Pay no attention…
September 29, 2008 by Bird
Filed under Blog, Craft Diary, Navel Gazing, Site News
…to the woman behind the curtain, she doesn’t know what she’s doing! Like Dorothy here I’ve been wondering lately what direction I’m supposed to be going in. And just as it is with the Wizard himself it’s all getting pretty flaky behind the curtain, no matter how impressively overblown my last appearence here was. If you’ve never seen or read The Wizard of Oz you won’t have a clue what I’m talking about but that doesn’t matter, all you need to know is that I’m going to have to make some changes to the site. One of the reasons I’ve been so quiet is because I’ve been wrestling behind that stupid curtain trying to find a layout and navigation that suits.
I’m hoping to roll out the changes gradually and with any luck you’ll like them! I’m hoping the site will become more welcoming to people who land here looking for my shop, while at the same time not making the nature blog become too commercial looking. I’ve been agonising over this since ooohhh, forever, and I wish sometimes that I wasn’t so damn fastidious about the whole thing. By the way, I’m going to start making an effort with replying to your comments again, and I’ve already made a start on the previous post.
So, what can you look forward to on the nature blog? Well, there are still some more tales to come from Wales and the Isle of Skye, and then there’s my more recent visit to the glorious but not-so-sunny Isles of Scilly. As we move on into Autumn and winter I’ll be writing about the changing seasons closer to home. Beyond that, who knows? It’s time to lace up my hiking boots and find a new adventure.
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Just click your heels together three times and say, “There’s no place like a good nature trail. There’s no place like a good nature trail. There’s no place like a good nature trail.”
Whatever you do, try to go at this new project in a state of relaxation. The brain functions best when it’s not too stressed (or overly judgmental.)
Looking forward to the transformation.
@Matthew James Didier:- true…and if only I could spend my whole life on that trail!
@Lana:- You are right, that is exactly how I need to proceed! Sadly I’ve been following far more stressful direction, although I guess the more wrong paths I go down, the more obvious the “right” paths become.
I know what you mean about ‘commercial-looking’ although your blog has never struck me that way. I certainly think a lot about pushing my photography and also my teaching availability…but it sort of comes out half-heartedly. I will be really interested to see how you go about it.
henry
@soulmerlin:- it’s a relief that it doesn’t look that way to you Henry! It doesn’t feel commercial to me either… but I do want to blog a little more about things I make and I hardly ever do because it somehow feels cheesy whenever I try it. I’m aware that people are mabe expecting particular things when they come here to visit, and finding me gabbing on about what’s new in the shop today, how I’m glueing myself to the table or burning my clothes with the soldering iron just won’t fit. Mabe I should just shrug my shoulders and do it, I’m still pondering to be honest. But I don’t think there is going to be a huge upheaval in the near future
RE: your comment to SOULMERLIN — I think it would fit very well. Just the way you wrote it here:
“…and finding me gabbing on about what’s new in the shop today, how I’m glueing myself to the table or burning my clothes with the soldering iron just won’t fit.”
I could relate to this having done arts and crafts, etc. And it made me laugh. I think if you keep it really YOU and how you feel when your working or what mishaps or joys happened while you worked…or how you were thinking about nature or whatever other insights you had when you made something. Or what inspired it, etc.
I think if you just be yourself…you will NEVER go astray because who you are is SO delightful and real and such a pleasure to see and read. I always LOVED this site: the look of it, the writing, the spirit, the love of nature no matter where you are. It’s as beautiful as you!
I also relate to getting stressed over it. I can that way every time I post. I’ve got to relax and have a somewhat c’est la vie attitude and allow myself imperfections and to be part of humanity in that way. I mean there a lot of weird, ugly, poorly writing bizarre sites out there, so I think you or I would have to fall a LONG way before we had to worry. LOL LOL
@Rainforestrobin:- thanks for giving me some perspective; I do love what I’m doing and believe in it strongly but I find it hard to “own” the whole promotional side. But it’s so important! I don’t need to feel embarrassed about telling anyone about how you can find unique handmade stuff that is made with love and with a conscience too. I’m not doing this for big bucks, I’m not jumping on some green bandwagon, I’m doing it this way because I think I couldn’t do it any other way. I hate the hard sell but maybe I don’t need the hard sell. I need to just write about what I do and that should sell its-self. Phew – is it really that simple?
By the way you are so incredibly generous and kind – makes me all glowy (and possibly quite British as I have no idea how to take such lavish compliments with grace)
just reading the above comments tells you a lot about how you communicate. but we all know when we feel we want to try something different. so don’t hold back and let’s wish you luck it is all about growth.
i have another blog that has really been difficult regarding experiments with navigation, customizing the theme. the jury is still out.
eager awaiting chapter two.
@Petmono:- true, it’s all about growth and I’m hoping that I can grow this site naturally without trying to force things. I think the problem is that I love writing about things outside myself – a landscape or an insect for instance, but writing about something linked to myself like my work still feels awkward and clumsy. Only way to get over it is by giving it a go I suppose! It’s good to see that it isn’t just me wrestling with this problem
Hello Bird! I’ve put a link to your blog from mine… but I made a mistake. The link I put was to your post where I commented the first time I came over here…
So I missed your new posts. I thought you were busy so you weren’t posting! Stu… me!
Never mind. I am here again… admiring your latest pics.
About the changes you’re planning to make, I agree with Robin.
@brainteaser:- thank you! As for the changes, they may well be minor, at least to start with…