Some of my favourite blogs

28 Sep 2016

![coffee cup][image-1]

I wasn't too much into blogs when they were a big deal, initially. I'm quite late to the party, I guess, but I really like the idea of everyone having their own blog, and using posts to reply to other posts, and using RSS to keep up with all your favourite bloggers. I'm fairly disillusioned with social networks, so perhaps it's how different and old-school personal blogs feel that makes me like them better.

I use RSS fairly heavily, and I really enjoy discovering new personal blogs that cover topics I'm interested in. These are a few of my favourite blogs that I recommend checking out.

[Austin Kleon][1]

Self-titled a "writer who draws," Kleon writes about creativity, the artist's life, and pulls quotes and lessons from those who've done it before. His posts are usually on the short side, but always include a nugget of wisdom.

[Dan Ariely][2]

If you've read my freelance work, you'll know I rely on Ariely's research often. I'm fascinated by his insights into human behaviour, and especially how much of it we do predictably, but subconsciously. I particularly enjoy the [Q&A column][3] Ariely republishes from the Wall Street Journal on his blog regularly.

[Ideas, not Art][4]

If you're interested in creating sketchnotes, this is the blog to read. It covers lots of useful tips for beginners, including those who think they can't do sketchnotes because they can't draw.

[Marius Masalar][5]

Masalar loves to do product reviews, often pitting two products against each other. I particularly enjoy his posts covering productivity and writing tool, even though I've tried most of them already. What can I say, I love reading about apps.

[Matthew Lang][6]

Lang publishes an interesting mixture of very short link posts, personal updates, and longer posts on work and productivity. I like that he does the work of pulling quotes and insights from other posts into one place for me, as well as adding his own thoughts and occasionally expanding on something he's been mulling over.

[Pete Denison][7]

I have several stationery-related blogs that I subscribe to, but Denison's is one of my favourites. He does a great weekly roundup of links to stationery reviews, announcements of new products, and generally interesting reading. If you're into coffee, there's also something here for you.

[Popular MetaFilter posts][8]

While this isn't a personal blog, it's one of my favourite RSS feeds. I'm too lazy to keep up with MetaFilter on a regular basis, but I love getting this stream of the "best of." It's a mish-mash of posts on all kinds of things, but there's almost always one or two that spark my interest.

[Rusty Rants][9]

Russell Ivanovic doesn't post very often, but I can't think of a post he published in the past year that I didn't love. He's got the most refreshing outlook on iOS development I've come across—totally open-minded about trying new devices, and willing to be critical about Apple, without being an irrational hater.

After I wrote this I realised, sadly, that I didn't include a single female blogger. Not because I don't subscribe to women's blogs, but because none of them make my favourites list. If you know any female bloggers who write about productivity, work, personal habits, writing, or stationery, hit me up. I want to know about them!

In the meantime, I will add that while they're not on my read-as-soon-as-there's-a-new-post list, these are some female bloggers I subscribe to and thoroughly enjoy reading:

[Alexandra Franzen][10]: thoughts on writing, creativity, and life
[Becky Hansmeyer][11]: iOS development
[Rowdy Kittens][12]: an excellent weekly links roundup
[Paper Lovestory][13]: stationery