A Blog? Why.

I've caved—I've started a personal blog. 

When the blogging phenomenon started, I scoffed. Then a bunch of people started personal blogs detailing the doings of the day or airing angsty teen poetry. I thought these blogs would die out or only be read by the relatives of the people writing them—Who cares what you did today? And who cares what you thought about it? ... Do people really care what I think?

But my thinking has slowly changed, about blogs and about what I have to say. I have seen blog posts on personal blogs that are truly touching. I've heard some young mothers say that writing and reading blogs of other young mothers sustained them during those hard years of transitioning into being a parent. And I've seen that blogs can become more than just outlets (though that is great)—they can be places of connection between people and ideas. In my recent foray into the theory of digital culture from taking a college course on it and keeping a blog for that class, I learned that there is value in sharing ideas early, even before they're properly formed. And there is value in connecting with other people over those ideas. So now I see that blogging can do a lot of good, for blogger and reader alike (and those are not mutually exclusive categories).

I do have things to say. They aren't usually new ideas or expressed completely novelly, but they may resonate with people that have had similar experiences or have wondered the same things. And if I never talk (or in this case, write), will I ever know if what I have to say is valuable to other people? Of course I won't. So here goes the effort. 

This blog is my attempt at getting better at sharing things I write. It's hard to share something you've written, and sometimes I get so locked up on getting it just right that the piece never gets written or the occasion passes or the ideas don't get expressed. . . all because I didn't feel confident that the writing was polished enough to inflict on other people who may or may not be interested or want to read it. 

My solution: post some of the stuff I write on a blog. That way no one is forced to read it, and the people that are interested in reading or giving constructive feedback can access it without me personally sending it to them. I get practice writing for an audience, posting unpolished things, and letting people read what I've written. 

I really hope this exercise will yield more positive results than negative ones: I look forward to connecting with you—other people who also have things to say.

So enjoy any new sights you might acquire while visiting my site; and add your own insight. If you find or create something that relates to something here, post a link.