A Love Letter to Blogging, or Why Blogs are More Relevant than Ever
It’s almost Valentine’s Day and if you’ve been around a while you know I love it. Not for the commercial aspects (though I’m a fan of both chocolate and flowers) but because the idea of a day devoted to LOVE makes me happy.
Yesterday my blogging class went live on Skillshare. I’ve been focused on it since the beginning of the year and so blogs and blogging have been at the front of my mind lately.
I love blogs. I love blogging. I thought it would be the perfect time to sing it from the rooftops (or just write a love letter to blogging here on my blog).
Why I love reading blogs
Before I started teaching myself how to paint or even admitted to myself that I dreamed of being able to paint, I read artists’ blogs and was inspired by the stories these artists were sharing. Their example encouraged me to unearth my deeply buried dream and then be brave enough to begin painting.
I’m forever grateful. Many of those blogs no longer exist, but Kelly Rae Roberts, one of my favorites from that time, is still blogging.
Blogs also opened up a world of ideas. Gardening, decorating, cooking, homesteading, sewing, crochet, knitting… all sorts of making and crafting and dreaming were being shared on blogs. Blogs gave me glimpses into other peoples’ lives. They made me even more determined to live a beautiful and creative life.
Why I love blogging
My first blog no longer exists, but in the fall of 2010 I started a second blog dedicated to documenting my creative journey. In the beginning I participated in online blogging events — Art Every Day Month, Paint Party Friday (both are still going!) — and the blogging community was so encouraging of my first tentative steps into learning how to paint.
Right from the beginning one of my main goals with my blog was to inspire others. I wanted to pay forward the inspiration. It’s been an important part of everything I do and has been woven into my business from the start. A whole world opened up to me when I began reading blogs. I still want to share the wonder.
Through my blog I’ve met so many people — some who have become dear friends, some with whom I’ve collaborated. My collaborative 2x2 Sketchbook project with Dana Barbieri was a huge turning point for my art. It helped me to embrace the joy of sketchbooks. They’ve since become an important part of my art practice. Our project also led to my first magazine feature when it was included in Issue 29 of UPPERCASE Magazine.
I collaborated with many artists over the years in three interview series my second blog and this one (I moved here from Blogspot in 2018) — Artist Interviews, Sketchbook Conversations and Sips of Inspiration.
Meeting Laura Bray through my blog led to collaborating with her on my first embroidery kits.
Thanks to my blog I’ve been interviewed on podcasts and featured in magazines and a book. When I first fell in love with blogs, I discovered Artful Blogging Magazine and dreamed of someday appearing on its pages. In the fall of 2016 that dream came true!
So many of my creative dreams have come true over the years and my blog is a big part of why they have.
Blogs Today
Many of the blogs I used to love no longer exist. Blogging has changed over the years. The engaged community of bloggers that cheered me on through Paint Party Friday and Art Every Day Month doesn’t exist in the same way it did. Many people moved to social media for sharing and connection. But many bloggers just kept blogging, too.
In November when I announced that I was quitting Instagram for good I shared a list of 39 of my favorite blogs. Despite what some people say, blogging is not dead.
I’ve seen more and more artists become dissatisfied on social media. I was recently interviewed by Gwenn Seemel about my decision to quit it. She shared her piece about artists quitting Instagram and Facebook on her blog this week and I was glad to get the perspectives of some other artists on the topic.
As artists step back from social media, some have embraced blogs. I hope more do. I look forward to seeing new blogs popping up. I dream of a blogging renaissance. That dream is what sparked the idea for my new Skillshare class.
And now that class is here:
Beginner's Guide to Creative Blogging: How to Set Yourself Up for Success a Skillshare Class from Anne Butera
Thank YOU, my dear blog readers, for continuing to encourage me on my creative journey.
I hope I can encourage you on yours.
Part of my dream of a blogging renaissance is an active and engaged community of blog readers. I want that for all of us. We’re all in this together. Let’s support and encourage one another.
If you have a blog, please share the link with me and I’ll add you to this post. (I’m starting the list with a couple blogs readers shared after my post last week).
(Please note: If I didn’t add your blog to my lists it’s not a value judgment and I’m not excluding anyone! My tired brain can only remember so much. Email me and remind me and I’ll add you in!)
My Giant Strawberry Blog Reader and Student Blogs:
Blogs I Share in My New Class:
More Blogs I Love:
(I’m probably forgetting some, so please share your favorites in the comments, too!).
I’ve opened some free spots in my class just for my blog readers. If you’ve been thinking about starting a blog, maybe you want to join me? You can claim one here. If the link doesn’t work, all the free spots have been claimed, but don’t worry, I’m sharing more free spots next week with my Joy Letter subscribers (subscribe here if you haven’t already). Or if you’re new to Skillshare you can try it free for a month with this link. I’d love to see you in class.