I often get asked what my blog is about and all I want to say in return is, “many things.” It’s about life, it’s about dreams and goals. It currently talks more about jobs and a little about travel because those are the big things in my life right now. When I’m going through a reading phase I review a few books. What started as a chronicle regarding a cross-country move developed into a space to share my hopes and disappointments as I navigated the life to follow. I have done my fair share of questioning what my real purpose is at times. I can’t say that I am incredibly fashion-conscious nor do I spend enough time crafting, but I dabble in both from time to time (but don’t ever expect a recipe…that is just not my thing). This blog is all the things because it’s about life. Where I am right now and what I’m thinking through.
I have a hard time committing to just one thing with my life. “My thing” will never be any one thing that I just listed off. In fact, very few people have just one but sometimes we feel like it should be that way. I am many things and sometimes I move on sooner even than I ought to do tackle the next life lesson or big project.
No, I cannot do just one thing. But I can aim to make all of those things glorify God.
I won’t say this is a blog that just writes all about being spiritual, nor will I ever say my faith is off the table when it comes to talking about life. This is where I write about all the things and it would be a shame if I didn’t acknowledge the biggest thing in my life.
I’ve found that being upfront about things seems to make it easier on everyone. So, in case you were wondering what my blog is about–it’s about so many things. Because that’s what life looks like, so many things.
In the month of October I’ll be writing all about Finding Self: what makes us who we are and what that means. There’s a blogging challenge called 31 Days which encourages bloggers to write every day for the month of October all around one topic area. I hemmed and hawed (gosh, I sound like an old lady) for quite some time before deciding that this was my topic. In fact, I had a few other topics all picked out but changed it in the last hour (literally).
I want to write about learning, discovering, understanding and embracing who we are. There’s something about understanding who you are, regardless of where you are or what you’re doing, that allows you to be free. When you aren’t bogged down by extra things, you figure out what’s actually there. Who you are when no one is around and there are no expectations. What defines you and who you dream to be.
I have a short list of things I know I’ll write about but a long list of unknowns this month. My hope is to see the good in it all, to help us find truth in a sea of second-guessing and self doubt. Because I’m seeking and struggling through it, too. Who we are isn’t where we live or what we do. It isn’t something we said ten years ago and isn’t what we ate for lunch. While we may be associated with a great host of things, we are truly defined by only a few. So what does that leave?
This week, y’all…this week has been so much fun. It’s had its ups and downs like any week, but something about this week has had a fresh air about it. Maybe I’ve had too much pumpkin flavored everything, or I have just found some good people in the world. Either way, glad to have had such a great week.
1. Weddings are some of my favorite pastimes. This past weekend both the hubby and I were in a wedding on the beach, and it was AMAZING. The year we got married we somehow managed to attend something like 13 other weddings the same year and that got a little exhausting. But this year, we’ve only been to three and each have been so much fun that I wish I had another one in the books. Invite me to your wedding, people! No but really, this weekend we had the most wonderful time as bridesmaid and groomsman. I think we both just love the opportunity to really serve our friends at such a monumental time in their lives. Plus, we got to hang out with a few great people and always seem to make friends with the photographer (who was adorable, by the way…can’t wait to see her pictures from the day but until then, here’s a few others).
Photo by Molly StillmanPhoto by Marc Killian
2. The blog is growing. Like a total nerd I sat and watched google analytics realtime tracking on Monday night. Every couple of minutes I would yell out the current number of readers and their locations to the hubby while he worked on a song. I’m learning a lot in a short time but also feeling like I have SO much to learn and catch up on. That said, thank you so much for reading along with me so far as I try different things and tweak different sections of the blog. Any and all feedback is most appreciated!
3. It’s a good thing my voice is back because it’s been all over the microphone. This week the hubby decided we were doing an open mic night. While not new to him, it was a first for me. After months of working on songs together we went ahead and shared them with the world. While I didn’t really tell anyone we were doing it beforehand, please allow these poorly lit phone pictures to say it all. It was really great, and I ended up being more comfortable than I thought I would be. I’m ready for our next gig! In addition to my singing debut, I got to do some voiceovers this week for some freelance work which was really fun and completely new to me. Apparently they loved it! So, moral of the story…prepare to hear me on the radio some day, one way or another.
This is my blog post about blogging. It’s about dreams and big goals that are scary to exclaim to the world. Maybe I’ll fail or maybe I’ll succeed.
I’ve had several blogs dating all the way back to high school at this point. I also have a bad habit of starting a blog relating to some life event and then dropping off after I finished traveling or got married. This blog started when we first started working towards a cross-country move but after we moved and somewhat settled in, I knew it was time to hold onto it. Writing is second-nature to me, but I still have to sit down and actually do it. I have to will myself to find something to write about and have to consider writing to an audience not just to a diary. As I felt the lull in this blog, I instead implemented the Thursday Three posts to prompt something each week.
So just to make it all official, I wanted to inform you that my blog is different. It’s been a work in progress for a couple months now, and I’m still working on creating different categories and pages, subscriptions and eventually, a more custom design. But for now, I’m happy to have the freedom and flexibility to explore.
How did this come to be? Well, I hate to admit this but I’ve worked at a few different web/design/marketing agencies among some fairly talented web developers for years, but I was too scared to ask for help. There was a part of me that was too proud to ask, figuring it was such a small thing that I should be able to figure out on my own. The other part of me reasoned that they had better things to do in their free time and my little tiny blog was not worth bothering them about. Recently however, a friend (who happens to be a talented designer/developer) asked me about my blog and what I wanted to do with it. I told her about some of the limitations I was facing and she simply said, “I can do that.” I was so grateful to her for all of her help getting me set up and practically bouncing up and down when she told me. Just like that my world opened up, and I decided this was my opportunity to go for it. To truly go for it.
While I complained about some of my limitations in the past, they also made me feel safe. I didn’t feel like I had to keep up with blogging or really challenge myself to grow. I knew I could stay there, not try and it would never count as a failure. My small number of readers was fine because then I didn’t have to push to promote it or share it with the outside world. I felt comfortably sheltered in my bubble of friends who read it because that meant I didn’t have to completely face the reality of putting myself out there. But when it comes down to it, if I don’t commit to it, I’ll never really know what I am capable of as a writer or as a blogger.
As I (hope to) grow, there’s a few other things I’ve begun to consider. I want to find my voice and identity as a blogger, yet maintain the authenticity that comes from just jotting down the first things that come to mind from time to time. I want to be a bigger part of the blogging community by actually engaging with the many blogs I read on a regular basis. Likewise, I hope to engage more with my own readers and also further my reach through blogging. Maybe one day I’ll have ads or sponsored posts, not just to drive you crazy but to further push myself to discover and define my voice as a writer.
Last year at a conference, everyone in the audience was encouraged to write down a creative dream or goal. Personally and professionally, I was at a weird place but a true dream of mine still managed to seep out. My dream? “Writing on a large platform about life, pointing to God and healing hurt for others.”
So there it is. My goal is no longer the secret that it has been for the last year. I want what I write to matter–my lessons learned to help someone and my silly stories to encourage someone. I want to inspire and support someone. Here I am now, facing the world with my thoughts and ideas, struggles and candor. And I’m asking you to join me. To share it with others and to stick with me along the way.
