I have a complicated relationship with blogging. It’s not a tragic story, but it’s not a fairy tale either. It’s more like a long, winding road with detours, distractions, and a few unplanned exits — and somehow, I’ve found myself back here again.
Version 1: The World According to Derrick
My first blog — The World According to Derrick — was exactly what it sounds like: my thoughts on politics, people, culture, and whatever else crossed my mind. I wrote it for years. It was raw, unfiltered, and very “me.”
Side note: today is my 18th wedding anniversary, and when my wife and I were dating, she discovered that blog. She thought it was the funniest thing she had ever read. Maybe that should’ve been a sign.
But then life happened. Wedding planning happened. Nerves happened. And somewhere in the middle of all that, I stopped blogging — unintentionally, but completely.
Version 2: Whiskey, Ads, and Distraction
Fast‑forward years later. I decided to reboot the blog — The World According to Derrick, Part 2 — this time dedicated to whiskey. Reviews, discoveries, bottles I loved, bottles I didn’t, the whole thing. I had a long list of topics and I was excited.
And then I made a mistake that a lot of new bloggers make: I started thinking about money.
I applied to AdSense because that’s what “beginner bloggers are supposed to do.” They rejected me. Six times.
By the sixth rejection, I was done. Not because I didn’t love writing — but because I got distracted by the idea of earning money I wasn’t even making. I walked away from the blog over revenue that didn’t exist.
Looking back, that’s almost funny. Almost.
Version 3: Coming Back for Me
Now here I am again, years later, in a very different season of life. I’ve been out of work for two and a half years. It’s been emotionally tough and mentally draining. To keep my mind active, I turned to AI tools, online classes, and eventually… blogging.
And surprisingly, it feels good. Really good.
I’m not thinking about AdSense. I’m not thinking about traffic. I’m not thinking about “niches” or “monetization strategies.”
I’m just writing.
Blogging has become therapeutic — a place to process, to vent, to explore ideas, to complain about AI, to talk about the classes I’m taking, and to reconnect with a part of myself I didn’t realize I missed. Try not to laugh too hard, but I am maintaining 2 blogs, here and at SiteCraft Studio
So What Have I Learned?
If there’s one thing this whole journey has taught me, it’s this:
When you blog, you blog for you.
Everything else — readers, comments, opportunities, money — is gravy. Nice to have, but not the reason to start. Not the reason to continue.
Writing is the reward. Expression is the reward. Showing up for yourself is the reward.
And honestly? That’s enough.
That’s all I’ve got.
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