Ok, navel-gazing starts now. Follow me on the 15 Day Blog Introspection Challenge. And if you are a blogger, I would love it if *you* took up the challenge as well. Here’s the deal:
Copy the image below into your post(s) and answer these 15 blog-related questions. It’s up to you whether you do one question a day or the whole questionnaire in one shebang. Any platform counts – WP, Blogger, Tumblr, heck, you can try Twitter if you like!! Tag or link your favourite blogs – no matter what topic – into the post(s) and spread the bloglove. Commentators are encouraged to answer the question(s) of the day in the comments. Tag #BlogIntroChallenge.
So what made me start blogging?
Well, it was actually not the need to spew my written word into the nebulous ether of the interwebs. At the time of starting my blogging activities (on tumblr, and thus in sort of moderated version of a blog), I was already an experienced blogger with two photo blogs running, a craft-blog with 200,000 hits that had been featured on various craft-based sites, a seasonal Christmas blog, a German-language intercultural ex-pat blog, and paid blogging work for two travel blogs. Then Armitage happened. Or rather, I happened to come across him and started looking at his photos. One of them appealed so much to me that I decided to include it in my course-work for my photography degree. I threw a Barthesian analysis at a Joe McGorty image of Armitage and was so enamoured with my rhetorical firework of semiotic brilliance (…) that I had to share it with the world. Suffice to say about 2 and a half readers saw it… I eased myself into it with this mind-blowing inaugural post:
That was my start on tumblr, which developed into a rollercoaster of picture-posting, innuendo-implying, fast-blogging fun. Fast forward six months and I had to set up a WordPress blog in order to be able to post on me+richard where Servetus had offered me to write weekly *ooof*s, the picture analysis with which I first became visible in the RA blogging community. I never had the intention of starting my own regular blog – with all my other blogging obligations I simply did not want another blog to create content for.
That post was all that was visible on the blog for months. But my resolve re. not starting up my own blog didn’t last long, though, because I was inevitably drawn into the community that actively discussed the work and look of Mr A.
So you see – I never wanted to blog conventionally. LOL. Ok, seriously what made me start blogging? I (in a rather self-overestimating way) felt I wanted to say something and Armitage’s photos were my way of adding a voice to the choir that was already singing his praises. But more so because I felt the strong need to share my rather overwhelming desire to talk about him, which simply couldn’t be fulfilled in RL. And because I wanted to feel part of a group of like-minded people who could relate to what I was feeling and thinking, and whose discussions I wanted to be part of. And three years in, I do not regret that I started.
PS: To all reader-commentators: I would love to hear the blog challenge from your perspective? What made you start commenting? Answer in the comments if you like!
Guylty Pleasure 
Ich mache eine tiefe Verbeugung vor dem Tag an dem Du angefangen hast diesen Blog zu schreiben! ❤ mach bitte weiter so!!!
Warum ich kommentiere? Weil ich sonst leider niemand hatte mit dem ich mich über das OdB austauschen konnte und der Austausch mit Euch so unglaublich viel Spaß macht …..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, das ist irgendwie ein sehr, sehr schönes Kompliment! Mir macht das Ganze wahnsinnig Spaß, und nach drei Jahren habe ich noch nicht die Ermüdungserscheinungen, die mich bei meinen anderen Blogs spätestens nach zwei Jahren eingeholt hatten. Ein gutes Zeichen.
Und ja, der Austausch ist es, der das Bloggen/Kommentieren so attraktiv macht. Typisch Frau?! 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Why I comment? Like you – “I felt the strong need to share my rather overwhelming desire to talk about him, which simply couldn’t be fulfilled in RL.” Can’t think of a better way to say it 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Funny, that, isn’t it? I never had that with any other (celebrity) topic. It may also be a reflection on the articulate community that surrounds our particular object of affection…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it was unique for me, too. You could be right about the community being a factor…. I was very apprehensive about getting into flame wars or just plain unpleasantness with idiots, lol 😀 But as I took time to look around, I felt these Armitage fans were ladies with whom I could feel comfortable, and still do…. Clever and not demanding that I drink their particular brand of Kool-Aid either 🙂 at least the places where I’VE chosen to hang out!
