One year of An Italian-Canadian Life
It’s been one year of An Italian-Canadian Life blog and I’m asking you – should I continue?
Two years ago, I considered doing a blog about being Italian-Canadian. The reasoning was intensely personal (you can read about that here) but I put it off for quite a while since I work in the online content world, I didn’t want to do more of the same. Last year, I needed a change in my life, so I thought starting the blog might give me that. Launching An Italian-Canadian Life came with some rules though: I would post at least once a week, preferably twice, and I would do it for one year then decide if the project was successful enough to be worth continuing with. The error in my rules was that I didn’t set out what “success” would be defined as in one year, but truthfully, I had no idea what success should look like. Who says how many visitors to your site is a success? And who would have known how many other opportunities would have sprung up because of the blog?
So here’s my one year evaluation. I’m sharing it with you all as a means of openness but also for you to evaluate too – is the blog worth continuing?
Here’s what An Italian-Canadian Life has managed to do (as of today):
- attract 36,500+ views and 100+ comments
- publish 98 posts…99 in a couple of days
- be featured in print by Il Postino Canada, a monthly Italian-Canadian newspaper based in Ottawa
- be selected as one of Lidia Bastianich’s Favourite Bloggers
- be nominated for the Ninjamatics’ 2012 Canadian Weblog Awards
- get recipes featured on Foodgawker and TasteSpotting
- connect me with many like-minded Italian-Canadians/Australians/Americans and others around the world (Loving my new online family!)
- give me an excuse to document, measure, save and treasure my family’s traditions and recipes and learn new ones from other Italians
To be fair, I need to do a “con” list too. The blog has been a challenge to my time management – I had to learn how to fit in doing the writing I’ve wanted to do for this blog. When I cook or bake and want to take pictures along the way, it definitely lengthens the process (testing the patience of my mother, husband and guests!). Because I’ve been so enthusiastic about this blog, I have dedicated time to it which meant taking time away from finishing a university certificate I’ve been working on, and I’ve got an upcoming deadline for that certificate that is now a crunch.
Above all though, I’ve had an a year of fun with this, a year of learning and connecting with family, friends and new friends. I had no idea how much I would learn about being Italian and about connecting online personally. I had no idea how many people were looking for a turdilli recipe or a colluri recipe either, and I’ve been glad to give that to them. I also would have never guessed how many personal messages I would have received from readers thanking me for writing about An Italian-Canadian Life. It’s been a good year.
I’m leaning towards continuing with the blog, it’s probably just too much fun to give up, but I’m also open to suggestions, changes, ideas for the future. Let me know in the comments!
I think you should continue with it. I’m sure the time constraints and the demands on your own personal time are many but perhaps this is an opportunity for you to invite others to contribute to the blog. I for one would be more than happy to add my two cents and in my own way contribute to it.
Hi Joe – thanks for the response. I’ve been lucky enough to have one guest blogger, Jerry Buccilli, contribute and would love to have others. In the long run, that would be the ideal for this blog. If you want to contribute, please do! Send me a note through the “contact” page…
I always look forward and thoroughly enjoy your weekly blogs. It reminds me so much of Mom and Dad and how proud they would be that you are sharing our family’s traditions and recipes. It also reminds me of how much of a foodie you were, especially when Dad would cook the frittatas and patate fritte with cipolle. You’re doing a fantastic job! Love you!
Thanks for the support Zia! Patate fritte are still my favourite….
Great blog. I was born in Italy and have lived in Sydney, Australia all my life and wanted to write about my experiences as an Italian-Australian. The result is my blog ‘The Good, the Bad and the Italian’ which I started last May. It’s a lot more work than I had anticipated but it’s been a lot of fun and as I come from a small family, helps me to remember anecdotes as I plan my stories. Not sure how long I’ll continue, but like you, I’ll probably give it one year and then evaluate. Cheers
Hey had a look at your blog – it’s great! Thanks so much for sharing. If you’re like me you’ll find it a little addictive. You have a new follower – have fun with it!
Great. So it’s onward and upward in 2013. Let’s go …
Laura you must continue! It’s in your DNA after all and the site is wonderful! As a fellow Italian-Canadian and a fellow foodie, I would miss it terribly if you gave up now, so…pull out the pans, prepare the camera and the computer and keep cooking and writing!
lol. Thanks Elisa! I’m totally continuing, the food part is way too much fun, I have to admit. Thanks for reading!