Bear Blog Question Challenge
I recently remembered all the tag games that used to exist on other platforms. You’d get tagged and would answer a catalogue of questions regarding you or your favorite media, then tag others. I thought why not bring it here, even without a tag system? So I thought of a few blog-centric questions to start.
I’ve seen this list of questions answered on quite a few blogs already, and I really liked the idea of answering them myself as well. To do so, I did a little experiment. I entered the questions into an AI and answered them in the verbal conversation that followed, as if they were being asked to me by a real interviewer. It actually felt very real, which was quite interesting. It helped me structure my thoughts naturally. Afterwards, I spent quite some time editing the first draft, refining the wording and making sure the final result truly captured my blogging experience. So, here are my answers to Ava’s questions!
Why did you make the blog in the first place?
I’ve always enjoyed writing, whether it was contributing to online communities or writing for a gaming website. My first real dive into online writing was on a pretty big Dutch forum about Grand Theft Auto, where I eventually became a moderator of the games section. Later, I wrote for a Dutch game website, creating news articles, reviews, previews, and other long-form pieces. Through these experiences, I realized that writing not only allowed me to express my thoughts but also helped others by sharing insights, opinions, and useful information. This desire to help and connect with others through writing ultimately led me to start my blog. Over the years, I found that sharing my experiences and insights helped others, and that, in turn, made writing even more fulfilling for me. That’s why I started my blog—to have a place where I can regularly share my thoughts, experiences, and lessons learned.
Why did you choose Bearblog?
I tried other blogging platforms like Medium, but as timed passed it became much too commercial, too packed with features I didn’t need. After Medium started feeling too corporate, with an increasing focus on monetization and algorithms rather than just writing, I wanted a blogging platform that kept things simple, distraction-free, and personal. I wanted something that fit better with my minimalistic approach to writing. That’s when I found Bearblog, a platform that matched this approach. It uses Markdown, making it easy to format posts. I also like that Bearblog has such a nice community, and the platform also allows for some customization with JavaScript while still keeping things lightweight. It’s a great balance between minimalism and flexibility, which is exactly what I was looking for. It uses Markdown, which makes writing and formatting easy and everlasting.
Have you blogged on other platforms before?
Yes! Like mentioned before, I used Medium, but over time, it became too commercial for my liking. I wanted a space that felt more personal and free, which led me to Bearblog.
Do you write your posts directly in the editor or in another software?
I don’t write directly in Bearblog’s editor. Instead, I draft my posts in Obsidian, a Markdown-based note-taking app. When I’m done writing a draft in there, I use a custom ChatGPT plugin I created myself that helps me proofread my writing with AI, but I always review the suggestions to ensure the style of the text mirrors how I write. Once I’m happy with a post, I often publish it immediately, but sometimes I schedule it for the next day. Publishing something I wrote at a later moment mostly happens when I feel unsure about a post, when I’m a bit scared to hit publish because of its personal nature, or when I think it needs more refinement because it’s not more than an incoherent collection of thoughts. In those cases, I let it sit as a draft for a while and come back to it the next day, when I often publish it more or less unchanged anyway.
When do you feel most inspired to write?
Inspiration usually strikes during quiet moments—when I’m commuting, walking in nature, or even in the shower. I only write on my laptop, so whenever it's nearby and I have time, I start writing immediately. If I’m not able to write at that moment, I let the thought sit in my head until I can get to my laptop, which I then do as soon as possible. What’s funny is that inspiration usually hits me while I am writing; it’s then that words often start to flow automatically. I then just need to make sure that the blog post ends as a little bit more than just an unorganized braindump.
Do you publish immediately after writing or do you let it simmer a bit as a draft?
Most of the time, I publish my posts right away. If I’ve already published something that day, I schedule it for the nearest day in the future that does not have a post scheduled yet.
Your favorite post on your blog?
If I had to pick one, it would be The Subtle Art of Always Quitting Your Hobbies. It explores how I tend to dive deep into new hobbies, making them feel like work, and then lose interest when I don’t achieve a certain (expert) level quickly enough. Writing that post was a way of reflecting on the balance between having fun and sustainability in hobbies.
Any future plans for your blog? Maybe a redesign, changing the tag system, etc.?
For now, I’m happy with the minimalistic design of my blog. I went to quite a bit of redesigning already, as it had become quite cluttered after all experiments I’ve done with it. I like to keep the focus mostly on the content—no distractions, just a clean layout where the latest post is front and center on the homepage. I don’t have plans to change that anytime soon.
That’s a look into my blogging process! If you have any questions about blogging or want to share your own experiences, feel free to reach out via email or another way that works for you. I’d love to hear your thoughts!