LikeLike
It is just so important that the initial contact is positive, once the reader decides to come out and be a commentator. I was very lucky because the people I decided to de-lurk with, were welcoming and friendly. It’s something that I try to keep in mind when new people turn up. The more, the merrier.
And yes, I think the individual fans have to take responsibility for finding the places where *they* feel most comfortable, where there is neither bullying nor prescriptive discussion, and where they feel part of a group of like-minded people. There’s a place for everyone, I’d say. Just choose wisely 😉
LikeLike
I used to agree very much that the initial contact needed to be positive — until the initial contact that I was getting was negative, i.e., the first comment someone left was intended to create a feeling of harm. I no longer have any qualms about shutting those people down, because life is short. Fortunately there are still very few of those people (although more than there were five years ago).
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good point. I was operating on the premise of “Wie es in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es auch heraus” (what goes around, comes around), assuming that first-time commentators were not attacks. I think you are perfectly right to react in the same vein if someone starts an interaction with a rude or unpleasant comment.
LikeLiked by 1 person
here’s an interesting thought… celebrity… i had an instant negative reaction at the word and almost said: he’s not a cele… Until i realised, somehow defeated that he is indeed. Odd thing in my mind, he’s not a celebrity, he’s Richard, the one i saw live on stage and all that, which to me makes him human and sort of maybe not normal but real. Celebrity seems far away, image more than human. My mind does tell me i am wrong but i do feel sort of conflicted about having to associate him with the word celebrity because to me that is sort of a secondary or very much remote attribute of his that i can ignore most of the time ;-)))
LikeLiked by 1 person
Totally know what you mean. More often than not I impulsively write that word to describe Mr A and then delete it again. I don’t really like it – not that I think it isn’t applicable to him. I think he *is* a celebrity, by virtue of appearing on TV, film, at public events. But more so because I always feel that it cheapens my own “relationship” to him. It sounds fleeting and superficial, and my appreciation of him is neither. I like his talent and his public persona, but I also like what I perceive his personality to be. And I’d like to think that his status as a celebrity is NOT what motivates my interest in him, but that I would find him interesting even if he was “only” an unknown actor in a provincial community theatre.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“aperture.” Fateful word, that 🙂 I love it when you talk technical.
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL Some people have the strangest fetishes 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Gosh i miiiiiiiiiiiiiiisss ‘ ooofs’…. we so desperately need new photos so you can get back to ‘ooooofing’ 🙂
LikeLike
Oooh, you are the second person to say that to me in the context of the blogging challenge. Hm, I think I need to rethink my blogging plans then. I have a couple of *ooof*s researched, and a list of *ooof*let ideas compiled. I only need to sit down and write… Now I am motivated to do so.
LikeLiked by 1 person
hehe, looking forward to it then 🙂 they are always the kind of posts which make a think a lot and that is fun 🙂
LikeLike
Good start. Is that crafting blog still alive?
LikeLike
Sadly (?) Armitage has taken over so completely that I haven’t craft-blogged in more than two years…
LikeLike
This blog is kind of a crafting blog (inter alia).
LikeLiked by 2 people
LOL – I guess it is. All that’s missing are the tutorials…
LikeLiked by 2 people
I didn’t realize you had so much blogging experience before this one! You are like Alice who fell through the aperture into Bloggerland 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh I did. I just never could keep my mouth shut. (I even earned money with blogging… I was a professional content creator.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! Many people dream of being able to earn money at it. As for me, I’m not quitting my day job just yet 🙂
LikeLike
Well, you don’t get rich (or Rich *hehe*) from it, anyway.
LikeLiked by 3 people
🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: Blog Introspection Challenge « Nowhere in Particular RA
I’m sensing some reluctance…:D and I still sense reluctance from you in regards to the Armitage aspect of your blogging, which surprises me b/c your husband made you a kick-ass shrine and then you followed his lead by making multiple mini-shrines for all of us, among other things. I think it’s time to admit to yourself that you’re an Armitage blogger 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Touché – I think you hit the nail on the head. There was reluctance, and there is. I should probably rename myself Guylty Conscience 🙂
LikeLiked by 6 people
As a non blogger, I had kind of an inferiority complex about “only” reading and not writing. But I am not the lurker type, in RL or here, and I have a hard time being quiet. I was drawn to the blogs because the RA lightening struck me and I wanted to know how, who, why, all the questions we ask ourselves about being thrust into the RA fandom. I also realized that boggers might actually like to know someone is reading what they write and what the reader thinks about it. What a concept. Being in the fandom has lead to wonderful friendships and enriched my life in many ways. I never thought I would be a fan of anyone to the point of reading about the person obsessively and gravitating to like-minded
women, not to mention having a shrine in my closet. I am enjoying my second adolescence much more than my first. Thanks to you MIss G and other friends.
