This is an entry for the Mabel’s Labels BlogHer 2009 contest. They’re searching for a blogger to send to BlogHer, and I’d love the opportunity. (I’ve never been!) Check out the details here.
What have been the rewards and benefits of participating in the blogging community?
Tough question, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about this one! :)
I’ve been keeping a blog in one form or another for about a decade. (That’s about 100 years in Internet time!) A friend of mine once referred to those early days (and I quote) as a “shrine to my daughter.” I suppose she was right. My words weren’t exactly intended to bring in a wide audience, in fact, I considered my website (the term “blog” wasn’t in common use then) as a kind of scrapbook, a place to store those early memories and share them with family and friends.
It was a place to sort out my thoughts and ideas as the days (and some very very long nights) passed with my newborn daughter.
My background in journalism, my love of photography and great design, my background in web development, and my eternal quest to live mindfully and find humour in our daily lives made it all a natural fit.
Little by little, my website became less about my daughter and more about me. Perhaps it coincided with a need to find myself, to better define who I was and where I was heading … a common issue for new moms who spend every waking hour (and many non-waking ones) feeding, changing and soothing their babies.
The advent of a commenting feature was a turning point for me, and precipitated a shift in my mind. My website changed. It wasn’t just an online journal anymore, it became a blog, a virtual water cooler, and I wasn’t the only one doing all the talking.
I remember receiving my first comment. A mom from Iowa (which might as well be on the other side of the world) posted a few words about something I had written. The connection was thrilling. The tiny space I had carved out suddenly became much bigger. And it’s grown! And keeps on growing! This amazes me to no end.
I think of blogging in these terms: Blogging = Community. The very act of blogging has brought an incredibly rich tapestry of people into my life. I’ve connected with people I may have otherwise never had the pleasure of meeting and it’s changed my life for the better.
Today, I write about whatever is on my mind. It’s rekindled a love of writing and photography (and has resulted in paid photography work!), and I like to think my love for this medium shows. Blogging is not a chore for me, it excites me. And if you’re reading along, getting a laugh, or discovering something new or making a connection on any level, well, that makes me happy. And that’s my reward.
