The Bloggiversary Approacheth

Do you remember when people first started blogging?

When I wrote my first blog post on June 20th, 2003, I thought of blogging as an online journal that would help me keep in touch with far away loved ones.  We weren't really thinking about oversharing or who could see what you wrote or how to monetize your blog or even how to post photos at that point.  I look back at those early posts and cringe.  I also try to figure out who that young woman was. I was dating a man that I had nothing in common with and didn't particularly like. I was struggling in a job that I didn't feel fulfilled in.  I felt pretty lost and it shows in my writing.  The one thing I really knew then was that I loved books.

For awhile, my blog was a hybrid of personal anecdotes, book reviews, and creative pursuits.  For me, the knitters were the ones who really figured out the potential of blogging.  They shared projects and hosted fun swaps and got knitters to connect with one another.  I started to see what blogging could really be.  A chance to connect with like-minded people all over the world and share ideas and projects.  In May of 2007, I decided that I needed a separate blog for creative stuff and I decided to maintain Life by Candlelight as a book/personal blog.  In Crafting by Candlelight, I shared all my crafty endeavors and participated in a bunch of swaps. I really miss swaps. Why doesn't anyone do them anymore?

So much has changed since then.  Many of the bloggers I met in the early days have closed up shop.  Some people say blogging is a dying art form.  I disagree. I still think it offers wonderful inspiration and the opportunity to connect with like-minded people.

I think I have lasted so long as a blogger because I am not interested in making money doing it.  It is just something that I enjoy and I only do it when I have time or something worth sharing.  I don't feel any pressure to post or need to please to advertisers or sponsors.  I will keep book blogging until they quit offering print galleys.  Because I am a purist and hate reading books on a screen.  I like to underline and take notes and it is more meaningful to me to do that in my own handwriting.  Maybe my son will look through some of my books one day and smile at finding some of my scrawled marginalia.

On June 20th, I may or may not write another post to mark the 12th anniversary of this blog. In the meantime, I will keep reading and I hope you will too!

(from 2007)