LikeLiked by 5 people
I’m normally well capable of lurking just because I love to stay under the radar, but RA pulled me above the horizon 🙂 lol!
And I so resemble that “second adolescence” remark! I too am enjoying this one MUCH more than the first 😉 Always enjoy your comments, Kathy, and especially your POEMS! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, SH. Love that you like my silly poetry. And second adolescence is way better than first. No skin problems or mood swings. 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
You hit the nail on the head – bloggers *definitely* like to know what their readers think. Otherwise we might as well just keep a secret diary. However, I don’t think that there is a hierarchy in fan-dom, i.e. I see no reason for commentators to feel inferior. Just consider the comment box your own blog – you are still getting to voice an opinion, to start discussions, or to connect to the community – and without any further obligation. Win-win.
Like you, I never thought I’d ever be a “fan”, never mind write about a celebrity on a regular basis. How wrong I was – it is fun, it is challenging, and it has brought me friendships and fun. I am very glad you found me, Kathy – thank you back to you!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂
LikeLike
I’m like Kathy and am also a non-blogger. I’m really a big talker and have lots of opinions but just can’t imagine anyone being interested in my thoughts…anyone other than friends and family and they’re use to me constantly talking. Plus they have no choice…well, they do but fortunately they like me. As I became more and more interested in Mr. A, I discovered three blogs that I really enjoyed and still enjoy…this being one of them. But, so far, I’ve only made short comments, although I recently got carried away on RA as a religious experience.
So I haven’t really felt bitten by the blog bug until about 2 weeks ago. I was directed to another blog where the lady was basically saying goodbye to Mr. A and complaining about the direction of his roles, as if he should give a damn about her opinion. Apparently this snobbish twit would’ve preferred Mr. A remain a UK-regional BBC TV actor. Well good riddance. I almost wrote my first blog over it; ripping apart her comments piece by piece. But I also realized she had really angered me with her tone. And I didn’t want my 1st (and possibly only) blog to be an angry one. (It’s been several days and just thinking about her condescending attitude still pisses me off.)
So I remain blogless for now but am encouraged to see that you didn’t jump into it quickly either.
And then there are your RAPS which have inspired me no end. So take a break if you need to but please blog on.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for adding your perspective as a commentator. I was hoping that would happen. You see, when new blogs emerge, we often get to read the motivations behind the new blog in the early posts, and with many of the longer-running blogs we are familiar with their authors and have heard about their initiation into blogging. But with commentators it’s harder to find out because they do not have their own platform. And I am incredibly curious about the readers, too, not just the authors 😉
In any case, I often say to commentators who are thinking about starting a blog “Leave it, don’t do it”. It sucks you in, it’s a time commitment, it’s a distraction. But in what looks like a negative perception of blogging is actually a compliment: Blogging gives purpose, it enriches, it is creative outlet, and it is a means to meeting new people. But all that is open to commentators, too, so no pressure on anyone to commit to a regular soap-box appearance.
Oh, and I’ll blabber and blog on 😀 I am far too addicted to this pasttime than giving up on it 😉
LikeLiked by 3 people
I know what you mean about getting to know people. I have discovered some amazing women in some groups on FB and we regularly go off on our own little tangent. I’m looking forward to meeting some of them someday. Meanwhile we’ve had a coffee exchange (via mail) and are about to have a candy/dessert exchange. Richard may have been the catalyst behind these groups and blogs but I think the friendships and humor keep us going. Also the support given when someone is grieving. We can’t be there but we can send virtual hugs and kisses.
LikeLike
I totally agree with you on the last point. I was the recipient of overwhelming love and comfort last year when my dad died, and that is an experience that binds me to this fandom – possibly more than the (shared) appreciation of the man that made me join this community.
