Doris Lessing announced this week that she found the blogging
phenomenon to be banal and a barrier to creative writing and it
essentially watered down the value of words ..
is that because the thoughts shared come wrapped not in paper and illustrated tactile form (so having a 'weighty' value, but in 'transient' pixel form perhaps?
That came out a bit gibberish-like but I'm too tired to retype.

I get some of that and agree to an extent but witness my friend mr
Augarde and his ability to write both great engaging books and a
great, engaging blog.

Nothing banal about the insight provided in his blog on his views and recollections.
Banal better describes my ramblings perhaps ;)

I haven't (again) written for sometime, due to workload and
distraction of family tree research and a general running out of
observational steam.

It might be better to really, truly pack it in perhaps blog a niche
area such as 'art work or installations I may someday make' , complete
with drawings to illustrate the various things that occasionally occur
to me - that I then drop based on the fact I have no time, little talent, no
team of do-ers to make my ideas happen.
And you do need a team I think, a la Hirst. Not for me the fine art
approach, but instead, the project manager artist approach, where doodle (and I
don't mean that pejoratively) becomes 7 foot high vinyl illuminated
sculpture. Or something.
hmm, is a bit banal isn't it ? .... [cough] .... goodnight.