The question "what is your blog about" is asking about the content of your posts. While, "what kind of blog do you have" is asking what category, or niche, do you fall within, fashion, parenting, beauty, etc. Typically, I have no problem answering these questions. Chasing Joy is about my journey to finding more happiness and Joy in life by trying new things, practicing, gratitude, and setting goals. What kind of blog do I have? For a long time I would say I had a non-niche blog, meaning my blog did not fit with any of the other categories. Then I learned about lifestyle blogs.
Lifestyle blogs are about the life of the writer. Chasing Joy is a lifestyle blog. Almost everything I write about on Chasing Joy has to do with my life. I don't regularly provide fashion, weight loss, cooking, career or any other kinds of tips or advice. However, I have been known to touch on each of these areas as they come up in my life.
Like I said, I don't typically have a problem answering these questions. However, there was one time when I hesitated and then withdrew from the conversation. This was at a blog conference. It was toward the end of the multi-day conference and people were getting a little tired from all of the networking. I was seated at a little table with a few other women whom I'd just meant. One of the women asked the rest of us what are blogs were about. Before it was my turn to answer one woman said, please don't tell me you write about yourself and your life, if I hear that one more time. Some bloggers are so self-centered talking about themselves all of the time. (Not her exact words but close).
I was surprised and taken aback by her reaction. It actually made me not want to mention that I write about myself. I don't even remember how I answered her question when it was my turn to introduce myself. I know I did not say much nor did I talk about Chasing Joy with my normal level of enthusiasm. Her negativity momentarily cast a shadow on the normal Joy I feel talking about this blog.
I am not sure why, but for some reason the memory of this experience popped into my head yesterday. Now, many months later I feel the need to address the lady's comments. I challenge her idea that it is self centered to write about yourself. I write about myself because who else do I know better to write about??? More importantly, I write about myself because I recognize that I am really not all that unique. While we are all special and different, most of us have much more in common than we have in differences. If I am struggling to be healthier and lose weight than odds are there are many other women who are doing the same thing. If I am not as happy as I want to be, then there is probably someone else who also isn't as happy as they want to be.
By writing about myself, what I am doing, how I am feeling, what I am struggling with, and what I am accomplishing; I am, hopefully, letting someone out there know that they are not alone in their struggles. They are not the only one to feel how they are feeling. There is someone else out there setting similar goals and accomplishing similar things. Writing about myself makes me more relatable and more real.
My favorite blogs to read niche or otherwise are the ones where the writers talk about themselves. I like it when the style blogger talks about not only how but why she needed to transform her look from day to night. The food blogger who talks about the recipes that did not go over well along with the ones that turn out great has lots of credibility with me.
Do you like blogs where the writers talk about their lives? If you blog, how would you have responded to the woman?