Currently, I am in the process of setting up a new blog focusing on anthropology. The hardest part is coming up with a name and a domain name for the website. All of the cool ones have been taken. Nonetheless, I’ll be setting up a new website in the coming week.
The trick is to make sure I have enough time to create its content. Time is a commodity I don’t have a lot of these days, mostly thanks to going to school full time and trying to move halfway across the country without having a job.
I am quite excited for this new project, and am looking forward to building an outlet for actual science.
Why Create an Anthropology Blog?
First, I am using the anthropology blog as a way to help me retain what I’ve learned in class. I’m getting older, and any method that can help keep the information in my head is ideal. Essentially, the blog will act like an online notebook that I can look back upon if I forget something.
Secondly, I would love to contribute to science. Now, I doubt I’ll be a popular fixture and get to sit in on some of the biggest podcasts out there. But I’d like to contribute to the enlightenment of others through factual information.
In other words, there will be no pseudoscience feelings shared in the new blog. Artifacts, or it didn’t happen.
And third, the plan is to continue my education in the hopes of becoming a professor of anthropology. The blog is a great method to denote expertise, authority, and experience. It’s easier to trust someone if they can prove they know what the hell they’re talking about, right?
Will I Have Time to Write About Anthropology?
That’s the kicker, isn’t it? I don’t have a lot of time to do all of the side projects I’d love to get moving. In this instance, I’m treating it much like I did when I built WriterSanctuary in 2013.
The anthropology blog is simply a tool to help me practice and retain knowledge. Perhaps it can help someone else looking for specific information. As such, I’m not trying to generate a ton of income from the site. Its focus is to help myself as well as any visitors who stumble across the content.
Nothing more.
Anyway, without being pressured to continue grinding out content to make algorithms happy, I’m looking at writing maybe once per week, if that. There is no priority for the anthropology blog outside of sharing what I learned.
The bulk of my extra time will still be spent working on WriterSanctuary, Crossing Colorado, and ColoradoPlays. Well, that and working on my books.
Why Blog at All If AI Is Killing Site Traffic?
There is no doubt that platforms like AI Overviews have all but strangled websites across the board. Most people are going to read the output without actually visiting the site being cited by AI tools.
However, blogs are still extremely useful, especially if you’re trying to demonstrate Google’s coveted EEAT layout. Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness are still elements that drive search, including those that are AI-generated.
Having all four of these elements on your side also impacts how humans view you on a professional level. It’s primarily why my Textbroker content was the go-to source for making more money on the platform…I not only talked the talk, but I walked the walk.
The bottom line is that blogging is still a valuable online tool, especially when it comes to highlighting professionalism and knowledge. In fact, a lot of jobs I’ve been applying for lately have had spots for sharing websites and YouTube channels.
Instead of viewing a blog like a money-making device, think of it more as part of your resume. You never know who’s going to see your content, and it might land a decent-paying job or gig somewhere.
Why Anthropology and Not Something Else?
Initially, I started taking anthropology courses with the idea that they would help me with worldbuilding and fleshing out my fantasy books. And so far, I’ve modeled a species in my next book off of the Maya culture. Not to mention having a slew of ideas for future books.
After taking the first class, I rekindled a love I had for archaeology when I was in my teens (thank you, Dr. Jones). Now, I want to focus on learning more and exploring the world and how we developed as a species over tens of millennia.
Besides, I highly doubt AI will be able to take the place of archaeologists any time in the near future. It can assume information from data, but ChatGPT isn’t going to get its ass out in the desert and uncover long-lost cultures.
Will I be a real-life Indiana Jones? I don’t know, to be honest. But I’m excited to find out.
Am I Giving Up On Creative Writing?
It’s true that I am working toward a PhD in anthropology. It’s also true that I am working toward a PhD in Creative Writing and Literature. Unfortunately, that also means that I am probably going to spend the next 20 years in school.
Well, unless I can figure out a way to handle more than four classes per day while still paying my bills.
The best part is that I am already implementing everything I’ve learned thus far into my writing and other projects. I’m not waiting for the degree to exercise that very expensive education.
So, long story short, no…I am first and foremost a writer. I have a lot of books in me, and anthropology is only going to fuel even more stories. Not to mention that I haven’t explored a lot of writing, such as screenplays or song lyrics. I have a lot of things that I want to do with the written word.
I Quite Enjoy Anthropology
Ever since watching Indiana Jones punch Nazis, I’ve wanted to be an archaeologist. Then, I started reading about ancient Egypt and Rome in my teens. It was more of a passing fancy until now. I wasn’t fully committed to the idea until I took a class with Dr. Balco at CU.
Now, I’m looking forward to seeing what I can discover- not only about myself, but also about any cultures I come across.
Yes, it will be expensive. And yes, it will be time-consuming. But can you imagine the endgame? Two doctorate degrees, a metric shit ton of novels, and exploring what it means to be human.
What more could I ask for?