Future directions?

I have been reflecting on why I blog and do my YouTube videos. This self-reflection has come about because of a change in life, from working to retired; and as a result of comments received on FaceBook, blog and YouTube channel.

So, here I am with a blog and video channel that started way back in 2009 and some reflections on the six great questions: ‘why, where, when, who, how and what?’ Not necessarily about to be taken in that order by the way!

Why and what am I blogging and vlogging?

Because I wanted to have a written and visual diary of my trips; something that I could look back on in later years and that siblings scattered across the world (at that time) could dip into.  To keep them in touch with me and something for Mum and Dad to follow so they could see I was trying to live life to the full as they have always encouraged me to do.

Over the years I have tried to write in a way that captures the excitement, frustrations, mistakes and essence of building one’s own boat and then learning to sail it. I am not, nor will I ever be, as proficient a sailor, writer or videographer as I am expeditioner. But I am happy in what I do in Arwen and I try to learn new things and keep myself and those around me safe. Whether I have been successful in the way I write or vlog to myself, I don't know but I have some doubts if I were truthful. 

Whilst writing and vlogging for personal fulfilment, I have been surprised over the years about the benefits that have arisen from it. I have become part of an online community of friends and acquaintances and I am always genuinely surprised that there are people who subscribe to my blog and channel.

But now, I have come to realise that perhaps my blog and channel need to be worked on. Do they need to be much better than they are, if people around the world have taken the trouble to subscribe to both; to invest their precious time in viewing and reading about my adventures?

If the answer to this question is yes, what happens next? Do I intentionally set out to grow the blog and channel by trying to focus my writing entirely on sailing; by improving how I write and video? If so, what do I possibly have to contribute that is of use to anyone? Far from an expert on anything, my naivety and lack of experience in dinghy cruising is there for all to see.

Or, do I keep firmly to my original purpose – to inform family and friends but at same time to try and be a source of inspiration to others; to encourage some to follow my journey of building a boat, sailing it, enjoying the wonderous outdoors, meeting like-minded people – hoping that they do it better than me!

And then there is the issue of money!

I have noticed that many bloggers have monetized their blogs. They write to earn money and I am fine with that. Good luck to them. I hope they succeed. I admire that entrepreneurial spirit.

I have never gone down that road. I write for personal pleasure and self-reflection. I have never intentionally promoted a product or service. I have on occasions commented on equipment I have bought or been given as presents and then really only to sum up what I liked or disliked about it. I will acknowledge and thank people whose services I have used. I refrain from negative comments or criticisms and on the whole, try to be as self-deprecatory as possible.  (I am always amazed at how skilful people are and how really dim I am by comparison but as I age I become more comfortable with the fact that I am basically  ‘nice, but dim’ and I am OK with that).

And so, to the how.

How do I blog and vlog?

Well I use blogger and YouTube and have done so very successfully. But now I am considering whether it is time to switch to WordPress and to buying a web domain and hosting service. This point links back to the previous one about money I guess. 

I have no control over Blogger. Google could take it away at any moment. I can’t see why, but it is a possibility. Although I save each web page, to lose all my diary archive material and videos would be personally tragic to me. The saved pages aren’t the same. The videos on YouTube, less traumatic – I have each one. It would be a case of reloading them but then why bother if they are only for me? Is it back to my sense of ‘obligation’ to those who took the trouble to subscribe and stay with me through the years? I assume they subscribe because they find something in them which interests, attracts them. Over the years their comments and on-line friendships have become valued to me; I welcome and value their advice and constructive comments. They have helped me improve. So, what do I need to give back to them?

Or is YouTube just a convenient way of storing and accessing from anywhere my videos so I can watch and learn from them? It saves carrying a hard drive around. If I was technically a little savvier I could just save them to a google cloud account I guess. Maybe I will investigate this further.

I could start paying out money for a WordPress site and website hosting annually. But why would I bother doing this? I guess it arises from a concern over losing blogger as previously mentioned; and another concern that I have expressed before. I blog posts on my world travels, Dartmoor, dinghy cruising, caravanning, daily life and I find it confusing. I want a sense of order to my on-line diary; discrete sections where I can post videos, photos and blog diary extracts more easily, in higher quality. It is a memory issue. Mine was always useless, as all my students would testify to; and it is getting worse, far worse. (Family and friends are beginning to notice more and more.  I have, already since I retired, lost the car in a car park on eight occasions; as in can’t remember WHICH car park, or level! On the plus side – I know EVERY city centre car park really, really well!)

I think a new website front with discrete menu headings would help me. Anyway, lots more reflection to do on this point. Blogger serves me well and I don’t just want to abandon it without good reason. I don’t want to inconvenience those who subscribe to it; who have made comments through the years that have helped me so much.

How about monetizing the blog?

