Thank You, Visitors

Posted by Chris Campbell at Wednesday, December 09, 2009 0

The past two weeks has shown a three-fold increase in the number of unique visitors to this site. To even have one person visit my site on a daily basis is enough to keep plugging away, but the numbers I've been seeing of late are pretty darn humbling. I can certainly thank my pal over at Largeheartedboy for linking to my lists, Brent Best for a wonderful interview and all the great music being made that continues to inspire me day in and day out. I have never made a penny off of this blog and still have no plans to attempt to do so. I think I flirted with advertising for a few hours before laughing at myself. This is just a labor of love. I write what inspires me in that exact moment or over the course of time. I attempt to keep the personal stuff off here, but once in a while, I suppose I let a bit out.

In other news: With money beginning to tighten up quite a bit and the unemployment office driving me to the brink of irreparable insanity (I'm owed for seven weeks and counting), I have slightly picked up my employment search, but unlike times past when a paycheck could be enough to lure me in, I will now only work for a company whose vision I believe in. In this economy, finding openings at such organizations is not easy (but man am I crossing my fingers on one gig). I'm a bit torn as I've made a lot of headway of late with writing (a number of short stories in the bag), photography (I think I have just about enough pictures that I'm happy with to compile a book or something) and although the novel has slowed due to a number of factors, I am still pretty far into it and plan on completing a first draft in the coming weeks.

All that said, again, thank you for reading, watching videos, reading my manic tirades on music, politics, art, culture, wiffle ball and all the rest.

Tonight I will see Son Volt at the Fillmore. In a few days I'll hang with a good friend from New Orleans before seeing another buddy do a short story reading. And if I can somehow muster it up, Sunday I'll be driving to Joshua Tree to see Easton and the rest. Not too bad.

And anyone who knows me, knows full well what song comes next:

Thank You

Posted by Chris Campbell at Tuesday, December 30, 2008 0

In the three years that I've been writing on this blog, I don't think I've taken the time to thank those of you who visit and read what I have to say. That said, not a post goes up without acknowledging that some folks actually find interest in what I have to say. I've received many e-mails and texts regarding something I wrote about, a video I posted or a few pictures I shared. And every single time I remain amazed that people, whether friends or strangers, have taken an interest in, well, things that interest me.

I write on this blog solely out of passion for the things that influence my life. Music and politics clearly take the forefront, but I also try and share anything that may move me both negatively and positively each day. There are many times that I'll be on the bus, in the park, at dinner or in the car when an idea pops in my head. Maybe I'm listening to NPR, reading the NY Times, listening to Bob Dylan or talking about the economy or the environment when suddenly there's an idea or concept. And I immediately need to find my computer. And my uncontrollable urge to write stems simply from a need to share my thinking, passions or whatever captivates me at that time.

I started casually tracking visits to my site earlier this year. I don't dig deep into the stats, but rather just check the unique visits every few days. It turns out that this month has been the most popular month on this site. I can certainly attribute a lot of visits to www.largeheartedboy.com, who has linked to my site a number of times. But in addition, I know that some of you come back regularly, and have shared the address with friends. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this.

I noted in late October that for the first time since graduated college in 1996, I have found myself without a day job. This news did not come as a surprise and was something that I'd been preparing for, as best I could. Given the free time, I have been writing more on this blog, working on a few short stories and doing many things I didn't have time for in the past. It should also be noted that I do not earn a penny from this blog. I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to, but even a modest financial return has never been the impetus for writing here. However, since I am out of "work", I have come to the realization that one of my many passions does lie here. In all likelihood this will remain a hobby, but if I ever took the time to try and monetize this site (if at all possible), and could sustain even a meager living doing this, I can't imagine being happier. I write here almost because I feel as though I have to. Whether a day brings three readers or 350, the notion that anyone is listening is incredibly rewarding.

As we move into 2009, I plan on continuing to share my oft over-the-top opinions on music, political events, Barack Obama, policy, books, movies and happenings in my daily life. I plan on taking more pictures, reading more books and yes, listening to more and more music. And for some unexplainable reason, I will find the need to share everything here.