I’m struggling with my day job. I recently completed a week of vacation in which I discovered that I want to write about WordPress when I’m not required to write about it. Go figure! Returning from staycation, I’ve had a difficult time finding things that inspire me to write about WordPress. More often than not, my FeedReader is filled with items that make me go Meh at best.
Since my job is to write about WordPress on a daily basis, this is not good. My FeedReader is filled with tutorials, questions, crap, and other things dealing with WordPress that don’t create that spark of creative writing.
When I initially applied for the job, I said that all I wanted was for someone to pay me to sit on my ass all day and write about WordPress. I have what I wanted but I’m not happy. Things have changed and no matter how hard I try to replicate the environment which generated success 4 years ago, it doesn’t seem to show up.
With WordPress powering over 23% of the web, you’d think it would be easy to find something to write about. Well, it’s not as easy as you might think. A lot has to do with my interests and whether I see something that readers may find interesting or helpful. For the most part, it has to interest me first before I start writing about it.
There’s a part of me that feels like WordPress has passed me up. It’s like everyone is using or developing WordPress in ways that go way over my head. I have no interest in learning what Sass or Less is yet, there is definitely a crowd yearning for that knowledge.
After nearly a decade of writing about WordPress, I’ve almost reached a point where I don’t want to be a journalist anymore and instead, just want to mingle in the community. I’ve thought about this a lot and if I could start over with a WordPress centric site, I’d make the whole thing a forum. Forums are a great way to archive things and have discussions about sites or articles that don’t need a front page mention.
A forum is a great way to establish a community and an identify. It’s a way to feel like you belong somewhere. I’m passionate, enthusiastic, and have a knack of connecting the dots for people. This is why I think I’d be able to successfully build and maintain a rocking WordPress forum. I’m a down to earth, no bullshit kind of guy that is able to listen to people, no matter what their status is in the community.
That’s not to say every now and then, I wouldn’t want to write a long, thoughtful post on a particular subject. But doing it everyday even when paid is a pain in the ass, especially when you can’t find anything to write about. Funny how when I’m put into a position I thought I’d be happy in, the opposite is true.
I think a lot of people would love to be in the position I’m in and yes, I do realize the position I’m in. It’s just that, the things you think would make you happy sometimes don’t and you don’t realize it until you’re in the thick of things. I’m working towards putting myself into a work environment and situation that makes me happy but until then, I’ll need to buckle down, trudge through the tough creative times, and gitter done.
Thoughts and Insanity From Jeff 
I think an absolutely fascinating series of daily blog posts would be you chronicling a journey to learn web development with WordPress, after having been in the community for so many years.
Get someone to give you a PSD and build that sucker; and write about things you learn. Mundane or not. But I’d guess more days than not it would not be mundane material.
Thank you for yet another push to get me to learn web development with WordPress :). If I run out of options, this is high on my list of things to do!
Of course you’re bored. You’re talking about a tool from the user point of view. You’re going to get bored sooner or later.
Think of this. If you were to write about a hammer, that will probably be the WORST and most boring blog ever.
But if you were to write about all the stuff behind a hammer: metallurgy, casting, industrial process, optimizations in making a hammer cheaper… That could be quite interesting.
Bottom line, watching “How it’s made” can be really, really interesting even if you’re talking about something as plain and boring as a hammer!
Thanks for the comment. Something to think about for sure. The how is generally more interesting than the result.
This happens in every niche. I write about photography and WordPress on a daily basis and am constantly searching for something better to write, or something that hasn’t been said before. It’s not easy and breaks are needed. So maybe that’s what you need. Try taking a month (if possible) to do something else that isn’t WordPress focused. Maybe starting writing an eBook on something else you enjoy. Take the time and let all the WordPress brain freeze melt away. Then come back and maybe you’ll be recharged and ready to fight the battle and win.
Is this not the appropriate place to say:
I can relate, I can totally relate. I can relate so well, that I don’t really have a solution except to say that I can relate. It was fun at first, it came at a time when I desperately needed it, it sounded amazing, it was amazing, then I hit the same wall.
The only thing that really helped me were the twice-weekly new plugin and theme roundups that simply had to happen, no exceptions. I’d wind up writing articles not because I wanted to, not because they were good (many weren’t), but simply because I didn’t want the site to be nothing more than those twice-weekly new plugin and theme roundups.
I know, that really doesn’t help. It’s all just to say, I know what you’re feeling, I’ve been there, and I guess you could say I solved my problem by simply not being there any longer. If you ever do find the answer, I’d love to know.
I certainly don’t want to end up “not being there any longer” lol. After this post was written, I went out with friends and I vented a bit. They also gave me some wisdom and advice that in many ways, is the same advice people have been telling me for years. Ultimately what I need is an attitude adjustment and a realization of my position and what it means in the big picture.
Today, I woke up with a better attitude and more energy to work. I also read this post that Matt shared about Faith In Eventually and its helped out a lot as well.
Awesome! Sounds like you’re on the right track then. ;)