No, that’s not it. It’s definitely not that I don’t have the time. After all I can kill hours just playing solitaire on my phone. (Why is that so addicting for me? I tell myself I just need to get to 30,000 points and then I’ll put the phone down. Or maybe 32, or 35,000, and so on. I’m not and never really have been a video game fanatic but I can see how people get hooked on these games.) And so I haven’t had a Sunday Post, or any other posts, in a few weeks.
Ideas for new blog posts come to me while I’m driving. Or more often while I’m in the shower, or maybe while I’m at work. For whatever reason, it’s been impossible to stop and make notes and try to develop these ideas into more than a couple of random thoughts.
A couple of my ideas:
- After reading about an episode of vandalism in town by a couple of college students I wanted to write about our youth’s apparent lack of respect for other people’s property and our lovely downtown neighborhood.
- After reading my mother’s new blog and having her read mine and realizing how little we really know each other, I had the idea of collaborating on a new blog with her where we could both share our perspectives on the same subject or memory.
- I’ve wanted to go out and practice portrait shots, using my son as a model, with one goal of ending up with something I can give to family since I’ve stopped buying school portraits. But I’ve been busy taking sports portraits and with the work that comes after those shoots. You might expect that this would actually qualify as portrait practice, but it really doesn’t. During these shoots time is limited and parents aren’t looking for something creative, but I know that practice can only enhance the pictures I shoot out on the soccer and baseball fields.
- A couple of months ago I went out for a photo walk with a friend and fellow blogger and really enjoyed myself and I was happy with the pictures that resulted from it, both hers and mine. We parted ways promising to do it again and take our walk in the park once the weather got warm. It’s been three months now and I keep meaning to check in with her and schedule that photo date.
I know I’ve had other bits of ideas but since they weren’t in my brain very long I can’t even remember what they are today.
Some of the Daily Prompts have almost inspired me to play along and write something. And you know what’s stopped me? First reason is laziness. It seems like way too much of an effort. Second reason: fear of failure. So maybe there’s really no way to fail at blogging (is there?) but seeing everyone else’s words on my screen is intimidating. There are so many great writers out there and I’m afraid of looking like an idiot among geniuses. Today I read a post by my photo walk partner and once again I felt in awe. I can’t possibly write so beautifully. No point in trying.
This weekend we’re headed back to West Virginia to spend time with my husband’s family, visit with friends, and hang out at the local pub where he will be doing an acoustic gig Saturday night. In my bag I’ll be packing my stationery, a notepad, and a pen. I’ll be looking for inspiration and hoping that it stays with me long enough for me to write about it. Because despite my procrastinating ways and writing insecurities, I know that the only way to improve is to do the work – practice, practice, practice. And when an idea comes along, stop and write it down.
Maybe you’ll see a lot of fluff, or some random sentences that don’t really go together, but please be patient as I try to immerse myself in this blogging adventure.