Thursday, August 13, 2015

BLOGGING IS A LABOUR OF LOVE

Last Sunday – we had a Bloggers Meet in Pune.

One thing I loved about this Blogger Meet was that not a single Blogger spoke about making money from Blogging (or Monetizing Blogs) – unlike many earlier Blogger Meets I have attended – where the commercial angle of Blogging was predominantly discussed.

But – at this memorable meet in Pune – I was delighted to see that all the wonderful Bloggers were Blogging as a Labour of Love – and did not expect any Material Gain as Return on Investment (ROI) from Blogging – but they wrote blogs purely for creative satisfaction (as their Return on Investment or ROI from Blogging).

This reminded me of a rather philosophical post I had written a few years ago...

BLOGGING IS A LABOUR OF LOVE
Poetic Philosophy
Ramblings of a Blogger
By
VIKRAM KARVE

Whenever you are stumped with a tricky question to which you do not know the answer  it is best to turn to philosophy  or better still  poetic philosophy.

This is exactly what I do when someone asks me what I “gain” from writing  or blogging  to be more specific.

In materialistic world of today  you must have a motive for doing something. 

You must “gain” something from doing an activity.

After all  you are investing your precious time, your talent and your effort in the activity.

So you must get your RETURN ON INVESTMENT (ROI)

It is common sense that if you spend your time and effort pursuing some activity  then there must be some tangible material motive for doing that activity  you are expected to “gain” something.

This “something” you are expected to “gain” can be one or more of the following 3 things:

1. POWER

2. WEALTH

3. FAME 

In most cases – the prime motivators are Wealth or Money – and – sometimes – the desire for Fame is a big motivator too.

So  to come to the moot question:

WHAT DO YOU GAIN FROM WRITING and BLOGGING?

Or as some friends ask me in Hindi :  ब्लॉग्गिंग  का क्या फायदा ?

Many people ask me why I am wasting my time and effort Writing and Blogging when the same time and effort could be put to “good” use by doing something worthwhile to earn money. 

“Why do you spend so much time and effort writing and blogging? they ask me.

“I love writing and blogging,” I say. 

“But what do you gain from writing and blogging? Do you earn money? they ask.

“No – I do not earn any money from my writing and blogging,” I say.

Why don
t you monetize your blog?” other well-wishers say, “at least you will earn some money for your efforts.

I am unable to fathom why 
people cannot understand that a person can do something for the sheer enjoyment of doing it – that you can do work without any material or ulterior motive. 

“I told you that I write and blog because I love writing and blogging. I do it as a labour of love...” I say. 

“Labour of love...? You write and blog because you love writing and blogging...? What do you gain from this labour of love...?” they ask.

When they say this – and when someone talks about “gaining from love” – I quote an Urdu couplet I heard long back. 

(I cannot translate the couplet exactly  but I will try to give you the gist)

Someone asked a lover:

 इश्क का क्या फायदा ?  (What do you gain from love?)

The lover replied:

फायदे का क्या फायदा ?  (What do you gain from gain?)

Why do we look for profit or reward in anything we do? 

Why do we have expectations in a relationship?

Why do we always expect a RETURN ON INVESTMENT? 

Why can
t we do something as a labour of love  just for the sake of doing it  for the sheer enjoyment of doing that activity  just like we do in the case of true love  or इश्क 

Do we look for a material Return on Investment” when we love someone...? 

What do you gain from love...? 

What do you gain from gain”...?

इश्क का क्या फायदा  ?

फायदे का क्या फायदा  ?

Would some literary connoisseur or philosophical poet be so good as to translate and interpret this Urdu couplet for us in a better way...? 

More importantly  on a broader plane  think about all your relationships and activities. 

Are all your activities profit oriented...? 

Are all your relationships motivated by expectations...?

Do you always look for some material “gain” whenever you do something...? 

Are you always motivated by RETURN ON INVESTMENT” (ROI)...?

Or  do you do something just because you LOVE doing it...?

Do you do something purely as a “LABOUR OF LOVE” without expecting any reward or “gain” in the form of POWER, WEALTH or FAME...?

Think about it.

VIKRAM KARVE
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