For most of the rest of the year (and perhaps a bit into the next), I’m going to share reflections of the last year and what I’ve learned in the kitchen. Sometimes daily posts miss the flavour of the larger lessons so this is an attempt to take a step back and share the lessons that I’ve taken from the last 365 days. We’d love to know what you’ve learned this year too!
This may only apply to those who write out there but it is an important lesson of the year: we’re learning where this project fits in our life.
Dana and I no longer think of WellPreserved as a blog. We’re not really sure what it is any more but know it includes:
- Daily posting on a blog-type website
- Daily interactions with others on:
- Pinterest (generally less than daily)
- Cooking demos
- Hosting events
It’s not a complaint nor a means to brag – but it is important to note that this wasn’t an easy balance at times. We shared the mechanics of how we find the time back in November but I suppose the lesson here wasn’t so much about finding the time in so much as it was at how it’s become far easier to find the balance between life and a project like this. In some ways it’s become both more and less important at the same time. Although this is a silly analogy (WellPreserved is not nearly life-and-death and is a fun hobby), I suppose it’s a bit like air – it’s something that we do/use without really noticing it’s there. Unlike air, we’re not dependent on it for survival.
It’s been very helpful that both of us are involved in it. We don’t always have the same vision but we’re heading in the same direction and it’s a tonne of fun to be doing this as a team. Neither of us is sure how long the project will go on for but we’re 100% committed for now and that’s good enough for us.
Dana and I made the chance to do some brainstorming yesterday – looking at the year ahead and some of our plans for the blog. We’re really excited about what’s coming and hope you will be too! We’re also excited about how it will fit into our lives and not force our life into it – which I think is the ultimate answer to where WellPreserved fits and how we keep it going…
What do you do to ensure your life isn’t consumed by projects or lists of tasks?
I think when blogging began the comparison was to writers or journalists which really isn’t a fair comparison as blogging requires so many more things than the simple act of writer. While not completely the same, thinking of a blogger as a publisher makes much more sense as promotion and relevance plays a greater role.
I love social media but wow I had to take a step back as it was consuming my life.
I like to think of Well Preserved as a community. In that sense, you guys were sort of the urban planners. That meant writing, but also general direction-setting, as well as actual participation in the community. Here’s to the new year! Can’t wait to see if we can make our communities cross-over. I’ve got a good feeling about Amsterdam Boneshaker and white grapefruit marmalade…
I hear you when you say it doesn’t feel like simply ‘blogging’. It has heavily immersed me into the food world here, made me part ‘production company’, and absolutely requires diligence in achieving balance. Love doing it like you do, so it doesn’t feel like work, until it invades other parts of my life.
I’m 100% in agreement with Ayngelina regarding publishing of content + social media.