Hope your experience of the fandom will continue nicely and that you meet some of your fave fellow fans. I can only recommend it.
LikeLike
re: whether to blog and why — with apologies to Guylty, I ask indulgence for this link — I was asked this question in an interview a long time ago. The original has disappeared but a copy of it is found here, at the bottom (what pointers would you give to new bloggers): https://meandrichard.wordpress.com/about/
I personally don’t think negative emotion or reaction against something can really sustain a blog for all that long. Simply put, if you’re going to write every or every other day or once a week or whatever it is, you need an impulse to create in the limited sense that you need to want to put something out there for others to read that reflects your own impulses as opposed to responding to other people’s ideas. We all spend some time responding, of course, but IMO that need won’t sustain a blog. I really think the issue for most bloggers is finding regular readers — it is helpful to have an audience at least in one’s mind to keep going — and rants will certainly attract readers in the short term. I just don’t know if it is a long-term sustainable strategy.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Pingback: #BlogIntroChallenge 2: The Significance of My Blog’s Name | Guylty Pleasure
ack! i wish this had come up before that Hannibal debate sucks all my time for this week and next ;-)))
But i am sure i’ll find the words to catch up as what was my ‘return to blogging’ and your questions prompted me to go back and see when i really started and re-read some of those posts 😉
Why i comment? don’t think i could shut up, even under water 😉 Honestly as soon as i consciously decided this RA thing was for me and long term, ie once i committed to the interest the next step was to seek others, talking to oneself and googling on your own when you have a predilection for an actor or singer is not much fun. Then it was just a question of sussing out in the sea of interactions about him what suited me best. I have to say that process is a bit touch and go as it takes some time to understand the interactions and find ones comfortable spot. Now where i am i’m as happy as a pig in muck 🙂
Pleasure shared , pleasure multiplied and it is wonderful to find new friends and learn new things about them, the side benefits are multiple! and expand outside the RA area as well 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, I have to catch on the Hannibal debate on your blog – I’ve been a bit distracted by this, myself… (Why do I do this to myself, creating distractions???)
It’s interesting that the process of acknowledging that one has developed an inexplicable and overwhelming interest in a celebrity (:-P) one doesn’t even know and has no chance in hell of ever getting to know, is so closely connected to hooking up with fellow “sufferers” of the same condition. Self-help group? 😉 Sorry, no, I shouldn’t joke, it belittles the good work that self-help initiatives do. It’s natural to have the desire for an exchange with like-minded people. It’s how humans (women?) are made connect and communicate, and it’s enRiching in every sense. Pleasure shared and multiplied indeeed. ❤
LikeLiked by 2 people
Still nothing left to say……
Aber wie Hari, würd ich auch noch unter Wasser weiterreden 🙂
Warum ich kommentiere? Um mir Luft zu machen, den Überdruck abzulassen, der sich aufbaut, wenn einem Dinge passieren, die man längst abgehakt geglaubt hat und weit und breit keine Seele ist, der man sich anvertrauen möchte. Und mach mir den Begriff der Selbsthilfegruppe nicht madig. Das funktioniert GENAU so hier, wie im klinischen Bereich: Wir reden, betrachten, besprechen, kotzen uns aus. Und nur so kann ich mit meiner Begeisterung und auch mal dem Frust über das OdB umgehen. Ich muß aber nach 1 1/4 Jahren des ekzessiven Mitmischens sagen: wären nicht tatsächliche Kontakte entstanden, dann weiß ich nicht, ob ich noch dabei wäre. Glück gehabt Mr. A!
Und was für Blogger über den Erstkontakt gilt, gilt für uns als Erstkommentator eben auch: wenn ich mich endlich getraut habe, meinen Senf abzugeben und erfahre unfreundliche Reaktionen oder evtl. Nichtbeachtung, dann kann das schon mächtig abschreckend sein. Deshalb mein Dank an alle Blogger, die ich mittlerweile regelmäßig heimsuche: Ihr seid wirklich vorbildliche Kümmerer ❤
Und sorgt natürlich dafür, dass ich immer wieder komme 😀
LikeLike
Pingback: Some ExtRA Questions | Guylty Pleasure