For some reason towards the end of the year, I get the sudden urge to blog like no tomorrow. Just write a ton of posts, scour the internet for others blogs, read their posts, admire their layouts and then write some more. This is likely because December is the slowest time of year for me personally and professionally and when I really give myself the time to reflect and think about my personal passions, I tend to ask āwhat would I like to be doing right now?ā, the answer always comes back to āread and discover personal blogs and write with reckless (and random) abandonā.
Last year, I re-started my blog journey and created a blog using BlueHost and WordPress. It was titled, āHealthy Scholarly Pursuitsā and it had its own domain name and hosting service to chronicle my journey returning to graduate school after a 10 year hiatus. I took the time to find the right theme, choose the right colors (down to the hex code) and create my own logos. I then created accompanying Pinterest and Instagram accounts. I wrote a few blogs before the spring semester started and then during, and then slowly the writing trailed off as school and work took priority. In truth, this pattern has been the case for me since Iāve been blogging way back in 2009. I want to write voraciously, then not, then think about it, write some drafts, post some, donāt post most, and then not at all.
Iām trying to see if this year, I can change that and it may just be me, or the vibes, or the weather, but thereās a quiet resurgence of just blogging on the web again thatās making me excited for whatās to come. In trying to find a new blog home, I noticed a lot more micro/minimal blog platforms and many that are somewhat new and beginning to grow into really cool sites. So why did I make the change? Well, simple: more options, cost, and pursuing digital gardeningā¦so grab your favorite bevy, bebida, drink, cafecito, tĆ©, and let me share with you, what Iāve learned:
The Indie Blogosphere
Simply, there are so many micro blog or minimalist blog options out there. Itās pretty awesome to come across so many sites that are being run by solo developers, small teams, and basically people with a passion and love for blogging and the indie web.
My first stop was going back to Bear Blog where I had started an anonymous account to see if I would write more - I didnāt. I really like Bear Blog and Hermanās philosophy and even their pricing model as this was the only one that offered a one-time fee for a lifetime of access, but it felt too bare-bones for me. I may come back, but for now I wanted something that just a tad bit more.
My second stop was a Google Search to get reviews from other bloggers and I came across this post from Magherally Lens, a photographer and blogger. From there, I visited each site on their list.
I found micro.blog, but I was overwhelmed by the home page and wanted to move away from a platform that still steered on the side of social content. Then there was Scribble, a spin-off of micro.blog (kinda, itās created by someone who started as a micro.blog user), but they are currently invitation only, because of several spam requests. I wanted to get started right away so I passed. Oh and Pika, which I really fell in love with the look, feel and community, but it cost more than the one I chose. I then searched a little more and landed here at Jason Journals when I decided to look at Pagecord. It turned out to be the most versatile and affordable at $29.99/year, save for Bear Blog if you pay the one-time fee for lifetime access (which in the long run could be truly the most affordable offer of them all).
Iām also a visual person and again love to look at others blogs to see how these platforms were transformed by their users. Bear Blog has a discovery feed, but the top ranked sites seemed to repeat themselves despite their attempt at creating an equitable algorithm so it was a little hard to see the variety. Pika used to have a Pika Pulse and then shut it down due to a need for moderation. I do enjoy clicking that ārandom nourishing activityā button :-). I couldnāt find anything for Scribble or micro.blog and Pagecord just created a pretty cool random shuffle feed.
It Cost How Much?
Okay, what is really making me say bye to BlueHost and Wordpress combo? Well for one itās cost. When I decided to finally pay for a domain and hosting a site - something super new to me, I followed the how-tos and viola was able to get a site up and running in a few hours. The upfront cost was cheap since lots of services offer first year deals, but when the second year comes around thatās when they get you and they got me good. It was set as an auto-renewal and I didnāt realize how much they would charge me in the second year (see below).
Blue Host
- Year 1 - $23.88
- Year 2 - $143.88
My domain name to renew also went up and cost $39.98 so in total, my blogging hobby cost roughly $185 a year. If I plan to do this long term, the price needs to go wayyyy down.
Trying out Digital Gardening
I will probably dedicate a separate post for this topic, but all to say that another major reason why I wanted to find a new blog home and identity is because I have lots of interests, as many bloggers do and I donāt always want it to be limited to a single blog identity. Donāt get me wrong, a blog brand does serve a purpose and something I am interested in, but for now, I just want to write more, share more, and get better at it. I also love the idea of our lives viewed as gardens and came across this post by Elizabeth Tai explaining the difference between blogging and digital gardening that then led to this post by Joel Hooks that perfectly captured the concept.
Thereās so many parts of ourselves that are interesting - I like to read, but I like to play video games. I love coffee, but Iām drinking more tea and now am on an adventure of finding ones I love as much as coffee. Iām figuring out how to cook and clean better, but I have my fair share of lazy days. Iām a student, but also an academic. I love history of medicine topics, but Iām in school studying public health and current health trends. Iām also many things in my personal life including mom, wife, daughter, in-law, pet parent and the list goes on. These are not meant to be opposing, just to point out that weāre all multi-faceted beings and thatās a really neat thing.
So instead of curating a blog on just this one thing, my student journey, I plan to write about that and other things too. The goal is that Iām improving on my writing skills while sharing more about my joys and passion. I think we need more joy and I think this post on Sylviaās Noodling Nook describes the beauty of joy so well. I sincerely believe this can help make the internet a better place and why not?
So, whatās next?
I'll be tending to this digital garden now that Iāve paid a lease for this digital space and moving my old blog posts here. My blogās timeline might look a little odd, but bear with me as I figure this out. Iām also threading my socials into this blog too. I plan to have a home page, a Now page, a Start Here page, and a few other features as time goes on. Iāll also be updating my BlueSky and consolidating a lot of accounts. Gardens can look messy when you start one and so this blog is no different.
And I still want to use my old send off because it still holds meaning and value, but with a twist - trying to keep with the garden theme so here goesā¦
To tending lovely messes,
AW