At a Crossroads: The Future of My Blog

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I am at a crossroads.

I have been thinking a lot about the future of my blog lately because I am feeling a bit blocked, a bit overwhelmed. Some of my sense of being blocked comes from the fact that too much of what I have been researching recently is overwhelmingly sad. So many of the families I am now focused on were killed in the Holocaust. Each time I need to search Yad Vashem to find out what happened to some cousin, it takes something out of me. Even though these are all very distant relatives, each name is real. I feel compelled to tell their stories, but it does have a real impact on me.

Yet how dare I complain, given what so many of them experienced? I know how important it is to tell these stories and to remember what happened and to honor all of them and their lives. But it is truly wearing me down.

For almost nine years, writing this blog has been a true labor of love for me, and it’s given me the opportunity to do numerous things I love to do: research, writing, connecting with friends and family members, and connecting with fellow family historians and genealogy bloggers. I still love the research, and I still love the writing. I still love connecting with others who are interested in what I write.

But for the first time since I started blogging in 2013, I am having a hard time finishing the posts I’ve already researched and written—that is, doing the technical work where I add all the footnotes and images before hitting publish. It is very time-consuming and frankly boring.

Also, I have noticed a substantial drop in the number of people blogging about genealogy. People who used to post frequently and regularly have either stopped posting completely or are posting very infrequently. The community of genealogy bloggers has become smaller and smaller, and that is a loss for me. I enjoy reading about the work of others almost as much as I enjoy having them read about mine. And if others have lost interest in their own research, it makes sense that they will have less interest in my research also.

But I am not going away or stopping. I started the Blumenfeld branch of my tree back in August 2021, starting with my 4th great uncle Moses Blumenfeld, brother of my three-times great-grandmother Breine Blumenfeld Katzenstein. Breine had five siblings, so there are four more to do after Moses. And Moses had three children, and I am only on his second child, Isaak. And Isaak had ten children, and I am only up to Isaak’s son Moses IIB, the fourth of those ten.

So there is still so, so much to do on the Blumenfeld family. I will complete the Blumenfeld family story no matter how long it takes. I’ve made some wonderful connections recently, and I want to share those on the blog. That’s the most rewarding part of this whole endeavor.

But to help me balance all that is going on and give me a break from the constant pace of preparing posts, I’ve decided to cut back to posting about once a week instead of twice a week.

What about you, fellow bloggers? Are you feeling some burn out? How do you stay motivated?

46 thoughts on “At a Crossroads: The Future of My Blog”

  1. It doesn’t hurt to take a break now and then.. and twice a week is a heavy load. I do that, but in two entirely different blogs.. one I publish Tuesday, the other Friday.. and I have others as well, that don’t have regular posts, just whenever I can.
    With the enormous amount of research that you do, Amy, I am always in awe of the detail you have found. Maybe you just need a break.. we all do at times. Whatever you decide, may it be what is best for you.

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    • Thanks so much for your thoughts and support. I think that posting once a week will give me the time I need so that the “boring” parts of publishing a blog will not feel so overwhelming.

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  2. My mother died over 10 years ago. I still feel her loss every day. I do not reach for the phone to call her anymore but I frequently stop what I’m doing to share a moment with her – something we would have enjoyed talking about or sharing together; even if it’s just a memory flickering in my head.

    Researching family history is something my mother enjoyed before her death; an interest we shared but never did together. I have her notes and the records she discovered and I add to it when I can. This was particularly true during the pandemic when I had the privilege of extra time. After some discoveries, I found myself talking out loud to her; wondering what she would have thought of this new information or whether she already knew. I treasure this connection to her; such as it is.

    Perhaps the loss of your own mother so recently is also contributing to your feeling of being overwhelmed? Instead of sadness, you will see the joys again in your research; lives lived instead of lost. But it will take time.

