This is Spinal Blog
Posted by Paul Woodhouse at February 15th, 2007
Having a blog makes you no more a blogger than having a guitar makes you a guitarist.
Whilst you can read as many how-to books as you want, take numerous lessons and underwhelm your relatives with robotic renditions of ‘Smoke on the Water’, you’ll never, ever cut it as a guitarist if you don’t have some form of mojo. Hell, you might be able to shimmy through your scales blindfold in a blizzard backwards and have suppler pinkies than Shane Warne, but you’ll only end up sounding like Eric Clapton if your mojo’s missing.
So, what exactly is your ‘mojo’ in relation to blogging?
Well, it’s your voice.
Erm….and what exactly is your ‘voice’?
It’s the personality of the blogger that radiates and extends through your posts thus enabling some kind of connection with the person reading it.
You might consider ‘Smoke on the Water’ quite an accomplishment the first time you manage to belt the bugger out, but we all know you aren’t the first to do it. It’s something a toddler with chippolatas for fingers could manage. The equivalent in terms of blogging is the rehashed news post. Anybody can do it - yes, even me. But my point is, which level of Dante’s Inferno would you think you were on if all you heard, day-in day-out, was the most ubiquitous of Deep Purple riffs?
Taking all that into consideration, why the devil have I just spent (and continue to spend) all this time tweaking, twiddling and twatting about with The Tinbasher if it’s all about the voice?
It’s only the same as anybody who regards themselves as a guitarist might mess about with alternative tunings, raising fretboards, lowering bridges, choosing the right wood for correct resonance or whatever. Anybody who’s ever played any kind of sport half seriously has also done the same in choosing their boots, bats, racquets or cues.
You choose and adapt your tool to allow freedom of expression for your mojo. (Pass me the bromide, Sigmund.)
And fortunately it’s much easier to find your blog mojo than become the next Robert Johnson - deals with the Devil notwithstanding.
If only I could find something to crank this blog up to eleven.
A radically correct assessment of the blogging psychology in practice.
I often refer to the “discipline of blogging” and the ROT (return on time) investments.
It takes a unique voice, a steadily improving style of online (NOT print, heaven help us and save us from print dumps into the web), and a real stubborn thick skinned aggressivity…
…to be a hardcore, authentic blogger.
Why does blogger rhyme with bugger?
Once we master the art and science of amplified deconstructive blogging, we must then put the pint of ale down and learn about wikis.
I thought you might appreciate it.
Here’s to unique - which any business anywhere is capable of, right?
Otherwise, what the hell are they in business for?
You are correct to state that anyone who thinks they’re a “blogger” just because they have a blog somewhere, is a dork.
BTW, to “be unique” is like “thinking outside the box”.
Reason why few can do anything “outside the box” is because they are still in the box and afraid to step outside it.
Creativity needs variety of input: go to art galleries, listen to new music, read poetry, do something to inspire your brain cells.
It’s not an easy thing to do though.
A lot of people wouldn’t be able to see why wittering inanely or informally would be of benefit.
It’s also something you have to develop and cultivate; a bit like any writing style or guitar style.
I suppose the trick is to talk to people through your blog as you would your favourite customers or clients.
Y’know, the ones you actually enjoy talking to or look forward to seeing.
Although, that makes it sound a bit contrived, which it isn’t meant to sound.
Honest!
You nailed exactly. In fact, I blog for my real and imagined fans, for random surfers who need good reliable information (not my dumb ass opinionations), and also for my Future Self.
I want to be able to look back on posts and learn something I forgot, see a great explanation of Content Hypertext Spam or the evil web breaking garbage of PayPerPost, etc.