Starting out with a whimper

 

Starting out with a whimper

A blog is so 2004. That may be true, but here in 2020, 2004 doesn’t seem so bad.

In 2004 I wasn’t afraid to be around people. In 2004 I didn’t have kids, let alone have to try to balance their mental health needs with the immediate risk of a pandemic. In 2004 I was in college, looking at a bright future. In 2020, I’m wondering how hard I’m going to have to fight to keep my retail job after being off for four straight days due to whatever virus I’m fighting, and wondering if it’s worth fighting for at all. In 2004 I wasn’t half hoping, half dreading tomorrow’s test not sure which result I was hoping for – confirmation that I was right to stay home because the virus I am fighting is the same one that has killed over a million people worldwide, despite the risk that then poses to those close to me and myself or a negative result that may result in ridicule for making a mountain out of a molehill and make it harder to fight for my job. As if staying home when you’re sick hasn’t always been the best decision, even before the pandemic.

So is yearning for simpler times the reason that I’ve started a blog? No. To paraphrase one of my favourite creators, Lindsey Ellis, “Sometimes you just have thoughts, and you’ve got to monetize them”. I have lots of thoughts. And one recurring thought that I’ve had is that I wanted a written repository of my adventures in life, in crafting, and in my newest obsession: diamond painting. And while I have created a presence for myself in the world of YouTube with my own channel: Hallowqueen Crafting https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUsNYHtE7kqJJRpEx_ZjLMg?view_as=subscriber, vlogging has some limitations that working in print does not. And I’ve always been better at communicating in print than face to face, or face to camera as it may be.

Also as part of my adventures in the world of diamond painting, I’ve started giving out ratings to companies based on a variety of factors. I’d like to have those ratings out there in a way that is more accessible than having to watch a number of rambling videos, and in a way that can more directly compare one company to another. I also wanted it to evolve as my understanding of the hobby evolves, as companies change and evolve, and as the hobby itself evolves.

Is this a big project? Yes, yes it is. But you tackle it like you tackle eating an elephant – one bite at a time. So let’s get down to chewing.