Does anyone actually read my blog?

Your friends and family keep you on your toes and often unwittingly provide great fodder for blog posts!  They also cause a scattered examination of conscience.  Two recent questions about my blogging ( I have a painting blog and a home decorating blog) got me thinking about my purpose and audience, and the time I invest in this activity. This post is about Designing Home blog<br /><br /><b>Audience</b><br />  I am happy to report that people do indeed read Designing Home blog. Since I began it almost three years ago,  I've had over .25 million page views.  That surprised even me because I originally began to write this blog with a local audience in mind.  I couldn't be further from the mark.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAOgCmpQjslPIxt-cqpibKeOq9_ofEtfkg5jWhhaFHRzJfmWbEKrrtNLR3mOibFQjkUDtrP7ANhFAZXdTgkitzFs3b9R8ZHWNIoKHdcPgC7mmbVnYzsYOEYgZE7reeq1VUqUNSxCsl9wD/s1600/chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWAOgCmpQjslPIxt-cqpibKeOq9_ofEtfkg5jWhhaFHRzJfmWbEKrrtNLR3mOibFQjkUDtrP7ANhFAZXdTgkitzFs3b9R8ZHWNIoKHdcPgC7mmbVnYzsYOEYgZE7reeq1VUqUNSxCsl9wD/s320/chart.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />  My readership is 6 times larger in the United States  than Canada.  Canada, Great Britian, Australia and Germany are almost tied in interest.  Only a small percentage of readers are actually from Newfoundland.  No doubt it is a global village. <br /><br /><b>Topics</b><br />I am glad that my original prediction about audience was correct. The average homeowner appears to welcome clear information about basic decorating issues.  You now, the kind of questions you have if you live in an  average size home and decorate with a modest budget.  Personally that means a very modest budget layered with a lot of DIY.  While I write about other topics that appeal to smaller audiences, I try to keep my focus "sensible". Here are the top five posts on Designing Home:<br /><table __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingblur="true" __gwtcellbasedwidgetimpldispatchingfocus="true" cellspacing="0" class="GHUY-LPG0"><tbody><tr __gwt_row="0" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPPY"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPB-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-376" style="outline-style: none;" tabindex="0"><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><br /></div><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.com/2011/12/10-tips-for-decorating-small-living.html" target="_blank">10 Tips for decorating a small living room</a><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">75522 page views </span></div>May 2, 2012, 38 comments<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB39jvQqOZAXpjCaV6_oZniNN5z7jGsBihSP1dyZfb4E_0eiaHs2GPWmvS38M6Iwpmj5WqnvHTAjHgLG7Vw45tdGsghRJW5IlNzfaimiL-zcEFRlE_tgEOgwyydwg7H8h5msPIQ26HIdQ/s1600/gray-beige-greoige-living-room-traditional-style.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB39jvQqOZAXpjCaV6_oZniNN5z7jGsBihSP1dyZfb4E_0eiaHs2GPWmvS38M6Iwpmj5WqnvHTAjHgLG7Vw45tdGsghRJW5IlNzfaimiL-zcEFRlE_tgEOgwyydwg7H8h5msPIQ26HIdQ/s400/gray-beige-greoige-living-room-traditional-style.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="heading2"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Houzz</span></span></b></div></div></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPL-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-377" style="outline-style: none;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr __gwt_row="1" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPP-"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPB-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-376" style="outline-style: none;"><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><br /><br /><a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.com/2011/03/10-design-solutions-for-small-bedrooms.html" target="_blank">10 Design Solutions for Small Bedrooms</a><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">26956 page views </span></div>Mar 17, 2011, 10 comments<br /><br /> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrx4Pa0x3ywkrp7cAgKFU7NCt1jsnDF9lT7o55a9q8n5jrAuWPBjVvizIOqQc-brK-1cK4eahOZAbAc6vJ9iR0GuzbStpupmu3bxQdzjyYaf3WdunXYOt5m8kLKbhTqIUdsLgrH1OHoPXV/s400/small-teen-bedroom-01.jpg" width="357" /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPL-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-377" style="outline-style: none;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr __gwt_row="2" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPPY"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPB-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-376" style="outline-style: none;"><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><br />  <a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.com/2011/10/current-trends-in-window-treatments.html" target="_blank">Current trends in window treatments</a><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">17163 page views </span></div>Mar 4, 2012, 16 comments<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/191428/Rosedale-Living-Room-Drape-Vignette-modern-living-room-toronto"><img alt="Rosedale Living Room Drape Vignette modern living room" border="0" height="640" src="http://st.houzz.com/simages/191428_0_8-3999-modern-living-room.jpg" width="441" /></a></div><div style="color: #444444;"><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/pro/lisaferguson/lisa-ferguson" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Lisa