Blogging is my hobby. As a hobby, I like blogging to feel fun, light, airy, fru-fru... or, in the very least, as far from 'work' as I can possibly get.

I don't even 'work' at work. It's true. Cleaning is a passion, and except for my lackluster night on Tuesday, I find that work nights can be both meditative and exhilerating. I easily slip into a trance when I am vacuuming; I sing and hum as I dance with my mop; I sway with the motions of wiping the windows. You get the idea.

Although it is considered laborious, tedious, or, simply, 'work' to some, it has become an expression of who I am and a tool with which I can work out any frustration or problem that plagues me. Most of the time, that is. Tuesday I harbored a truckload of emotional pissiness only a woman could understand and it interrupted my night of passionate cleaning. (Ironic and punny how dirty that sounds.)

Not all of my passions are profitable in the financial sense. I love photography, but I have yet to sell a photograph. I am nearly published, but not yet 'bought'. Which is quite alright with me, as the credentials are worth it considering the photos might be used for a church newsletter (a good cause, and of which I'd like a copy). But photography is not my 'job' or career. It does not garner wages of any sort.

I am equally passionate about writing, however little I do of it. Blogging is an outlet, the purge of my mind and the ideas contained therein. It is also a platform for learning and sharing and communicating. What it is not is a money-maker. I tried. I have an account on Pay-Per-Post, but I dislike the idea of sales-pitchin' to my loyal readers. (never made a dime with it) Truthfully, I know you didn't come here to see which advertisement I can cleverly disguise as a blog post. You know that if I like something, I tell you, even if I see no profit in sharing. The closer friends know that I am stubborn and proud and do not like handouts (although in the worst of times it is greatly appreciated, thank you). I do not have ads because after trying that for a few months I grew frustrated in not being allowed to click the links MYSELF, and there were a few good ads I really would have like to have clicked.

I came across a blog today that listed ten reasons why bloggers quit (How to Kill a Blogger, written by fellow buzzard Lunatic Lodge.) It was geared more towards money-bloggers than recreational bloggers such as myself, but I saw a lot of truth in what she wrote. Many bloggers who start out for money just don't realize how much 'work' is involved in lucrative money-blogging.

They have to promote their site, promote their products (most of them are basically selling ad-space), and continually lure in new 'customers'. If you already have a blog, the hope is that people will like what you are writing on it well enough to Digg or Stumble and perhaps lure in a crowd of eager click artists to propel your blog into stardom. The truth is, personal bloggers don't usually make 'that kind' of money.

Instructional bloggers, life coaches, sportscasters, podcasters, people with a defined and exploited niche tend to attract a steady stream of newcomers. This is the kind of traffic a money-blogger craves. (Does this also make a money-blogger an attention whore?)

This is not the kind of traffic -I- want, however. Yeah, sure, I would be lying if I said I didn't want to make money off of my blog, but the truth is, once I pass the threshold from hobby to job, it loses it's luster and I lose interest. I'd much rather blog for a hobby and keep a feeder's handful of regulars than constantly pick apart my stats and sales and pitches.

So, In the grand scheme of things, there are blogging whores (who seek compensation for their service of entertaining you) and blogging sluts (who don't because they enjoy the activity so much they do it for free... or for love).

I guess that makes me a blogging slut.

Meh. I've been called worse.