There are lots of reasons why people start blogs. Some want to let their friends and family know what they’re up to—sort of like long-form Facebook, with lots of pictures and details. Others want a place to explore their feelings, and don’t care if their blog has any followers at all. Some are passionate about an issue or about sports or about a particular topic, and a blog gives them an opportunity to express their enthusiasm.

Some people have knowledge about particular subjects and desire to share. Others would like to develop expertise, and a blog motivates them. Still others hope to make a difference in the lives of others by telling how they overcame hardships.

Some people want a vehicle to connect with others and form a mutually beneficial network. Others have products they want to sell, and the blog is how they market them. Some people hope for the exposure an online presence can bring.

I started blogging with my critique group. We launched Doing Life Togther in 2014, feeling we could offer encouragement to our crazy world, and we believed the blog would give us and our writing greater visibility. We started out with nine of us each posting once a month. We did quite well for a few years, earning more than 5,000 views in 2015 and 2016. Then, gradually, writers dropped out until by 2018 it was only just … me. We still have 227 followers who read old and new posts, but so far this year we’ve only had 1800 views.

I started ARHtistic License in 2015 because I loved Doing Life Together so much. I wanted my personal blog to be about all the artsy things I love. I wanted to open a dialog with other creative people, and I hoped I’d gain a following so that when I’m ready to release a book, there will be people who will want to read it. I soon went from posting a couple of times a week to posting almost every day—and sometimes more than once a day.

I like blogging, but it’s a lot of work, and sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.

The upside of blogging is that I do like it, sort of, and I have met lots of wonderful people with whom I share interests. Bloggers can be very supportive of each other.

But I still don’t have a book ready, and sometimes I wonder if it’s because I spend half the week working on my blog. Maybe I ought to concentrate on the books and give up the blog.

Pedro Okoro says that 80% of blogs fail. That breaks my heart. But he’s also talking about blogging businesses. I don’t really have a blogging business. I’m not selling anything; I don’t make money from my blog, and I never meant to.

My blog is growing, but s o  s l o w l y . I feel so invisible. If I had more views, and more likes, I’d feel like I was getting somewhere. But several times a year, I think of letting my blog go.

I know I could just scale back, post a couple of times a week. Sigh. What to do?

I’m whining. You don’t want to listen to me whine.

Okay, now it’s your turn. If you’re a blogger, do you ever second-guess yourself? Do you fantasize about quitting? Do you dream about more blogging success? If you’re an ex-blogger, what made you stop? Are you glad you did? Please share in the comments below.