    My condolences on the loss of your mother. ________________________________

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    • Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I do think that losing my mother has had an impact. Although my mother had limited interest in family history, she always supported my own research. And obviously the grief itself over losing her drains a lot of my energy. I didn’t write that here, but I think you’re right. It’s part of the mix of things overwhelming me now.

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  3. I admire you for continuing to post twice a week and have wondered how you’ve been able to keep it up. For some reason, your posts are the only ones I get notifications for through WordPress on my dashboard and phone. Even my husband knows when he hears the bing on Tuesdays and Fridays that it’s Amy posting. Sadly, I have not been finding the time to read the posts right away and forget to come back.

    You’ve touched on all the points I’ve noticed and wondered about. The blogging community has gotten smaller. I haven’t been able to motivate myself to continue blogging as I did in the past 8 years. I love research and new discoveries. I love writing about my ancestors. But it’s been quiet on my blog with only 5 posts in six months. My revised blog posts, or revived as you wrote in a recent comment, from the first year have helped me get through the first half of this year. I’m making little discoveries that would make for great content and have only committed to writing about two of them. One I mentioned publicly and one I talked to my brother about. Maybe once I get those finished and published, I might be inspired to continue. I’m not going to pressure myself into churning out content just to keep my blog active. Still, like you Amy, I’m not going away or stopping.

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  4. Amy, I have been ill since about this time last year (am fine now) so have been missing your posts and my own genealogy research. It’s time for you to take a break so I can catch up 🙂 Seriously, I love your blog but totally understand how it can wipe you out. Thank you for the blog and inspiration to keep going!

    Barb

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    • I am sorry to hear you’ve had health issues and glad to hear you are doing fine! You aren’t the first person to ask me to slow down!! I used to post 3-4 times a week at the beginning until readers said they couldn’t keep up. Twice a week has worked for me for a long time, but now? Not so much!! Thank you for your support.

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  5. When I started my blog — at your suggestion, and a decision I don’t regret — I set a goal of doing one post per week. But life doesn’t always work that way, and I decided allow that, and I had to give myself permission to just write as life allows.

    The work you are doing is SO vital, and so important. Those of us who share our families with the world have no idea how far reaching that sharing will be.

    The most important part of your blog is YOU, so take care of yourself, take a break as you need, and know that you are loved and appreciated.

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    • Thanks so much, Elizabeth. And I am SO glad I got you to blog. I love your stories, and whether you post once a week or once a year, I’ll be there reading.

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  6. Your blogs are well written and researched, and you preserve the stories of your ancestors who did not survive to pass on their history. Taking a break from your writing and research might help you recharge your battery. I write and publish when I feel inspired and have time. Sometimes there are months between my postings, but I still intend to continue. I wish you all the best with your decision.

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  7. normal to feel burnout etccccccccc.how to stay motivated, you ask?  it’s tough during these times. remember the only 3 things all agree on -1. stay hydrated2. eat your greens3. walk in natural sunlight        (i walk 1 – 2 hrs a day …really helps) maybe a Total time off from the blog and the sadness would help. if you get to sarasota, let me know! all the best – totop, (too old to punctuate) -jane strauss

    janestrauss.weebly.com

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  8. I totally understand where you’re coming from. Staying motivated for me isn’t always easy either – I’m still working F/T, having trouble sleeping, and still like to spend time with my husband on the weekend. Not a lot of time left over for writing. However, for me, writing is as natural as breathing, so I still set myself the task of blogging about once a week, because I know I’ll be unhappy if I don’t have that outlet.

    Finding topics can be difficult and, like you, sometimes the thought of generating all the references fills me with dread. For those weeks, I write reviews instead. Or use one of Randy’s SNGF prompts. And sometimes, I just give myself a break for a week.

    Your decision to cut back to one post a week is a sound one – see how that goes and if you find some of the joy in the entire process again. I for one would really miss your posts if you decided to stop blogging all together, but I would totally understand if you did.

