I just haven’t been feeling it recently. I can’t even muster up the will to create filler posts with geek news or atheist memes or kitten photos. Part of it is work related. My general exam is at the end of May, so I’m spending a lot of time preparing for that. I also just got a new huge load of data to analyze, so I’ve been excitedly poking that. Part of it is just that real life is actually appealing. I have a wonderful boyfriend that I can go do fun things with, especially now that the weather is getting warmer. We’ve been having a lot of fun planning our trip to Dublin and Paris.
And on the flip side, the blogosphere just isn’t…motivating for me at the moment. I’m burnt out. I don’t care about the newest atheist book or billboard or stupid sexist controversy. I don’t want to deal with the egos of some people in the atheist movement. I can’t even muster rage about legislators making terrible laws about women’s health. I’m just…burnt out from frustration. I objectively know these are important issues and worth writing about in the long run, but right now I just want to be selfish and obliviously ignore everything going on in the world for a little bit. I never get to do that.
I’m not quitting, don’t worry. I’m just in a funk. Writers block. Lack of inspiration. Something will hit me, but right now I’m more interested in research and sun and cuddles and Pottermore (got sorted into Gryffindor despite my love for Ravenclaw) and beer and doodles and traveling and concerts (Jeff Mangum tonight, Justice next week, woo).
It’s just… for the first time in a long time, I’m happier off the internet. And happiness is the number 1 way to kill my creativity. You should all keep hoping Jehova’s Witnesses move in next door or my apartment gets infested with spiders again.
Pottermore?!?!
Why am I just learning of this?!
Google! U no know wat i liek?
Also,
Take care of yourself. I look forward to the day when I’m getting enough cuddles to not need the interwebs to distract me.
I’m hearing a lot of “wreck Jen’s car for new posts” coming out of this.
And there you have the answer to the question: So… I’m an atheist, now what?
Good luck
Incidentally, I also got sorted in Gryffindor despite my love for Ravenclaw. Can we be friends? I don’t have any friends yet…
Yay for RSS feeds! No matter how long you’re gone…when you come back, I’ll see it. But frankly, if you’re happier offline, I’m in no hurry to see you come back. Real life is more important.
Why are you apologizing? We all need to remember sometimes that there’s more to life than zeroes and ones.
Don’t worry. SIWOTI syndrome can go into remission, but it’s incurable. You’ll be back one way or another.
One nice thing about being an atheist is being able to do what you want to do. I take pleasure in having read the posts that you’ve written without retaining any sense of entitlement about when or whether you’ll send more my way. We only get so much time in life so enjoy your shift of focus. When eventually it happens that a subject comes up that you just have to comment about, well, you’ll still be on my favourites list and I’ll still be stopping by from time to time, just on the offchance. :)
“I’m not quitting, don’t worry.”
Don’t be too quick saying this.
“I’m just in a funk. Writers block. Lack of inspiration.”
That can last a very long time – like the rest of your life.
“Something will hit me,”
Or not.
Anyhow, I already miss your articles. But as others said – real life is more important than virtual life.
All the best – for the meantime or for ever.
I hate when I must place empathy above selfishness. But I must. Damn.
Jeff Mangum?!? Of Neutral Milk Hotel fame?? Enjoy. No worries, the writer’s block should pass. Take two of these and don’t call me in the morning.
I’m holding my breath for Jehovah’s Witness spiders to infest the next door apartment.
Dear Blaghag,
I find it pretty cool our paths have crossed. (Don’t worry, I’m not some creepozoid that will begin stalking you online.) I randomly clicked on your link on the PZMeyers website. You are from Indiana and live in Seattle.
I live in Chicago, and have a place in the Indiana Dunes for weekend visits. So I am very interested in Indiana affairs, like the comparison you draw between IN teenage rape and IN abortion restrictions. I will copy the URL’s and post them all over IN newspaper websites to show the hypocritical nature of IN legislators.
However, I have also lived in Port Angeles and Bellingham, so I understand your love for the PNW. I plan to relocate out there in a few years (Once I retire. Yes I am also a “very old person”.) Seattle is a fantastic city, and the people are just great.
I just wanted to say, keep blogging, even if you sometimes lose your inspiration. I look to blogs like yours to find new information about attempts to restrict American’s rights, as you posted here. These pieces of information are helpful and useful when arguing with my Republican friends at work about Republicans restricting women’s rights and the Republican War on Women.
If it were not for people like you finding little data points and posting them, people like me would have less opportunity to find and fight for real American rights and choices.
Someday in the next 30 years, perhaps we may meet @ Alki Tavern for a nice cold IPA. Until then, keep blogging away. You are doing all of us a real service.
Jen – one possibility, if it hasn’t been suggested (didn’t read all the comments), is guest bloggers. If you want to maintain a certain level of activity, and you can think of people who might have something worthwhile to say (in your opinion), delegate a few blog posts to them.
