Tuesday, January 17

pulling the plug...

for the last 3 months i have been struggling a bit with my blog.  struggling to keep up to date with it...struggling to get inspired to blog...struggling to want to take images with my camera...& even struggling to read my favourite blogs.

i first thought it was the big interstate move and life was just busier than it used to be.  then self doubt crept in and i have wondered 'well who wants to read about what i had for lunch or dinner?'  there are so many fabulous bloggers around and here i am just banging on about a delicious latte or a steaming bowl of pho!

my trusty canon camera was always stored in my handbag, at the ready to capture whatever came across my day...but now sadly it is hanging up amongst the hats on the coat rack.

i want to get back the inspiration i once had...will it come?  i have read before on other bloggers posts comments like 'gone on vacation'...or 'need time out'...  is that what i need or have i come to my blogging end?

i think i too have become more and more self conscious about taking images in public of the drink/food i am about to consume.  gone are the days of just snapping away...or asking the husband/children to wait until i have photographed it...or are they?

i also believe that blogging has added to my girth!  i call it my third boob!  not attractive...i eat and then i sit on my bottom and blog what i ate for several hours!  this process is not exactly helping my body that's metabolism is continuously slowing down...  hmmm would i be this size if i never blogged...i mean i could never stop eating delicious food & drinking my wine!?

i have in this post raved on...which is unlike me.  the essence of my blog has always been keep it short, always be positive and let the images do the talking.

i would love to hear from other bloggers who have thought their blogging inspiration was drying up?  how & will i get my gig going again?

19 comments:

Unknown said...

noooooooooooo.... i know you will come back, maybe not in the same format, you will! love you dearly...

Ug said...

No. No pull plug. Pulling the plug is for those who have just had a bath.

Natasha in Oz said...

I pulled the plug last year and it was the best thing for me! I took some time out to focus on other things and was able to enjoy cooking, dining out etc without the pressure of thinking about whether they were blogable moments! Have a break and enjoy it! We will be here when you decide to come back!

Take care and keep having fun in that gorgeous city!

Best wishes,
Natasha

Agnes said...

I think that if you're not enjoying blogging, don't do it. It shouldn't be a chore, it should be something you enjoy :) Maybe a break from it will help or just reaffirm the fact that you don't want to do it any more - either way, good luck!

Cherie @ 'a baby called Max' said...

Oh no!

I've only just discovered you, & I adore!

You inspire me, you make food look so very beautiful, & I honestly wait for the next posts.

Don't go :) xx

Emma in Sydney said...

I love seeing where you have been and what has made it to your blog page. A break might help. I hope you come back

jody said...

No I don't want you to pull the plug!! I like visiting you here and seeing what you've been up too. Maybe take a break and don't put so much pressure on yourself to blog. You have had a lot on your plate. xx

Fatbooo said...

I love your photographer's eye, your pictures makes me really want to visit those places. Hope this is just a temporary break, sometimes life circumstances makes us change our priorities.

Agree with you about taking photos in public, lately I've been feeling a little self conscious about it too. And as for said 'fabulous bloggers', it is not where you go or how expensive the place is, it is the 'feel' and your 'personality' behind the post that makes it shine.

Take the time you need, most of us are subscribed to you anyway, so we'll still know when you've come back even if the pause was long.

john@heneedsfood said...

This is the first time I've put it out to the public, but lately it has been crossing my mind, as well. I really don't think I'll be pulling the plug anytime soon as I have so much more to do and share. I guess that's my problem. I want to share!

It's time consuming, steals time from your loved ones .. hell, it's exhausting at times!

Enjoy the break. You know I'll be envious. Just keep up those warm instagrams ;)

Spanner Crab said...

Is greenbeen a kind of job or work?
Is it not part of you?
That - even if you pull the plug - will still be there telling Dayle`s story? Being you?

How did you once get started?
For yourself?
Or for the others?

If it's not for Dayle anymore you know the answer... or is it then worth the pressure?

(And haven't you already found something else telling more of Dayle`s beautiful story?)

Don't compare. Identify.

Joanna Pitt - Brisbane said...

Dont you dare, you are my happy place, my comfort food. You help me make more of an effort. I reckon its the New Year blues, is your young chick off to school?

Habitat Harvest said...

Oh honey, I want to come to Melbourne right now and have a cuppa with you! You have so much creative talent, take the pressure off yourself and que sera sera!
PS: and hats off to the wonderful followers and supporters you have generated.... xx

Unknown said...

nooooooo!! But I definitely get it! My blog is sporadic but still a great outlet. But if you're not enjoying it then take a break - but leave yourself open to come back. And if you don't, you don't. Blogging should be fun, not a chore. Just make sure you stay on twitter!!! And good luck with your decision.

Sneh | Cook Republic said...

Awww. Hugs! In a lot of ways blogging is like motherhood. It is personal, it is demanding, it doesn't pay much, it is frustrating and it takes a piece of you every single day to take shape and form. Just like being a mom, sometimes you feel "Why should I even bother?" "Who the heck cares!" but you still trudge on because you just can't let it go. No matter how small or big a blog, it makes a difference in someone else's life, someone who might not even write to let you know about it. Your blog is your legacy, your voice .. something that keeps you sane and something your children will remember you by.

