At the start of this month I set out a challenge to post once a day on this blog. This is something that I have not attempted before, with the average number of monthly posts over the past three years usually surmounting to four or five. And so, what have I learnt from the experience thus far?

Blogging takes time

Yes, I have posted before, but by engaging in the blog every single day (so far!) has made me truly realise the amount of time and effort that is needed. I’ve had to set aside at least 20-30 minutes each day in order to write a new post (or to resurrect a previous idea or older draft), make it look presentable (wrestling with the formatting of WordPress!), then to upload it (along with the obligatory image).

I have a new appreciation of full-time bloggers who spend hours every day on their blogs. They have a patience and dedication that I cannot muster together.

This blog has too many categories

Since 1st April I have blogged about:

  • The Tudors
  • Cornish football
  • Castles
  • Family history
  • Ferdinand Cheval
  • The Avengers
  • Beer
  • Wars
  • Typos
  • The Crown TV show
  • Blogging

Most blogs have a specific interest in which they follow or a specific niche that they can highlight and promote. Of course, this blog has always gone in the direction of any of my whims or fancies, but perhaps there is an argument of focussing on a specific category or topic.

If I focussed exclusively on the Tudors then the blog could become more of a valuable resource and useful tool. Such a specific focus would allow me to delve deeper into debates and this period of history. However, the counter-argument is that I would then lose the opportunity to simply blog about whatever pleases me. Ultimately, focusing on one specific thing is not reflective of what I teach or what I read: my history interests are diverse, and as such, it is only fitting that the blog continues as an eclectic combination of posts.

I love blogging

The past three weeks has made me reflect on the past three years of blogging: I really do love this. I do it as a hobby and I have enjoyed seeing the blog grow since its birth in 2018. I like how the act of writing and postings allow me to consider my own interests and my role as a teacher. And above all of this, I continue to get a kick out of writing something and putting it out into the world.

Blogging seemed to be in fashion two decades ago in the earlier days of the internet. I regularly read blogs of various writers – both famous and non-famous – as it provided a means for different people to connect to one another. Of course, the rise of social media in the late 2000s into the 2010s meant that blogs became more niche; in many ways, society is poorer for this. Blogs encouraged people – essentially non-writers – to put their thoughts down on the page to be read by the rest of the world (or, as it turned out, by five or six people!).

This blog has allowed me to rediscover that earlier passion. And hopefully I can continue to keep that fire burning in the months and years ahead.