I have signed up with Blogger late December 2007 and had much fun blogging ever since. Although, on many occasions I had to put-off blogging for other important things so I ended up having erratic posts. My blog “At A Loss for Words: Writings of a Blogger Wannabe” has served me well and it is definitely my first love, so I can’t just delete everything there and start over, even if I must admit that I was tempted to do so..I have realized, however, that this free account at Blogger has been limiting me in many ways in terms of plugins that many WordPress users have been taking advantage of for the longest time. I did try signing-up for WordPress free blog but it turns out it’s more limiting than Blogger’s free account since most codes aren’t accepted and advertisements are barred as well. So I figured, might as well accept the inevitable — a self-hosted blog. Besides, I’ve had a paid webhost for many months now but I haven’t been taking advantage of this since I’m emotionally attached to my first blog. It’s a tough decision to make since the traffic and Technorati authority, however little is very important to me. But as I’ve written in one of my entries, the “blogger wannabe” needs to grow somehow. It’s also been said and blogged, time and again, that a serious blogger must do away with free hosts as much as possible. And I felt that it’s high time that I do it since I would eventually do it anyway. Postponing it would only prolong my agony. So there, I installed WordPress on my host and bought a new domain that would go with it. From now on, my official blog will be at ADayInTheLifeOfRJ.com which is proudly powered by WordPress. I’m new to WordPress, still learning the ropes, but it’s alright. I enjoy the thrill of learning new stuff and I marvel at the realization of “self-taught” knowledge. I will still run my Blogger blog though, since I run paid posts on that site, and my new site wouldn’t qualify for SocialSpark until a certain period isn’t satisfied. I suppose on my new blog’s 3rd month, I can perform 100% migration. Deleting my old blog would still be difficult for me, I know. But 3 months is a long time anyway, I might still change my mind and gather enough strength to click that “Delete Blog” button. Until then, I need to get used to updating quite a few blogs. If you happen to visit ADayInTheLifeOfRJ.com, you will notice that I have imported my entries from Blogger. I’m still working on redirecting individual post links to make sure they point to my new site. I will post updates here as soon as they happen. I have one problem with my WordPress blog though, I think cross-posting isn’t possible, one which I love about Blogger. Cross-posting has allowed me to just post one time at Blogger then all of my other blogs, including Multiply’s will be updated. Maybe it is possible with WordPress. If it is, I will need to figure that out, and soon! If it’s not, well.. as in anything, there are tradeoffs. And I’m cool with that. :)
● About Me
I’m RJ Marmol — writer, musician, and independent creator based in Manila.
I write songs, essays, and books about the messy overlap between money, overwhelm, creativity, identity, and rebuilding. Much of my work circles around what happens when life stops feeling manageable — and how we try to think clearly, make decisions, and keep moving anyway.
I’m also the author of Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur, a nonfiction book published under Steady Hand Press. The paperback edition is listed under my full publishing name, Cecilia Regina Aquino Blanquera.
On the music side, I release work as HeyRJ. On the writing side, this site is where I gather my books, essays, notes, and whatever I’m building next.
Music
HeyRJ is my sonic soul project. I create raw, minimalist-style and deeply personal music interpretations that feel like a late-night conversation with your truest self.
By blending lo-fi acoustic textures with poetic honesty, my work explores love, loss, grief, healing, and the quiet in-betweens of life. Each song is a letter — a journal entry — a gentle companion for when the world feels too loud or too quiet.
While my catalogue began with intimate cover renditions, my work is increasingly being shaped by original writing, drawing from years of poems, lived questions, and emotional survival.
“Stuck Home Syndrome” released on March 20, 2026 is my first original 20-track album written during a period when time felt compressed and days began to blur into each other. The songs came from sitting with thoughts that had nowhere else to go — unfiltered, repetitive, and sometimes uncomfortable. It’s a concept album that isn’t built around singles or polish. It’s closer to a continuous inner monologue, recorded with minimal production and very little ornamentation and meant to be listened to as one cohesive body of work. The goal wasn’t to resolve anything, only to document how it felt while it was happening.
On May 29, 2026 I released new original singles – “Rapturous”, “Uh Huh”, “Look At You”, “All That” and “Blew Print”. I continue to release both original and cover songs and intend to so for as long as I can so check back every once in a while — you might. just find something you’ll like.
For business inquiries relating to music, email me at: heyrjmusic[at]gmail[dot]com or my personal email at: rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com.
Books
Rebuilding Under Debt: Thinking Clearly When Everything Is a Blur
A nonfiction book about what debt does to the mind — and how to begin functioning again when financial stress has made everything feel blurred, urgent, and overwhelming.
Rather than treating debt only as a financial math problem, the book explores the emotional and cognitive realities of financial distress: shame, decision fatigue, avoidance, panic, relationship strain, and the difficulty of making sound decisions while mentally depleted.
Published under Steady Hand Press. It’s available worldwide in ebook and paperback formats on Amazon. Bookstores and libraries can also be order it wholesale via Ingram.
Contact
For book-related inquiries, media requests, bookstore questions, or discussion-group invitations, you can reach me through the contact page on this site or send me an email to rjmarmol[at]gmail[dot]com or hello[at]steadyhandpress.com
RJMarmol.com - Since 2008. 
4 responses to “Migrating to My Self-hosted WordPress Blog”
Ako, i haven’t thought of migrating from blogger…not yet. I still have to learn more about blogging and Blogger (my multiply is for hosting my trips pix but not for blogging..)Good job on this nice blog!
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hello eyom! :) it’s a wise decision to weigh and wait dude. migration to wordpress, in my case was inevitable as i was looking for a blog platform that will be podcast-friendly, turns out wordpress has that. we’ve signed up for blogger about the same time pala, dec 2007 (read your profile). visited your blog and loved the nice photos of your trips plus the updates on the going-ons in your community..very nice. hey, thanks for the visit and the wonderful comment. let me know if i can of any help in the future..don’t know much, but what little i know, i humbly and generously share. cheers!
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Thank you so much for the offer of generosity. I shall definitely keep you and your blog in mind in case i got to face some blogging issues and what-and-how-to-do’s…In turn, I’d like to offer what little I know bout swimming. (kidding)…This will definitely be not my last visit here. I’ll be “snooping” on your other blogs here, too.
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hey, thanks..i suppose you got that from my profile,hahaha.. yeah, i can’t swim. too bad for me. palawan is such an amazing place to visit, so much more to call your home. well, same here. i’d be lurking your blog as well. :) cheers!
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