Author: Jess Boctor
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Baseline Creativity
I’m just not creative.
Too Many PeopleI have a strong reaction when people tell me they aren’t creative. I think part of it is because I believe we all reflect the creativity of the one who created us, and are all therefore inherently creative.
But mostly, I attribute it to misunderstanding creativity. There are so many tangents I could follow on this, but I am trying to compose a coherent thought (something which has become harder since becoming a parent).
So here’s my thesis:Creative work doesn’t always look creative.
Here is one of the creative things I did recently:
It has been a while since I put my dirty laundry on a blog post. 
The shelves are labaled by the type of laundry and what day of the week they should be washed on. It isn’t glamorus. I am sure there are many who would argue that sorting your laundry is not a creative endeavor. On the surface, it looks like I would have to concede that they may have a point. There is not much that is new, unusual, or novel in having clearly labeled laundry. It definitely doesn’t look like some of my creative pursuits of the past.
A self portriat I did based off an image from a younger version of myself. Completed in my journal in 2015. The point I want to make here is that not all creativity is about being shiny or pretty. I think creativity is about how we solve problems, both real and imagined. Oftentimes we overlook creative work because it doesn’t look like how we think it should. The simple solutions we come up with everyday aren’t tagged as creative and the dreaded words begin to echo…I’m not creative.
So while the laundry baskets aren’t stylized or pretty pops of colors ( I am sure there are many pinners out there who would see opportunities for improvements) they are simple, maintainable, and one piece in solving a larger problem in my life. To me, that is incredibly creative.
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Do you even like to blog?
Over the last decade or so a sub-industry of online marketing has sprung up. It is an industry that generates online content which is centered around teaching you how to make money by creating online content.
It is filled with influencers teaching you how to be an influencer and bloggers teaching you how to blog. They often come with grand promises of earning thousands of dollars a month by following their practices.
A simple Pinterest search for How to Make Money Blogging gives a visual clue into how over saturated the market is. You can see similar results in Google and YouTube.
This post isn’t a criticism of earning an income through content generation. In fact, this post is the first of an experimental series I am working on. The goal will be to see exactly what it takes to go from having a free blog on WordPress.com to a business that earns revenue by creating content. More on that to come.
However, it has been my experience that these soothsayers of profit forget to ask one foundational and simple question: do you even like to blog?
Do you enjoy putting fingers to keyboard and staring down a cursor on a white screen? Is the process of digging deep to find words that are worthy of being shared enjoyable? Are you up for the battle of fighting imposter syndrome and constantly debating whether this post even matters? Is it worth it?
These are questions I have been asking myself recently.
My blogging journey started in 2006 when a group of people from my community started the trend. In fact, this site (formerly known as phantomblonde.wordpress.com) is the very first blog I started. You can even go way back to see my first and super unimpressive post.
Over the years, I have gone through the full swing of blogging experiences. Sometimes I used it as a personal diary that provided way too much information. Other times I tried to use it as an infomercial. The inconsistency of my blogging practice was the most consistent thing about it. One of the most common blog posts I found myself writing were of the “Sorry I disappeared but I’m back and I’ll be better!” variety.
Since 2018 I have been on an intentional blogging hiatus. I took a break because I found myself in a monetization mentality which became overwhelming. I felt trapped by the idea that I had to blog a certain way, write a certain way, and that if it wasn’t generating income it wasn’t worth my time.
Now, pretty two years later I am back. I’m not going to make promises about being a better blogger. I’m not going to apologize for disappearing. I’m just going to answer a simple question and move forward.
Do you even like to blog?
Yes. Yes, I do.
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13 Month Highlight Reel
Today marks 13 months since my last social media post…at least any posts that are actually about my life.
My last post was the announcement that we were expecting our son, Jacob Paul, who arrived in September.
I have been on a bit of a long sabbatical from social media. In 2018, even before my last post, I was really struggling with the overwhelming feeling that everything I was doing–social media, journaling, writing, development–was all work. And rightfully, some of it should have been.
I needed to take break to get away from my monetization mentality. I was trying to figure out how to make a buck on everything I was doing.
I wanted to get to a place where I could do things for the joy of it again.
And I am getting there. The past 13 months had a lot of challenges to them. Like many people, there are a lot of things on hold right now. But I’m taking a hard look at my life and trying to figure out how to do some of these things on a small scale again.
Here is the highlight reel of the last 13 months:
Pic 1: In 2019 I got to do some awesome traveling, both with work (Bahamas), my family (Destin Florida), and just me and Paul (New Orelans Louisiana–which I don’t have a picture of). I am laughing like a total nerd in the photo with my family, but I love it.
Pic 2: Paul and I were so blown away and blessed by everyone who came out to love on our growing family and help us get ready for Jacob’s arrival. We had an open house style shower which I totally recommend.
Pic 3: He arrived! Paul and I are now parents and I couldn’t ask for a better man to be on this journey with. He is so great not only with Jacob, but with helping me manage the crazy as I learn to be a mom. I am so thankful I get to do all my adventures with him.
Pic 4: Hospitals!! Lucky for me this all happened before the COVID outbreak. In November, I had pancreatitis and an inflamed liver because of Gallstones. I had my gallbladder removed during a three day stay at the hospital. In December, a routine follow up procedure triggered a case of pancreatitis. This was the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It beat out child labor hands down. I was in the hospital for 6 days and was released on Christmas Eve. Since it was flu season, Jacob wasn’t allowed to come up to my room either during either hospital syay. So once I was able to walk around, my parents brought him to the hospital and we hung out downstairs for a little bit. So glad I had a nurse who helped me escape!
Pic 5: I went back to work at @automattic in November. I have to say I work for the best company. It’s so great to be able to work from anywhere and be close by if my family needs me. Of course, I couldn’t do it without the love and endurance of Jacob’s Teta and Oma. He keeps those ladies busy for sure!
Pic 6: This has been our most recent adventure. In March 2020, we put on offer on a home and are working through escrow. It has been a long purchase process because of everything going on in the world. However, we’re in the home stretch (hehe – that’s punny). We are less than 1 month away from getting the keys and 5 weeks away from being able to move in–just in time for Father’s Day. As you can imagine, Paul and I have been doing a lot of daydreaming and browsing for our new place.
PS: The Beastie, our 36′ Fifth Wheel which has been our home for the last four years is for sale!
Those are the big things. You are all caught up. Thanks for sticking with me!
Jess Boctor 