Ferguson via Houzz</a></small></div></div></div></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPL-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-377" style="outline-style: none;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr __gwt_row="3" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPP-"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPB-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-376" style="outline-style: none;"><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><br /><a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.com/2011/06/5-window-dressings-for-patio-doors.html" target="_blank">5 Window Treatments for Patio Doors</a><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">9914 page views </span></div>Jun 14, 2011, 9 comments</div></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA0 GHUY-LPL-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-377" style="outline-style: none;"><br /></div></td></tr><tr __gwt_row="4" __gwt_subrow="0" class="GHUY-LPPY GHUY-LPG-"><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPB- GHUY-LPH-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-376" style="outline-style: none;"><div class="GHUY-LPKN"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/66706/living-room-contemporary-living-room-san-francisco"><img alt="living room contemporary living room" border="0" height="300" src="http://st.houzz.com/simages/66706_0_3-0456-contemporary-living-room.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><small> <a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/professionals/313/Mark-English-Architects-AIA" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;">Mark English Architects, AIA via Houzz</a></small></div><br /><br /><a href="http://designinghome.blogspot.com/2011/01/5-reasons-to-have-accent-wall.html" target="_blank">5 Reasons to have an accent wall</a><br /><span style="color: #0b5394;">8484 page views </span></div>Jan 30, 2011</div></td><td class="GHUY-LPOY GHUY-LPA- GHUY-LPL- GHUY-LPH-" style="text-align: left;"><div __gwt_cell="cell-gwt-uid-377" style="outline-style: none;"><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/85976/Aquamar-Bathtub-modern-bathroom-miami"><img alt="Aquamar Bathtub modern bathroom" border="0" height="281" src="http://st.houzz.com/simages/85976_0_3-0061-modern-bathroom.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;">                                                    <span style="font-size: x-small;"> PSCBATH</span></div><small><a href="http://www.houzz.com/photos/professionals/6235/PSCBATH" style="color: #444444; text-decoration: none;"></a></small><br />It appears that many people have issues with small rooms and are looking for creative ways to use space.  Window treatments, accent walls and hanging light fixtures are topics that everyone thinks about. <br /><br /><b>Purpose  </b><br />Why  would I use a chunk of my valuable time to write?<br /><br /> The biggest joke of all is I don't actually enjoy writing.  I find it labour intensive and a clumsy way to provide knowledge although I am an avid reader.  I am definitely a face to face communicator who needs the visual signals of my audience to be completely comfortable.  It comes from years of teaching both children and adults. I am also a huge synthesizer. I like to get things down to the bare bones quickly.  A colleague once told me I write like a machine gun.  I am obviously not a highly verbal person - I am a doer.<br /><br />But.... I love to organize and share information. It just makes me happy.  The learner/ synthesizer function wins.   <br /><br />Blogging also provides a forum to research questions or problems that arise as I work with clients.  It has expanded my horizons in so many ways when it comes to interior design. The design community is diverse and blogging keeps me in touch with trends from around the world.  That is a necessity when you live on an island where attitudes can tend toward the provincial and predictable.<br /><br />Blogging  increases your credibility.  When you have a blog /website as I do, you have a showcase for your understanding of design issues and people can anonymously " check you out".  There are lots of lurkers out there from my stats.  2542 people checked out my portfolios , 798 read my design statement and 540 wanted to know more about me.<br /><br />Yes, people are reading my blog.  It serves its purpose. <br /><br />Signing  out from my not so decorative small computer space....<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">   <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5more3lTQlf-5mgiE9O0-vk_Q4uLL4IEzgxPS29dmtHGRN3OWPTAjw0qDtp1pmz_2Od_Qc9wGfVInjrghx97bCQySsRPvEwLQS8YKl5fzIwKoRTrkqBECuKJvnOzMu7l7nuLFBY3jYva/s400/DSCN3883.JPG" width="321" /><span style="color: black;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;">  As you can see, I live in a very average space and I am also a little sloppy at times. Why I have a pair of pliers on my desk is a mystery. This desk came  from a contractor friend  who  renovated a  university residence.  The walls are BM CC 460 inukshuk  and the desk is painted BM HC 69 whitall brown. The resident carpenter built the bookcase to fit the equipment.  </span></div><br />

Does anyone actually read my blog?

Your friends and family keep you on your toes and often unwittingly provide great fodder for blog posts!  They also cause a scattered examin...

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