Though I’ve already done something similar for people & blogs, I thought it could be interesting to answer similar questions in a different slice of time after being tagged by Naz Hamid for the blog questions challenge. Also I want to be a good sport for the indieweb, so here goes:
Why did you start blogging in the first place?
I had my first serious personal website built with greymatter around the year 2000. I probably saw some people using greymatter, and followed suit. Concurrently a colleague introduced me to livejournal, which set the precedence for the tone of writing that still exists on this website today. I saw “blogging” as a form of online public journalling, and I needed a place where I can express my thoughts freely. I struggle to express myself verbally, so writing is very cathartic to me. Only upon hindsight, I realised the preference to live on the internet and my website versus physical reality is a form of neurodivergence. Most people prefer real-life interactions, I very much prefer asynchronous interactions. Blogging is not casual to me, it is my way of life and it is continuously making my existence.
What platform are you using to manage your blog and why did you choose it?
I am using wordpress, and I wrote an essay explaining why. But the short gist is that I wanted a dynamic website so I can have bi-directional links and dynamic queries, so a flat file system wouldn’t work for me.
Sadly the reputation of wordpress has tanked further since, but I am loyal to Pods the plugin not wordpress, so I’ll be happy to follow if Pods makes a move. That said, wordpress is the hard work of hundreds of people, it is unfortunate that it is bearing so much damage simply because of one person.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
Yes chronologically: greymatter, livejournal, vox, posterous, jekyll. I got tired of platforms shutting down, and I also didn’t want to have to build my website every time I publish or make changes, so I had hoped wordpress would be my forever home.
How do you write your posts? For example, in a local editing tool, or in a panel/dashboard that’s part of your blog?
I mostly write my posts in the wordpress editor, I like that I can check the formatting as I go. People complain about gutenberg, but I have no issues with it. Once in a while I use iA Writer to write something that requires complete focus in a light meditative state.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
Inspiration is not a regular occurrence for me because of my mental and physical health. So I set myself a routine to write every sunday, rain or shine. It is the easiest for me to write early in the morning once I wake up and make my morning coffee.
Do you publish immediately after writing, or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
Most of the time, I publish it immediately after doing a quick scan once I am done with writing. I prefer to write posts that are more stream of consciousness. But there have been instances when I had to complete the post in multiple sittings, or the topic may be potentially controversial, or I was trying to express a complex idea – those instances I may let it simmer for a few days, but almost never longer than that.
What are you generally interested in writing about?
I write mostly about my self. It sounds narcissistic I know. But most of us tend to put up masks or false fronts because of societal conditions. I think we need to witness more of the depth and difference that humanity can offer, yet we tend to seek out popularity and acceptance by writing posts that can cater the masses. Writing as honestly as I can about my self is my way of being the change I want: I want more of these writing to exist in this world too, so more people can feel less existentially lonely, and that we need not be so afraid to be our selves.
I also personally enjoy it when people write about themselves or obscure topics. Popular writing that cater to the mass are mostly regurgitating mainstream narratives, so I don’t find it interesting. I want to live in an interesting world that surprises me.
Throughout my life I have come across vulnerable or posts with rare topics that have greatly helped me in my personal journey as a human being. I wish to pay this forward.
Who are you writing for?
My self, again. My primary goal is to document my life and my state of mind. I find the process of looking back at some of my old entries enlightening, because I tend to forget what I’ve learnt and who I was. But through writing for myself, I find that the writing resonates with people who needs it the most: people who struggle and cope with similar issues. I think it is a greatly healing experience to know that we are not alone.
What’s your favorite post on your blog?
The story. I also have a playlist of other favourites.
Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, a move to another platform, or adding a new feature?
I wish to surface the existing content of this blog in more meaningful ways. I think it is a pity that we are conditioned to consume content chronologically, only favouring the latest and the trending. But for long running blogs like mine, there are probably buried gems here and there, unable to see light because many blogs can only be navigated chronologically. There could be a great post hiding five years back, but nobody is going to browse the archives that way. Right now I bundle some of my posts together and call them playlists, we could also browse them by tags and “on this day“. Are there more ways?
I have also been wanting to experiment with more content forms apart from a long linear essay – I loved tappable stories and interactive essays for example – but I am limited by my health. Who knows, though?
Tag ‘em.
I am shy about tagging people, so I’ll only tag one person I know who wouldn’t mind being tagged.
related posts
interview by the partner part I: on writing and its process
a multi-part series of questions by @launshae
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