figure out

• what it is that you really think (and perhaps also feel) in the many roles you have in your life (business person, parent, friend, volunteer, etc.)
• which ones (one? all? some?) of these roles you want to give voice to; and
• let the words come out, without immediately censoring them. Let them come out on the paper/screen. You can always edit a bit afterwards. It’s the pre-editing – editing before you have something on paper/screen – that is so frustrating, and this frustration leads to loss of motivation.

Some people don’t have a problem with this. However, if you want to have a web presence and take advantage of the powerful tool that blogging is and you don’t have a lot of writing experience, you might be in a bit of a quandary. That’s where having some assistance with writing, at least for a little while, can be very helpful. Then, rather than abandoning your blog because it’s too hard slogging and because you don’t know how to let your voice shine, you can stay motivated to keep it going.