Lately, I have been loathing the blog.
Okay, okay. I know that sounds a little melodramatic- cue the violins, but seriously, it has been a slog for me for the last year.
I’ve been trying to sort out why.
I started this whirly-gig of fun back in 2008. I had just graduated college. I was single, living alone in Alaska, and working two jobs to make ends meet. In the evenings, I came home to my apartment (which was one of the nicest apartments I have ever had) and drew paper dolls.
I’ve been trying to sort out why I did that. Why I started this.
Here’s the story I normally tell people:
In 2008, during a long cold Alaskan winter, I got addicted to a blog called Liana’s Paper Doll Blog and I decided to start my own blog inspired by hers. It was a way of passing the time in the cold and dark.
There’s the problem with that story. It doesn’t address the “why” I did it.
Because it sure as heck wasn’t to make fame and fortune.
For nearly three hours last Saturday, my boyfriend and I discussed the blog. He asked me tons of great questions about why I started and what I liked. The whole conversation started with me stating, “I’m going to delete the blog.”
And him saying, “I don’t think you really want to do that.”
Why I Got into this Blog in the First Place…
- I have a compulsive need to finish my work. Just drawing is not enough. I need to feel like I have “completed” something and the blog closes that loop for me
- In an effort to be more mainstream, I have diversified my content; however, I really didn’t get into this to write tutorials on how to draw or to talk about historical costume (though I love those things), I got into it to draw paper dolls.
- My readers don’t get to dictate what I do, so I should so what I want to do and if it pleases or displeases people, they can get over it.
So, things are going to change on Monday.
The New Plan Is….
Each Monday there will be a doll posted from one of my series and an outfit. Every day for the rest of the week, there will be another outfit or accessories. On Friday, I’ll post a round-up with another outfit and links to all the proceeding outfits.
The next week, I’ll do it all over again.
I hoping this new format will get me excited again about doing what I made the blog to do: Draw paper dolls.
It also removes the pressure of layout work which is actually one of the most time consuming parts of the paper doll process.
Process posts will continue, but they’ll be posted on my Patreon page. If you love the blog, than please consider supporting it. Shocking as this may sound, there are quite a lot of expenses involved in running this site.
And while I don’t know for certain that this new plan will cure my ennui about the blog, I can say this: I have been excited to draw for the first time in what feels like a long time and that has to be a good sign.
This is actually the format I had for the first two years of the blog, before the crash in 2009. It feels both good and a little strange to be returning to my roots like this, but I’m excited.
I hope y’all are excited, too.
I love your site. I wouldn’t care if all you drew were… were….*thinks* slugs. But please don;t draw slug paper dolls.
i hope this helps you start enjoying your blog again. i’m sorry if you’ve felt any of us have dictated what you should do, i’m sure none of us meant to, it is your blog and ,yes, you should do as you please here, i think mostly what was meant was suggestions. i only ask one thing, if this doesn’t make you enjoy this again, please don’t delete the blog, you will get new fans in the future and they won’t be able to come here and get the dolls. i have experienced this, found something new to me, fell in Love with it, gone to the original site only to find it gone. if you decide not to continue can you just close the blog but still leave it up for others to enjoy your work? i wish you all the best in what ever you want to do.
The issue of keeping up the blog if I am not updating is an issue of expense. Server space, domain name, firewalls- these things cost money and so I don’t know if I wasn’t enjoying it that I would want to pay the costs of keeping it online. All hobbies have costs associated with them, but if I’m not updating than I don’t know that I would want to pay the several hundred dollars a year that the blog costs me.
However, I have no intentions of taking it down right now.
And I’ve never felt as though my readers were overly demanding. It was more about me trying to please other people over pleasing myself which is a problem I have always struggled with.
I nearly had a heart attack when I read the words, “delete the blog”!!
I’m sorry you’re feeling burned out; I’ve abandoned many blog projects for the same reason. It’s so easy to lose sight of why – and for whom – you put this considerable effort in, and become disenchanted with it. I’ve been envious of your dedication and staying power for many years – I don’t know how you do it!
Really hope the changes you’re making help you to fall in love again.
And I respectfully disagree with AnonA – please *DO* draw slug paper dolls! 😉
I would love the slug paper dolls too, especially if the outfits were pretty.
This is a wonderful site. In whatever way, shape or form.
I can sympathize with your lack of interest in the blog. I’ve been struggling with that all year, too. Maybe it’s just something in the stars this year!
An outfit-a-day format sounds like fun. I usually do something like that in December and I enjoy it.
I’m looking forward to the changes — I hope it helps you enjoy your hobby again!
I don’t know if there is something in the air, but I do think there’s an… an age issue. Where you’ve been doing the same thing for long enough and it begins to feel less engaging and exciting than it once did. At least, that’s true for me.
There’s truth to the age idea. Every project has a life span and evolves accordingly.
I’m excited for you, seems like a new season in life is beginning. Thanks for continuing the blog. I love your paper dolls.
I love your paper dolls and I love learning about how you research them. Thank you for continuing the blog, but if it becomes too much for you – please, think of yourself first.
Congratulations on your decision. 🙂
I applaud you’re re-evaluating! I’m blessed to have a practice with a 3-year cycle that forces me to dump what I’ve already done and try something new. Of course, it also requires a 3-year commitment to the new system, which I start panicking about 4 months out. 🙂
I respect that your taking the time out to re-evaluate your craft, that’s important. But it’s not going to stop me from gushing over your work.
I emailed you a few years ago to tell you how happy the inclusiveness of your work made me and that I could give dolls in every shade to my niece. She’s eight now and still has and plays with them. This summer she took them to day camp with her and she was excited that she had a doll that looks like each of her friends.
Whatever form your work takes know that you have a lifelong fan.
Question: Have you still been considering compiling your work into a book?
Yes, I am. That’s one of the projects I am hoping this new format will help me complete. 🙂
OH! I’m so glad you’re not deleting it! I JUST found it! I’m so in love!!! My daughter and I have scissor thumbs, we’ve been cutting out stuff all day. She’s in love, too. She’s 6. Thanks so much!