ARHtistic License turned seven years old yesterday. I can hardly believe that much time has passed. It still feels new to me in some ways. (And in other ways, it feels like forever!)

As of this writing, my follower base is 1334, up about 11% from this time last year. I know I shouldn’t care, but my blog’s growth has slowed, and that makes me sad.

Blogging is a crazy-making pursuit. It never fails to astonish me what draws people to my blog. For example, in the past week, a quote I posted for Memorial Day 2018 got over 300 views. Why? I can only guess that hundreds of people suddenly had the urge to Google “JFK quotes.” The year I first published it, it got 22 views. In 2020 it got 1. Crazy-making. And it’s earned a total of 5 likes.

More statistics from 2022 so far. . .

Most viewed ARHtistic License posts in 2022 so far (all of these were published in prior years):

1. The previously mentioned Monday Morning Wisdom #156
2. 10 Best Zentangle Sites on the Web
3. Jan van Eyck’s The Crucifixion and The Last Judgment: Painted by a Committee (This is my most-viewed post of all time, with over 2600 views since it was first published in October 2016.)
4. How to Practice the Piano: Doh! Dohnányi
5. Hawaiian Quilting with Pat Gorelangton
6. Video of the Week #247: Ben Pratt Sings River
7. A guest post, 6 Creative Ways to Name Your Fictional Characters, by Andre Cruz
8. Z is for Zentangle
9. Hummingbird Habitat
10. Video of the Week #310: Mariposa del aire by Federico Garcia Lorca, read by Andy Garcia

Most viewed ARHtistic License posts published in 2022 so far:

1. My Daughter’s Wedding (Yeah, this is my favorite post of the year.)
2. M is for Moldova: I’d Rather Be Dancing Moldovan Folk Dances
3. NaPoWriMo Day 29
4. I’d Rather Be Dancing Kurdish Folk Dances
5. NaPoWriMo Day 11
6. NaPoWriMo Day 10 (I gave this poem to my husband on his birthday.)
7. Wordless Wednesday: Braggin’ On Our Orange Tree (Sigh. We don’t have nearly as many baby oranges for next season. That’s what I get for bragging.)
8. NaPoWriMo Day 28
9. Creative Juice #285
10. Creative Juice #286

About once a month I post an “I’d Rather Be Dancing” article, featuring folk dance videos from different parts of the world. The “NaPoWriMo” posts are poems for National Poetry Writing Month (April), but my favorite offering didn’t make the top ten. “Creative Juice” is a weekly feature (every Friday) of 12 curated articles from all over the web that I just happen to find fascinating.

Most liked ARHtistic License posts published in 2022 so far:

1. Wordless Wednesday/ Flower of the Day: Impatiens
2. Flower of the Day: Bower Vine
3. NaPoWriMo Day 29
4. Wordless Wednesday/ Flower of the Day: Purple Velvet Morning Glories
5. Wordless Wednesday: Braggin’ on Our Orange Tree
6. NaPoWriMo Day 11
7. Creative Juice #276
8. Wordless Wednesday: Cactus Garden
9. Wordless Wednesday: Avocet and Stilt
10. Creative Juice #277

I’m really surprised that they isn’t more overlap; only two posts appear on both lists. “Wordless Wednesday” and “Flower of the Day” are two photography challenges that I like to participate in.

Now it’s your turn. Have you seen all these popular articles yet? Why not visit one or two, or all?

I’m still dreaming of 2000+ followers. If you’re not a follower of ARHtistic License yet, please sign up in the sidebar to your right, and you’ll get an email every time a new article is posted.

I hope that whenever you read something that resonates with you, on my blog or any other that gives you the option, please click the “like” button. And if you think someone else will like it, please share the link on social media. That would be a great blogiversary present to me.

If there is something related to the arts and the creative process that you would like to see on ARHtistic License, let me know in the comments below.