Reading is important to me, and I've always found value from following independent blogs since their inception around 20 years ago. A conversational style, wide-ranging commentary, and lack of structure in relation to more established forms of writing helped blogs to resonate with me, and in the early days there was something charming and addictive about going to the same site every single day in the hope of reading freshly written posts at the top of the page.
As time went on, I discovered how to save time by reading aggregated articles on an RSS reader. Still later, the art of the independent newsletter developed (distinct from the bland, advertising-heavy marketing newsletters that we're usually bombarded with). Somewhere around 2008-2010, social media began its powerful spell, and bloggers who embraced it gradually began to decrease their output, if not quit entirely. Those who were left often wrote for a much smaller audience than before.
Every year since 2018, I've been putting together a list of my favorite blogs. The cast of characters changes from year to year, and during the pandemic my tastes have probably changed the most, with over a third of selections new to the list. It's important that these writers get some recognition for their labor of love.
So without further ado, here is my current list: 21 Blogs (and Newsletters) That I Read in 2021.
Here are some interesting articles from the last while whose authors are not from this year's list:
- My Secret Sauce of Blogging - Gabe’s secrets of blogging seem tongue-in-cheek at times, but you’ll also find wisdom buried in there.
- Play the ultimate game: your real life - a Deprocrastination guide on how to utilize the addictive attributes of video games to level up your own personal skills.
- long feedback loops - When developing mastery at a skill, the quick feedback that you learn at a basic level might not work past a certain level. Ava Huang writes about playing the long game in order to achieve a breakthrough.
- Author Roxane Gay, Who Loves Art But Dislikes the Art World, Has Some Advice for Galleries: ‘Stop Being Terrible’ - The art world's galleries need to address the systemic bias in its gatekeeping culture, from the perspective of a collector who specializes in works by women artists of color.
- How Fit Can You Get From Just Walking? - Quite a bit.
What are your favorite blogs and newsletters? Hit reply and tell me about your favorites. I'm always on the lookout for finding more quality writing in order to satisfy my insatiable appetite for reading.
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Wendy's Tiny Delights #20, 21, 22, and 23 are available at our online store. She also just finished another painting in her studio which I'll be showcasing next week.