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    • Thanks, Teresa. I am like you when it comes to writing. That’s not the problem. If I could just research and write, I’d be fine. But sitting for hours editing images and adding citations is exhausting and so boring. That’s at least 75% of the problem. The other part is the tragic content of much of what I write about. But that part is so important to me that I will keep going. I just need to post less often so that I am not spending so much of my time doing the technical tasks that I dread…

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      • I think part of it for both of us is that we’re so precise with our citations and very thorough. That’s why I’m going to try Cite-Builder for while I’m doing blog posts for now on as it cuts some of the work out. The citations might not be perfect, but at least there’s something there. I’ll save the more detailed citations for my genealogy software.

        And yes, the images – those too are time-consuming. Sometimes just figuring out what illustrations to include is exhausting if it’s not something obvious. I know too much text will cause readers to get bored, but I still hate having to come up with an idea of a picture to include.

        We are victims of our own high standards.

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      • So very true!! When I first started blogging, I had no citations because I intended my audience to be family members. Then when other researchers found my blog, I realized I needed to explain where I found things. And as I started reading other blogs, I started being more finicky about citations. (but I am not as precise as you are in doing them!) If I were less compulsive and just told stories, the whole thing would be a breeze.

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  9. You might want to shift gears and try another angle for a while. Gather some blog posts into a self-published book like you can make with blurb.com. That gives you new challenges to surmount but gives you a chance to spread your already-finished posts to a different audience. Maybe you’ve already done some of this.

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  10. Hi Amy, I’m not a blogger but sympathise with your feelings. I haven’t been able to continue looking at my ancestry since May 2020.
    Firstly, the pandemic has affected everyone
    in many different ways and has altered people’s perceptions of life, death and the world as we know it. Secondly, you have suffered a great personal loss as your parents passed within a few years of each other, this takes quite some time to get used to. If the blog is draining you with the citations and also the content, you should be kind to yourself and take a break. There is no deadline to meet with the Blumenfeld’s history, and you may get restored energy in a moment of inspiration. You’ll know when the time is right if you want to increase your post’s to twice a week again.

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  11. Hi Amy. It is exhausting! Especially when you do so much research for your blog. I blogged every day for years but more creative stuff. Used it for two books. I wish I was still in the habit but alas its been years. I stumbled across yours doing some family research. I sent you an email with a family tree that seems to intersect with yours.

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  12. I’m not a compulsive writer, but as a (retired) lawyer I do know the process well. What you are describing sounds like someone who’s just had enough isolation and being inside a building, alone with your thoughts. Time for a road trip – if you want to stay loyal to your deep curiosity about the history of your family why not figure out all the small towns and cities you’ve mentioned across the US and go visit a few? Many will have some sort of Historical Society, and there are buildings to see, cemeteries to visit, synagogues that may still exist as congregations or just reused buildings.

    The misery and darkness of confronting the pogroms and the Holocaust is a part of our souls, but so is sunshine, picnics and general exploration of the world. Take a look at a website called http://www.roadsideamerica.com. Plenty to search out.

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    • Actually we just came back from a big road trip to Toronto through upstate NY, and it was that time away that helped me see I needed more than just a short break. Thanks, Bob.

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  13. I feel the same, Amy, very much. My focus on my family history is narrower and does not go beyond my and my wife’s grandparents. In comparison with your blog, my task is much easier. But I often feel frustrated, especially when the fine spring weather lures me away from my blogging and I wish to enjoy nature’s annual awakening. There are so many other joyful activities, such as gardening, bird watching, photography, company, playing games etc. I believe the secret is finding the right balance. Also knowing that family research is not just for one’s own pleasure but constitute a major contribution for the next generation. I believe that knowing this should be both comfort and strength for continuing your important blogging activity, Amy. Best wishes!
    Peter

