Self Enjoyment and Attention

In Claire Isabel's most recent Tweet, she says: Do the things you do in life for the self enjoyment, not for such things as attention or accolades from others...

My response:  I say in that case, there's no need to post anything on the internet! If it's just for you, who needs to know about it?

My feeling is you should do things you love and if it brings you attention and accolades, that's even better.

Of course you shouldn't do something you dislike for attention. Well, no. That's not entirely true either. What if it's bringing you a nice amount of money?  Or what if you don't want to disappoint your fans?  It might be worth it to stick with something you don't like...at least for a little while.

What would probably be dumb is to start doing something you dislike simply because you imagine it will bring you attention.

I think the other problem is, when we get into the mode that nothing matters unless it is recorded for the world to see.

I've gotten into this mode, in the past, on LiveJournal. And there have also been times on this blog where I felt compelled to record all my Australia stuff.

I've seen it on Facebook and Twitter—the people who can't seem to do anything without reporting it and getting validation from their followers and "friends".

There are people who have to upload photos to Instagram multiple times a day, because if the creative project they planned for their child isn't recorded and liked by at least 10 people; then well, did it really ever happen?

As for me and this blog, I'll say this. My love of Australia is for me. My own self-enjoyment. This blog is probably more for the attention. I mean, not all the time. I do love writing. I do feel a need to express myself. But the need to express ourselves? Well, isn't that a desire for attention? Or at least it's a need to be heard and understood.

I have another blog and hardly anyone visits it. It's about fiction— books, movies, TV shows, Minecraft, etc. I don't really enjoy writing for the blog knowing that no one is going to read it. The enjoyment of the writing and posting, for me, comes from having an audience. But the lack of audience, doesn't subtract from any of my love for my favorite TV shows, playing Minecraft, reading books, etc.

I went on writing in that blog for awhile...then I gave up.

I have enough visitors to this blog to keep me motivated. If that ended...if people stopped visiting, I'd probably lose interest in posting. But that doesn't mean I'd want to stop reading about Australia or watching my Australian TV shows.

My feeling is do what you love, and if you feel some of it can get you attention, fame, money, etc, then put it out there. But don't get to the point where you are unable to enjoy something without getting attention for it. Have a public life but also give yourself a rich private life.




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