I started a blog LBOI http://www.littleboxofideas.com and blogged for 2 years before being reduced to tears and utterly overwhelmed by how it had consumed me. The last post I wrote on it was a year ago, I had left it open. Wasn't sure if I would go back, but wanted that option available. I used that time to work on some personal design projects, get my head straight, teach myself photography and infuse new life into Cook Republic (ah, its one blog or another for me :-)). As the months passed, the pain of letting LBOI go started fading. I started feeling whole again and I realised I would not go back to blogging on LBOI. I had found what I wanted to do for the rest of my life and that was Cook Republic and spending more time with loved ones and nurturing them.

The break helps immensely. It gives you perspective. It gives you time to heal from the battery you have received from running on the blogging wheel. At the end of it all, you would have either returned (and me and many others will be waiting to read your next post) or you might have found something else you love doing. In either case, you would have attained peace :-) Good Luck!

Printing-Tips.info said...

Sad to read that you are having doubts about your blog, Dayle, but great that you are able to realise what you are feeling and figure out how to get over it.

I think what you are going through is something that many of us experience in so many different areas of like. I was feeling the same way about my business throughout the last year - questioning if all the hard work was really worth it. Did I still want the car and the money and the big house - those things that were the "carrot" in front of me when I first started working for myself. At the end of the day, I think I would be happy without them (for the record, I don't yet have those things, but they have been my motivators when I first started my business).

A friend who I mentioned this to explained to me that I needed to find different reasons for doing what I do. Reasons that would motivate me to continue (if that was what I wanted to do). If I don't want the car and the house and the money, then what else can I access through the hard work that I am putting into my business. For me, it could be to inspire others, to have more free time by being able to dictate my hours and have a good income. It might be to leave a legacy of some kind. It might be that I am able to help others around me, or to provide a workplace that is fun and enjoyable - that people are proud to come to.

I found that doing this really helped me find a new reason to continue doing what I do, and striving to succeed. Maybe, if you want to keep blogging but are short of motivation, something like this would work for you? Your motivators from when you started the blog are likely to be very different today so maybe you need to shake things up a bit and redefine your blog's purpose.

You might want to look at turning it into a business, so that you are remunerated for your time?

You might want to start involving your kids, so they can be part of something they can look back on when they are teenagers?

You might want to inspire others through your passion for food?

Also, try looking at adding some boundaries and structure to your blogging. Try limiting yourself to two or four posts a month, for example. And try using an iPhone instead of your Canon for your photos. Sure, it's a bit crude but the pics on iPhones have really improved in the last year or so and you always have it with you so can snap a pic whenever you are in the mood - rather than the pressure of having to plan ahead and have your Canon with you.

Anyway, now I am raving on. Just thought I would share some thoughts based on my own recent pondering lol. Whatever you decide, it'll be right for you and that's all that matters :)

Stay well and I'll catch up with you soon.

X Dario

Printing-Tips.info said...

Wow - so many typos! Wish I could go back and edit - but I'm sure you'll get the gist of what I am trying to say :)

M. said...

such is inspiration... it comes and goes... you can't force it...

in my experience it's good to change subject for a while...if you shoot food all the time, focus on something different... you take great pictures...you just might need some change...
take care...
M.

suburbansider said...

Very sorry to hear this... maybe don't pull the plug...maybe just a break! You will get your inspiration back - it's in you! It won't stay quiet for long.

As everyone else has pretty much said, only do it if it makes you happy. However having said that, some of the things that do make us happy, especially I think if you are creatively motivated, are hard work - I can totally relate. Sometimes it's hard being creative but if you don't have some sort of outlet - it's worse! Maybe take a step back, approach it from another perspective?

Think of something that excites you, something different to what you are doing and focus on that for a while - either on or off the blog. Set little challenges or activities, not too taxing - things that you will enjoy and get you away from the bloggy rut.

I blogged several years ago and stopped when my life had some very drastic changes. I couldn't face blogging, also couldn't face reading my faves and I didn't even have a computer for a while but I really missed it and regret not having hung on to it even if only posting once a every couple of months. After a little break I got back to reading again and now after a couple of years I am very happy to be back again.
I find it good therapy!

I really, really love what you do here. Your photos are amazing, inspiring to me! I love the vibe going on. I learn something new every time I come. Your blog encourages me to be more thoughtful about food. To eat well. I love your perspective and what you have to say. Don't have self doubt! I love reading what you have for lunch and you do it so well!

Warmest wishes,
Ainslie

Son said...

No please don't pull the plug. A break is probably all that is needed. Your blog helped me fall in love with Brisbane. I moved there from Sydney three years ago and didn't know how I would cope in a smaller city. I thankfully discovered your blog and it helped me discover some fabulous places and before I knew it, I was in love with the place. I am also loving your Melbourne entries - we lived there years ago and loved it and your blog is bringing back wonderful memories of the place. So thank-you.

An interstate move is a very stressful experience- even when you love the place you have moved to. I know because we jhave done it many times and emotionally, it is very draining. Hang in there and if you take a break from blogging, please come back soon.