What made you start James' Coffee Blog?

I posed my Instagram followers a question via Instagram Stories: what questions do you have about my blog? The second question I was asked was what made me start this blog, which deserves a blog post in itself to answer properly.

The biggest reason why I started this blog was to document what I found interesting. Back when this blog started, I wrote about web development and the IndieWeb, a movement towards owning one's own website. I then developed a growing interest in coffee, which caused me to write about what I was learning. The IndieWeb is quite technical at times, which is why when I started posting a lot of coffee blog posts I decided to remove my IndieWeb posts. However, I have recently added them back (available on my categories blog page) because I now realise that I want this blog to be about a bit more than just coffee.

I do not write on this blog with any particular cadence in mind. I write when I have an idea. Sometimes I go days without writing (or even weeks) but it does not often show because in the past when I have written blog posts I have been able to accrue quite a few, which I publish no more than daily. The writing practice I get when I work on this blog is helpful because it keeps my mind engaged with things I am interested in. I get a sense of accomplishment when I write a blog post, which I really enjoy. Notably, I also have a feeling that something I write may help someone else.

I have decided to write a lot of blog posts about coffee of late because coffee has been the hobby at the top of my mind. I find home brewing intriguing. I read a lot of books about coffee, watched many YouTube videos, and read other coffee blogs. As I built my skills, I realised that I was learning things that I thought other people could use. For instance, I wrote a blog post for Steampunk Coffee on how to make a cappuccino at home because I finally gave one a try and I learned a thing or two about how to make a cappuccino at home.

I also have a firm belief in blogging. I think blogging is a nice way to share what you are interested in unlike any other method of sharing information we have on the internet today. I write blog posts which I then often share on Instagram. I don't post much detailed content on Instagram because I prefer to write longer posts. I can write posts which are really long on this blog and know that they will be easy to read (would you read a 1,000 word post on Instagram?).

I think if you find something interesting and want to share what you are doing with the world, you should consider whether a blog is right for you. Blogs don't have to be complicated to set up (in fact, the simpler, the better) and they give you a little place on the internet to call your own. I have previously referred to this blog as my "internet home" because ultimately a lot of my personal long-form writing related to my interests (coffee and the internet) goes here.

I don't spend much time adding new features or pages to the blog and the changes I do make often do not take much time. What takes up the most time is writing content, which as I said I do on no particular schedule. This blog is a project. A way to exercise my writing skills. Proof that you can start a blog about anything and make it your own. A way for me to practice what I preach when I say that the internet is a great way to share information with people.