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The longer blogs are around, and the more of them that pop up in the world, the more we begin seeing innovative approaches to blogging. I’d like to share one of those with you today.
My Mom pointed me to Marie Mayhew’s blog, Been There. Done That: My Pinterest Summer Adventure. Marie’s doing two very interesting things here:
- Marie loves to pin household tips and recipes on Pinterest. So each day, she’s taking one pin and following it to its original source. Then she’s trying out the tip or recipe, and writing a short blog post sharing how it went and what she learned, and most importantly, linking to that original source post.
- She’s keeping this blog-project up only for this summer.
Best Ever Baked Oven Fries. All images in this post by Marie Mayhew, and used with permission.
I love the idea of a limited-duration blog about a very specific theme. Not every blog has to continue in perpetuity. Content you create for the web, assuming it’s about evergreen things, can stay on the web indefinitely. So if a long-term blog feels like too much of an undertaking, why not create a smaller project, like Marie’s done? (For the record, Marie also keeps an ongoing blog, called That’s Woolly Something.)
…And, all my reservations about Pinterest aside, I love that Marie’s made a project of actively using the information she finds online. We all tend to stockpile “great ideas,” but how many of us actually use them? And isn’t it always compelling to hear about someone else’s experience with a web how-to?
Marie’s completely honest about how things went, too – if a recipe wasn’t great, she’ll say so. If she made a bunch of alterations, she’ll share what they were. That’s extremely useful data! And if Marie finds a tip or recipe especially successful, she’ll give it her “Red Pin Award.”
…And I have to give her special props for taking her own photographs of her own results and sharing these on her blog – rather than just grabbing the images from the Pinterest pins. That’s a touch that speaks to the authenticity of Marie’s approach, and is very respectful to the original creators.
Pop over there and say howdy this weekend! You might find something useful to make or try.
Thanks, Diane, for the wonderful words! You have captured exactly what I have been trying to do, for myself if nothing else. You are so like your Mom – wonderful!
warm regards,
Marie
When I saw that flash of light go off in your mind (yup – your mother can see those!) I knew you were intrigued the minute I described what Marie was up to on her new blog!
I totally love her new blog and secretly wish she will keep it going. But if you think about it – the amount of time that she invests would be difficult to maintain over a long period – especially when what she really loves doing most is creating the sweetest knitted/felted creatures ever. I am completely smitten by the patterns she creates on That’s Woolly Something.
But I am going to enjoy her Summer Adventure while it lasts!
I’ve been wondering about the short term blog – I don’t want to blog about life in Italy with small children on my design blog, but I’m also not going to live there very long so I didn’t want to commit to a blog about it – it would only have a lifespan of about a year. On the other hand, I know a lot about traveling with small children that others might find interesting…hmmmmm….I guess a short term blog is sort of like publishing a chapter every month in a periodical until the story is over. No one expected Dickens to write Pickwick Papers forever, he just wrote until he was done.
I wonder where the assumption that blogs should be forever came from?
That’s an excellent question, Rachel!
“No one expected Dickens to write Pickwick Papers forever, he just wrote until he was done.”
I love that! I think the more bloggers can think of themselves as authors and not “just a blogger” the easier and faster it will be to see all the inherit possibilities. Books and magazines are written a thousand different ways, why not blogs?
Hi Sister-Diane,
Marie’s blogging activities is a great idea. So many bloggers eventually come up against a what shall i write about now wall that will can shut down a blog. Finding others to fuel your own mini blogging adventures like what Maries is doing can be the fix many blogger are looking for.
I also agree with you Diane, that we do need to share each others information. Even if its just to share another perspective on a topic or craft.
Many Blessings
Janet
I love this idea! And I love the idea of seeing someone else vet some of this tips for me. ;)
Thank you for posting this! You just inadvertently gave me a GREAT blogging idea!
Hah, wow! That’s a pure lifehack!