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  14. You have worked so hard for so long on a very difficult project. It’s difficult in terms of the academic approach you have used (citations and all) as well as difficult emotionally because of the repetition of trauma. I also hear you about your linear approach and why you can’t just “go with the flow” for your blog. I do think that the answer is in setting yourself a schedule that is less onerous. Once a week is good, but honestly, you will still get readers if it’s once every other week and you will still be making a steady movement toward completing all the branches. For my non-genealogy blog, I post once a week, which is plenty to keep up with even though the posts take a tiny fraction of the time your posts take. And I have noticed that there are quite a few bloggers who are very very popular and they only post randomly, maybe once a month or so. But because they continue to read other people’s blogs and continue to cultivate the friendships, when they do post, it’s a treat. So don’t worry about how often: just set a pace that you want to keep up, that keeps you motivated, but doesn’t wear you out.
    As far as less genealogy bloggers right now, I noticed that when the pandemic started they began to fall off very quickly. Take mine for example haha. I could no longer get any information from archives, etc., and that is where I am at for most of mine now. Without being able to bring in enough new information and by feeling constantly stymied, I lost interest. What I could be doing, though, is continue to try to identify photos or I could be starting the gardener’s mother’s Canadian family. But that is another “issue.” With the personalities involved, and the colorful quality of the family, I think I would get a lot of complaints no matter how I wrote anything. Nothing would ever be quite right.

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    • Thanks, Luanne. I think that’s good advice, and I will basically follow my gut in terms of when to post. If a week or two goes by, that will be an adjustment for me as I am so damn compulsive. When I first started blogging, some blogger (I forget who) made a big deal about how you have to post on a regular schedule and often or you won’t get an audience. I bought into it, but I now know that’s wrong. I’ve no idea what “schedule” anyone else follows. I read the new posts when they arrive.

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  15. You’ve stated all your good reasons for dialing back for now. I’ve seen some good suggestions and support in the comments, too. My blogging has dropped off some, as other projects are taking up time. I’m at the NGS conference in Sacramento where I’ll be giving a talk on family history blogging – maybe I can get some people fired up to blog!

    Once a week is plenty. I know how time-consuming all the images and citations can be. I’m okay if they aren’t EE level citations, as long as the basics are covered.

    I’ll still be reading, even when my blog languishes. Hang in there!

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  16. Hi Amy ~ your blog has always inspired me and as you might remember, my inspiration to begin my own ancestry blogging journey. Whether posting weekly, monthly or occasionally, I will be following and always learning so much. My posting has slowed down to almost nothing for months now. Burn out isn’t exactly it, I can add hitting many brick walls and adding that to other projects I am working on. I do have one huge research project I have been working on (Italian side) that will deserve a post soon. I read through many of the comments and the one about losing your mom struck me. Loss slows us down and takes us to other places with thoughts and without even knowing it we can be led in different creative directions – maybe that is happening. If so, I’ll be excited to see where that leads you. Another book perhaps? 🙂

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    • Thanks so much, Sharon. Yes, although I didn’t articulate it in this post, I do think that grieving my mother is part of my inertia. As for another book, well, I’ve had an idea for one, but haven’t been able to get it going. Maybe this summer?

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  17. I completely understand, Amy. Life has gotten in the way for me and when I realized that blogging was becoming a chore, or commitment, or whatever it was, I found that my interest in it was waning. So I’ve put it aside for now and feel a a bit of relief. Maybe a break, or at least cutting down, will help you. You’ve told some amazing stories and your ancestors will not be forgotten.

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  18. Amy, I agree with your comment about fewer genealogy bloggers. I’ve noticed it, too. I’ve kept on blogging to tell the stories of those who came before me and I do sometimes feel like I need breaks, particularly since we haven’t done any traveling since the pandemic began. My solution has been to keep some posts in the future queue. That way, when I want to take some time off, I still have posts going live. Your stories are beautiful and keep alive the memories of those who have no one to speak for them. Once a week is plenty often to post.

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  19. Hi Amy, I just discovered your blog. I also started one a few days ago, it will be family and genealogy based. I’m not even sure what inspired me to start a blog, but it’s done LOL… Hang in there and pace yourself.

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