Blogging Truths Be Told: You Won’t Always Feel Inspired

How do I know this? Well, I’ve experienced this very thing. Not the “writer’s block” phenomenon per se, but the feeling of not “feeling it” when you sit down at the computer to start typing. It’s like you want to do the words on your page some justice, but they don’t live up to the quality or caliber that you were hoping for.

And you’re the one who controls the words, so you can’t really pass the judgment on to the content for being less than stellar. After all, YOU are the content creator. Am I right, or am I right?

Oh, but wait just a sec. Don’t you dare pass the judgment (or blame) on to yourself either. It’s not going down like that. There’s no blame to be had.

And here’s the reason for that: we ALL go through periods in life when we feel like some water has just put a damper on our “lit”- ness. We’re human beings who have ups and downs and all-arounds. And we simply must work within those parameters.

So, please don’t be hard on yourself when what you sit down to type out appears to be somewhat lackluster. And don’t be embarrassed to share that lackluster content with others. Again, it shows you’re human. Use these opportunities to tell your audience that it’s, perhaps, not your best writing day but you wanted to show up anyway.

You weren’t going to call it quits for the day — just because you weren’t quite up to par. Let people know that you’re having somewhat of an “off” day and that you’ll be bouncing back shortly. You’re not going to hang around in the “uninspired” zone for long. It’s just one of those days (like the hairstyle that just won’t act right no matter what you keep doing to it).

Again, we ALL have those periods of time when we don’t see our “A” game breaking through. And I think I’ve been somewhat “inspired” to write about this topic because of all the Olympic action going on lately.

I haven’t been as glued to the screen as I thought I would be for this Olympics; but I’ve seen enough to witness some really trying situations for the athletes out there. And I wouldn’t even say that they weren’t feeling inspired when their performances didn’t live up to the hype that they were generating.

As a matter of fact, I’m sure they felt VERY inspired.

When you have a one-shot opportunity to make your mark and you’ve put in years to get to the point of being given a chance to hit that mark, you’re automatically inspired to do your very best.

But human experience happens. 

The best of the best flounder sometimes. And in times like these, the athlete and the non-athlete alike have to dust themselves off, be real with themselves and those around them, and just strive to get back to their “A” game as soon as is humanly possible.

After all . . . no one sets out to flounder or fail. It’s not a comfortable place to be. So, we have an innate desire to get out of the uncomfortability zone and move to a place of pleasantness.

And although the blogger isn’t performing on as prominent of a stage as the Olympic athlete, the emotional rollercoasters we experience are just as real. 

I’ve experienced the “blah” factor more times than I dare to count. And, I’ve learned to expect it to come upon me from time to time. I mean I’ve been in this blogging space for almost three years now, so you would have to expect that I’ve fallen off the track into an unexpected rut a time or two. (You might have even come across a few posts to identify when that’s taken place.)

And guess what I do when that happens?

I WRITE ABOUT IT! I share my lackluster moments with you. I tell you when “I’m just not feeling it” or when “I need a vacation day.” Without giving all my business away, I simply let you know when it’s an “off” day for me. And, I’ve learned to give myself grace on those days — because I’m human, after all. 

I’ve determined in my mindset that I WILL be on this blog site on the days that I’ve communicated to you, barring an emergency and situations out of my control. But if I have anything to say about it, I plan on showing up (even on the days that are uncomfortable).

So, here’s my guarantee: If my uninspired day lands on a day that I normally post to this site, then I’ll post regardless. The content for the day may be different than what you’re used to from me, but it’ll be there. And I’ll let you know that I’m not up to par. I may even share why. And my post for the day will be that transparency that relays the realness of my imperfections. 

Why? Because I’m a writer, and writers write. And other writers and non-writers can appreciate that they’re dealing with human beings (first) who happen to be bloggers (second).

I’m sure gymnast, Simone Biles, knows that she’s a human being (first) and a gymnast (second) and that she’s not superhuman. Too bad society puts so much pressure on people (that are great at what they do) to never have “off” or even uninspired days without feeling guilt and shame for being who they are — HUMAN.

If you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a big proponent of letting the human experience be just that. And I’ll always prop up the ideas of: learning from your successes and failures, enjoying the journey (process), being honest with those who care about you or your work when you’re having an uninspired day, growing as you go, and giving yourself grace for not being perfect.  

So remember: you won’t always feel inspired. And guess what? That’s okay.