Simon Cox tagged me to answer this cool challenge that was started by Ava’s Bear Blog Challenge.
Why did you make the blog in the first place?
I made this website specifically because I wanted a safe space to talk about whatever I wanted to. I have covered this in the very first post I wrote on this blog.
The main idea is that I was finding it difficult to post my unfiltered random thoughts. Social media is not designed for vulnerability, it is designed for engagement. And since I was expected to be a certain way on each platform, I felt like I was not being myself. So this blog (which I call my internet diary) is the place where I can do the most random shit lol.
What platform are you using to manage your blog, and why do you use it?
Currently, I am using WordPress. I actually wanted to make simple HTML sites, just like how Simon does it, but I quickly realized that it is way harder than I thought. And I am not the biggest fan of writing code. I only did it because of school and college assignments. But funnily enough, I want to start coding again (and it’s not like I am a pro at it or something).
Okay, we’re drifting away from the question.
Coming back to the question, I use WordPress because it’s rather easy for me to use and it’s not that expensive. If I go into technical details, I am using the Twenty Twenty-Four theme, and the hosting of this website is on the same plan as my work website. So I don’t really have to pay for much, except for the domain. Fun fact: my Girl math brain thinks that this website is free since I am not paying for hosting.
The other reason is that I have already used WordPress so I am well-versed in how it works (at least for my usage).
In an ideal world, I would do something like a simple HTML-based website that looks like it’s from 90’s or something. Don’t tell me how to describe it because it’s hard for me to do so lol.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
Not really. I have only used WordPress since I started out in 2021. I don’t know if it counts as blogging but here goes: when I was in middle school and high school, I used to write lengthy posts on my Notepad or Word and save them on my computer. These were not blogging-style posts, but rather personal diary-style posts. Oh, and not to forget that I used to have a physical diary where I used to write. I guess I have been writing for a while now.
But I can understand that this was not intended to be the answer to this question lol. Moving on…
Do you write your posts directly in the editor or in another software?
I typically write my posts in Coda. I have a whole doc for the Blog section and I write my posts there. I then copy-paste from Coda to the WordPress editor. I remember there was a time when I directly wrote the post in the WP editor and it was because I was updating the Now page. So that would be the only time I wrote directly in the WP editor.
For my blog on Packted, I have a Notion thing with all the posts. And don’t ask me why I use both Coda and Notion when I can use one. I don’t know the answer lol, it just works and I have been doing this for a while.
Oh, and yeah I accept those Grammarly suggestions. Sometimes it goes overboard and tries to change the whole sentence, but I don’t like it. So yeah, that’s what I do.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
It is hard to answer. Some days I have a sudden urge to write and I end up writing a 3000-word blog and 5 LinkedIn posts in one day. And other days, I don’t write anything.
If I try to think hard, one of the instances when I feel inspired to write is when I am met with an interesting opinion or something. Let’s say I am watching a YouTube video, or reading a book and this person shares something interesting. I wrote that on my ideas page and ended up writing about it.
The other thing is that when it comes to writing for work – let’s say LinkedIn posts, articles for Packted, or scripting YouTube videos, I tend to run away from them. But when it comes to writing posts like this, where my mind is wandering freely, they’re much more easy to write. I hope this changes lol.
When it comes to writing for this blog, it’s hard to point out where the inspiration comes from. If I have enough time to dedicate, then I start writing. That’s it lol.
Do you publish immediately after writing or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
On this blog, I publish posts as soon as I finish writing (obviously after some editing). I don’t want to let it simmer because there are thoughts I am thinking at a particular moment, and if I let it simmer, I would end up deleting the whole thing. My brain works differently when it comes to this blog. And since this website is my pass to do anything, I do whatever lol.
For Packted, I let it sit for a few days and then I come back to edit and post.
What’s your favorite post on your blog?
I don’t really have a preference, but the Bengaluru blog was cool. I want to make more posts like these since I recently came home from Vietnam. It would be cool to share all the experiences, and funnily enough, that post is in draft right now.
Any future plans for the blog?
I have a ton of plans actually. I plan on writing more posts. I want to write reviews of the products I am using, the places I went, the foods I had, and the restaurants I visited. There are a lot of things to explore and I believe this is just the start.
And the other thing is that I actually want to post here more often. I don’t do that much, especially when I love this website so much.
<3