Quirkbag Collection #53 – 01.08.26
On 21 March 2025, my very first post on Quirkbag.com went live. It was my introduction to the world of blogging and content creation (aka my thoughts). I never expected to ever write a blog, especially since I hated essays in school. But here we are. According to Wix, there are over 600 million blogs today, this is one of them. It is a fantastic stroke of luck for you to be reading this.
So what exactly does it take to write a blog? Well, not much apparently, at least on the surface. Of course, everything included is just my personal experience. On the flip side, if I can do it, you can too.
Getting Inspirations or Ideas
Writing a blog is neither easy nor hard. It’s all arbitrary and dependent on the blogger.
Quirkbag.com started because I wanted a place to spill my brain noise and be authentically strange. There are no “rules” or commercial purposes that dictate the content or topics, except for the theme of serendipity. Consequently, all the posts thus far reflect the experiences or thoughts I had at that point in my life.
The lack of a conventional niche is intentional.
More niche-driven blogs, like Ramit Sethi’s, or established ones like Tim Ferriss’ and Cup Of Jo, take a whole lot more brain power to generate ideas and write. At the same time, the content is more polished and targeted. One of the tips from Ramit’s blog is that some topics can be picked from reader suggestions and their pain points. Not only does it write more easily, but it also stays relevant. Of course, this only works once readership has been built.
But needless to say, inspiration and ideas are important. How do I come up with the weekly topic? Do I just pluck something random out of the sky?
Sort of. Besides picking my own brain for recent events or experiences, I think about the vastness of life. If my theme is purely serendipity, then anything that coincidentally occurs in my mind qualifies. A sneaky trick, perhaps.
As with any personal blog, the niche is the person. You (or in this case, me). Unlike an objective blog with more mainstream topics, the ideas for my blog have to come from personal opinion and experience. Sometimes, that’s much harder than it sounds because the average person’s life is just that – very average, indeed. The art therein is elevating the ordinary to extraordinary.
Sticking With The Blog
Our good friend named “Consistency” pays us a visit here. There is nothing more important in blogging than to keep writing. Whether it is once a week or once a month, the words need writing. A teacher teaches; a painter paints, a writer writes. I have to write blog posts if I want to have a blog.
Unlike big-name blogs with professional writers and editors, a personal lifestyle blog implies a self-directed approach. Yes, I brainstorm the ideas (or pluck them from the sky). I also do the writing, editing, proofreading, image-sourcing, finalising, posting, web management and design.
No doubt, it is a hefty commitment. But like all skills, there are tricks I learnt along the way to expedite parts of the process. Whenever I travel, do new or interesting things, see something cool, I snap a picture of it with my phone and save it for potential usage in my blog.
There is nothing more tempting than to say “I wish I had a team”. But creatives know that the most original and inspiring ideas come from one genuine thought, from one person. Having a team likely dilutes a pure idea, somewhere along the line from inception to execution. The lustre of a scrappy personal lifestyle blog lies in the ideas being “untarnished” by others. Afterall, too many writers spoil the article.
Are there times I felt like writing this blog is too exhausting? Of course. Have I wanted to give up? Sure. But a part of me wanted to keep doing this. Despite facing “blank-page syndrome” all too often, feeling like my writing is not good enough, struggling to create new ideas, I still like the idea of blogging if for no one except myself.
Catharsis for me, content for you. Win-win, right?
Does Anyone Actually Care?
Short answer – no.
Long answer – no, not yet.
No one builds an audience from scratch in a day with a blog. If we were on Tiktok, there might be a chance for virality.
Being extremely unknown (instead of well-known) confers me some unique benefits. I can write anything I like in any style I want without fear of being “demonetized” or “losing investors”, if for no reason apart from that I do not have any. Freedom is writing yourself onto the page instead of letting someone write you onto the page.
For example, I can include a picture of a duck for fun.
After posting my first post, absolutely nothing changed. 99% of the outcome that something will happen after hitting “publish” is imaginary. In reality, no one knows. No one cares. And that’s a good thing for us.
You enjoy a freedom that most established writers or platforms no longer have. Of course, writing this blog without an intention to earn staggering revenues grants me the choice of writing in my own style rather than what is “professional”. Being flexible with the writing means finding my voice with no risk. On the contrary, being popular subjects any writing to the scrutiny and approval of the audience, one which can never be pleased entirely.
No one cares until everyone else cares.
What Changed After 1 Year of My Blog?
Ideas have not fallen onto my lap, nor have they been delivered to my doorstep. They continue to remain elusive and original (and sometimes plucked from thin air). But what has become easier is the process of writing. Easier, but nonetheless difficult.
Writing is a skill that forces articulation and expression, the more concise the better. I often remind myself that ideas can be conveyed through words, both included and omitted. Ruthlessly cutting words revealed to me just how extraneous my thoughts can be.
As a skill every writer wishes they were better at, writing is one of those endeavours you do for life. Just like investing, or reading, or…stand-up comedy, it ages and grows with time.
Yet, it never gets old. The words have not changed, neither has the language.
Perhaps, then, it is the writer and reader who have changed.
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Hi! I’m Zac, the guy behind this serendipitous, quirky blog. I’m currently on a quest to find out more about myself before Uni begins – who I am and what life has to offer. This blog is my little space where I step out of my comfort zone to share my thoughts and life experiences. I hope you enjoy reading the weekly posts. Share them if you like, or not.
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