Glenn, over at Treehouse Foodie, recently addressed why he blogs. His post got me thinking about why I blog.
I honestly can’t quite remember what gave me the idea to start a blog. I know I toyed with the idea for awhile, and then a couple of friends suggested I write a blog. I think their input gave me the push I needed to start.
But now I’ve been blogging for over a year. I’ve written approximately 150 blog posts. Some are short haikus and some are lengthy tributes to people or topics that interest me. I don’t get a ton of hits on my site as of yet: perhaps 10 a day on average. But what keeps me writing?
There are a few reasons:
Since my divorce, I realize that I have a lot to say. I silenced parts of myself, sometimes for decades, and those things need a release. Now I’m trying to live an authentic, honest life, and changing from one lifestyle to another is full of mistakes and triumphs. Yet I’ve learned so much during my journey over the past few years, and I want to share that story so others can benefit.
I also find that I love the creative act of putting words to thoughts and feelings. I occasionally go back and reread posts. I may be tooting my own horn here, but while reading some of them I think, “Damn, that’s good.” It doesn’t happen with every post, but it happens often enough. Enough to make me think of bigger projects in the future.
I also enjoy getting feedback from people. Not too many people comment on the blog itself, but I have people come up and talk to me. People message me about certain posts on Facebook. I joined a blogging collective (Bedlam Bloggers Collective) on Facebook that one of my favorite authors organized, and I receive cool stories and feedback from other bloggers. From all of this, I’m learning that telling my story is helpful. If I was writing to an empty room, I would probably retreat to my journal (which I still keep for more private thoughts and feelings). But I know that sharing my triumphs, failures, attempts, and slumps helps people. In the same vein as Kira Small’s “I Will Raise My Voice”:
“Mine may only be a simple song but it’s mine to sing
If I don’t sing no one can sing along so I will sing
Whether in pain or in praise”
My blog is one way that I raise my voice. It is one way that I live daringly, and it also acts as a vehicle to share the other ways that I attempt to live daringly. The great thing is, it also acts as a vehicle for others to share their stories with me, which is always inspiring!
Thus far writing this blog has been incredibly rewarding. And, in some ways, it’s a beginning. To what? Stay tuned!