Aside from that, I’ll just add that it’s important to take care of yourself, and I hope you find your way out of funky town soon.
Now that you can ride a bike! May I suggest “Fat Tire Bike Tour” Paris.
I had a blast doing the daytime ride around Paris, that I went back and did the nighttime tour.
Just the thought of pedalling around the Louvre should get your motivated.
grad school is a bitch! been there done that (in fact, I am finishing this week) Good luck with your exams! take care of yourself..most important grad school advice!
Good for you! I know the feeling.
If we gave you chocolate, would you write more?
I was far too happy when the sorting hat placed me in Ravenclaw, actually saying “yes” out loud and raising a fist in the air. It was a nice surprise, though. I was sure my honest answers were sending me to the compassionate Hufflepuff rather than the dream house.
No pressure, but I’m looking forward to you leaving your funk. This is probably the FTB blog I most consistently enjoy reading.
Enjoying having a wonderful boyfriend and being engrossed in your new data, that is awesome. I think you should not be apologetic about less frequent blogging. Enjoy going with the flow!
Wish you’d been at #atheistcon on the weekend. Mayve next time!
A Happy Jen is the best kind of Jen. I have been reading your blog for a few years. Yours is the one I get most excited to read when it pops up in my feed. You always speak so open and honestly, and you’ve been an inspiration to me to be open about my own thoughts and opinions. I’m glad for every post you write, and i’d be lying if i said i didnt want to read your blog every day. But I get how you’re feeling, and I’ve been there myself in my own life. I guess where I’m trying to go with this is that, as my favorite blogger, I’m happy you’re feeling happy. And if that means I don’t get to read you’re blog as often, I guess I can handle that :p You deserve some happiness. We all do. and I don’t think I’m the only reader who feels this way.
Time for desperate measures.
Steal a concrete truck and crash it into the nearest (empty) “House of Worship”. It’ll definitely get the creative juices flowing again.
Oh, maybe not.
Just trying to be helpful…
Spiders infesting your apartment? No biggie. But I wouldn’t wish Jehovah’s Witnesses as neighbors on anyone.
But I know just what you mean about happiness killing creativity. Poems and stories flow out of me when I’m at my most miserable. When real life is good, you don’t need to imagine a better one.
So, enjoy being happy. Hell, you’ve earned it. Don’t worry about your readers… we’ll all be here when you get back, just as grumpy and pissed-off as ever. We promise.
If being in a funk is being happy, then I wish you a long and funky life.
I was thinking, though, that since PZ has outsourced some of his blogging to his readers with his “Why I’m an Atheist” series, perhaps you could do something similar to keep things going over here while you’re out selfishly being productive and happy and stuff–maybe a “Why I’m a Feminist” series, or something.
Anyway, thanks for all you do.
In what universe are you *not* a Ravenclaw?
Are you at least going to join us to smash the arguments of the creationists Case lined up for the Skeptics meeting? It’s gonna be fun!
I got sorted into Slytherin :(
Don’t worry about Pottermore sorting too much – clearly it’s at least partly random and it’s not all that accurate anyway. I was sorted into Hufflepuff but pretty much EVERYONE says I’m so Gryffindor it’s not even funny. Must be all that going-to-court-and-being-a-defender-of-justice and ranting-about-privilege thing!
But since Amelia Bones came from Hufflepuff and became an awesome magical world judge, I’m totally down for Hufflepuff too.
You deserve a break!
Hufflepuff! I thought I was a Ravenclaw for sure! I’m AccioUnicorn26431. We should get a Blag Hag Pottermore thing going.
I seriously doubt you’ll stop blogging forever and ever, Jen, so I think I can live with you having an actual life for a while. A real one! With 3D people! Your blog is one of the friendliest places I’ve come across on the net, so I’m here to stay :)
Peace,
Ella
Enjoy real life, hope you come back to blogging.
This from the person who held a 24-hour Blogathon?!? j/k. I was in a severe funk last month. It happens.
If we are doing a Blag Hag pottermore thing, I am WillowMahogany25801!
Aahhh endorphins, mother nature’s…um …um endorphins.
Go and see Cabin in the Woods. Then blog about it!
Seriously–Do what makes you happy.
You are under no obligations for this–and grad school, real people, and just living ARE USUALLY cooler than blogging.
We’ll all survive. :)
Hmmph. Well, I’ve managed to keep MY blogging output at the same consistent level…
….oh, right.
I’m just surprised that it took this long before burnout, what with all you do.
We love it when the Jehova’s Witnesses come to visit. They’re so much fun to play with :)
You got Gryffindor, too? Honestly, sorting hat. Some of us were born Ravenclaws.
Jen:
Those are all worthwhile subjects to write about, should you still want to exercise your pen (er, keyboard).