If I start to pay out, do I need to start thinking about monetizing the blog? The very thought really repels me. At its simplest level, it could be affiliated with Amazon. If I write about a product and provide a link to Amazon for said product and then someone purchases it off that site, I get a certain %. They don’t start paying out until you reach £25 I think. I’d never make much but would it be enough to pay for the WordPress and hosting costs annually? Doubtful if I’d ever reach the £25 threshold, since I rarely comment on products. It has only ever been now and then. But, I could do it. I come from a reviewing background. But could I post a negative review? I have always tried to see the positivity in everything…..tricky! And in addition, would what I say be of any value to anyone anyway? And is there a line crossed philosophically?

Should content change? Back to the what and when!

In reflecting, I have started to think more about content. After 9 years, I have failed miserably at developing any style or format to either blog, my writing or YouTube channel videos. I blog on an ‘ad hoc’ basis, whenever the I feel the need to record something. There is no specific time. Place, experiences and mood often influence when I write, post, vlog. I usually ramble because I don’t pre-plan it! Up until now it hasn’t worried me because I selfishly do it all for myself, family and close friends. But what about those who subscribe to both blog and YouTube? Are subscribers not entitled to something better; that shows improvement over time if they have invested time watching it and commenting on it? If it is personal and for me, should they feel entitled to want and expect something better?  Do they have a right to expect me to post more regularly within a set routine? I don’t know but I feel I ought to consider these issues.

I have tried to record my fascination with the appeal of dinghy cruising; and my ‘development’ journey as an amateur boat builder and fledging dinghy sailor. I’ve tried to record my sense of awe and wonder about places and people I have been to or met through description; to jot down the ‘funny’ side of experiences I have had, especially those where, as normal, I confirmed my self-belief that deep down I’m an idiot! Snapshots, photos, captions recording things I have done, places I visited. A record, something I can look back on when I am old and unable to move. A portfolio of wonderful, and at times, not so wonderful memories……people, places, personal growth, friends, family, trials, achievements, tribulations.  I guess that one thing I have consciously tried to do is actively to promote Plymouth and Dartmoor; and the coastal communities of our SW coast. But now, other topics tug at me….caravanning, walking and cycling, travelling. Do I start to include these in my online journals?

So here I am, 55, early retired after 35 years of teaching and educational consultancy; married to an extraordinary woman and father to two amazing children.

My dream?

To be a good father, son, brother, uncle, husband and friend. To travel more, to meet more people, particularly those who I have developed friendships with over the internet; to grow older gracefully but keeping that youthful thirst for knowledge and adventure and curiosity that so many of my students and colleagues have instilled in me over the years; to find some new purpose in which I can give something back to my local community, who over the years have given so much to me. To keep an open mind, to be quick to question but slow to judge. To value all the people that I encounter on the way. It’s a work in progress, prone to lots of slippage on my part, but I do try to generally head in the positive direction. And I need this to influence what I do now on blog and vlog in the future. 

And so the future of the blog and YouTube channel?

I think it is time to pay for my personal pleasure of blogging and vlogging; to better organise myself and my writing. It is time to learn new skills; how to write better for myself and for those who invest time in reading and viewing what I produce on-line. I want to learn how to write creatively, with skill, brevity, passion and insight - mainly for personal satisfactions sake. I find joy in writing for myself, whatever the inadequacies of this writing are. But I remain very aware of my deficiencies on this front. I need to embark on a journey of self-improvement on this aspect of my life.

I am slowly leaning towards switching across to WordPress but running two sites concurrently. Arwen’s blog will continue. A new one on travelling, caravanning and family will emerge. I may or may not use the same website to access both. I need to research this further. I will need to consult the IT guru, ’her-indoors’. I have always suspected she has had some ‘long time but undisclosed expertise’ in this area of web design! She always has down played her skills!

As to the videos? I am, by nature, a visual person. I use the most basic of camera equipment and good old movie maker. I will never be a Matt Baker, Reggie Yates or John Craven, nor could I ever be. I’m no Dylan Winter either. I have nothing of value to say to people. So, for now, I will keep to this theme. My videos are a conversation with my older self…….me talking to my 80 year old self, reminding him of what I did, where I went, what an idiot I was.

But out of self-development, I really ought to try and improve their quality, in content and post production. I may have to grapple with some video editing software and I know this is really, really going to pain me greatly!

And, where subscribers do comment or ask questions, then I will do my best to answer them. My ‘comment conversations’ with subscribers and members of the various forums I belong to, have been, without a doubt, one of the very best bits of this nine-year video/blog diary. It’s that learning thing……. I never want to tire of learning new things or hearing other peoples’ viewpoints and perspectives…. So many of them, whether they have known it or not, have enriched my life each day.

And I guess, this leaves me at this point wanting to say one last thing.....................

Thank you. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to comment or contact me over the years on my blog, channel and in the forum groups, who were kind enough to accept me. I really value your perspectives, advice and on-line friendships and acquaintances.  I hope they will long continue.