BlogHer '14: Take Back Your Blog
Sunday, July 27, 2014 at 02:26PM 
Between my moments of Oh Hey, I'm Not Alone and Holy Shit, I'm a Total Freak -- which pretty much sums up my whole experience of BlogHer '14 (and I'm sure more than one of you would have been able to predict that), I did actually have some revelations. Which is good since I went into it feeling like I was at a crossroads.
Basically: why bother? why even blog?
And what I realized, slowly, through the daze of my extreme culture shock, was this.
A lot of the blogging I was seeing and hearing about was a weird co-opted distortion of the true potential of blogs as a vehicle of self-expression.
"Influencer" is just a way of dolling-up blogging-for-dollars, masking the fact that taking money to write about products casts women in the role of consumers, largely in the housewifely arena, rather than producers, of their own thoughts, of their own art, of their own politics, ambition, lives.
Is it any wonder I felt like a fish out of water?
BlogHer communicated, I thought, such a weird mixed message. On the one hand, from the stage, a celebration of all that had been accomplished in 10 years of BlogHer, in 10 years of women's blogging as a platform for the full spectrum of women's interests, voices and aspirations. Hear us roar. Yay. On the other hand, in the break-outs, an emphasis on advertising, on making deals with sponsors, on earning. And the expo? Well, put it this way: the long line of people waiting to have their picture taken with the real-live Khloe Kardashian in the hair products booth pretty much summed it up for me.
I admit that I have let the rhetoric spin my head for a few years now, and have been feeling inadequate for some time. Like why don't I have 80,000 page views a day. Or why am I not depositing big ad checks in the bank on the regular. And is anybody even reading me?
Oh, fucking woe is me. Why even bother?
Why? Because actually the number of people reading me IS NOT THE POINT. [Not to say that I don't appreciate you if you are reading me, 'cause believe me, I really do. I love the feedback when I get it. I love the dialogue. I love knowing that maybe someone out there is nodding her/his head in agreement. That's awesome.]
But really and truly: the object of self-expression is not page views. It's not getting paid. It isn't a book deal. Nope. It isn't about any of that. Not even when everyone around you is chattering excitedly about monetization and optimization and audience and targeting and reach.
Shut that Noise Down.
Take Back your Blog.
Write what the hell you want to write. Say what you think, not what you're paid to think about on any given day of the week. Yes, I get it: you need money. We all need money. But be careful: are you really clear what you're trading your voice, your platform, for?
Where does this leave me on the Monday after BlogHer '14? Same place as before, except better, for which I am grateful: at my desk. Thinking. Writing. Posting. Clear about why I do what I do -- which is basically for no other reason than the sheer pleasure of creating something, of putting words to "paper," of thinking my own thoughts. Of going my own way, just like the header above says, living a big life. Telling my story, with no pay day in sight, because I can.
If you're feeling like you should just give up, I say again, Shut That Noise Down. Do YOU, even when you think no one's listening. Write YOU. Take Back Your Blog.
xx
Reader Comments (3)
Love this. No matter what others are doing, DO YOU! Pleasure meeting you at BlogHer '14
"If you're feeling like you should just give up, I say again, Shut That Noise Down. Do YOU, even when you think no one's listening. Write YOU. Take Back Your Blog." Thank you for writing Ariane! I can relate because teaching yoga is similar. Sometimes I feel like a complete misfit and I just have to remember that is ok and even good to just "do me" or use my own inner voice when I teach, instead of just teaching what will "sell." There is a huge difference in this biz of yoga. Numbers can always increase if we are willing to "sell out". So I get this: "We all need money. But be careful: are you really clear what you're trading your voice, your platform, for?" Thank you Force Expansive!
I love and appreciate your perspective about the conference. I'm sorry I didn't meet you at BlogHer. I had similar thoughts... And although I am creating a business from my site, my big take-away was "stay true to yourself and do not compromise. As tempting as it may be to make money, if it is not inline with who you are and the message you want to convey to the world, at the end of the day you will feel like you're selling out. I saw all those brands at the expo and the hunger for many bloggers to monetize and I felt that ick-factor to some extent. But then I realized that each of us has a different reason for blogging. I do see a way to stay in line with your integrity if you are helping your reader discover a brand/service that is actually helpful to them. My bottom line is if I can stay true to myself and serve my readers, it's all good (in my opinion). I love that your blog is a platform primarily for your own self expression and you are beholden to no one but yourself. That allows for true freedom of expression (a luxurious experience and a luxury we Americans can be grateful for). You Go & Keep on Living Big!