firstblogpostClick – Publish.

On June 19th 2011, in a fit of narcissism and anxiety, I posted my first blog. What if the world doesn’t like what I wrote, I wondered.

I needn’t have worried. Hardly anyone read that first post, except my mother and only because I sent it to her.

“Social networking is marketing, and social networking begins and ends with a blog,” my marketing instructor had said. But marketing isn’t my most compelling reason to blog.

So why do I blog?

1. I blog to think

My biggest challenge in writing is to figure out what I’m writing about. I start with a topic or an idea but don’t necessarily know where it’s going to take me. Writing and thinking my way through a piece helps clarify its contents. The process is like casting off in a vessel and, after assessing the options, selecting a course.

2. I blog to practice

As a veteran social studies teacher and technical writer in education, I thought creative writing would come naturally. I’ve discovered that although I know much about history and geography, I don’t know how to write about love. (Hat tip to Herman’s Hermits and Sam Cooke who captured love’s angst in Wonderful World) Blogging expands my creative skills through practice, practice and more practice.

3. I blog to publish

Once every week, usually Monday, I click ‘Publish.’ In so doing, I hold my feet to the fire both in keeping to that self-publishing schedule and in writing the best I can on that day. Tags and links to Facebook attract readers, and comments provide feedback. Views, likes and subscriptions are votes, all duly recorded in site statistics.

I could emphasize marketing and social networking more, but that’s not why I blog. To bastardize Descartes, I blog therefore I write.

Which blog posts do you like to read?

6 Comments

  1. Sarah Myers

    I like the slant on Descartes, I like the post, and I like blog posts that call me to think in a new, fruitful way. Keep posting!

    Reply
    • Carole Duff

      I like “new thinking” posts, too, and often find them on the Noontimes. Thank you, my friend.

      Reply
  2. Carol cutler

    I liked the play on Descartes, too.

    Reply
  3. Keith Kenny

    I think blogging also says something about where people are and eventually, with many points of reference, where they are going … since writing can be a growth experience. Others who may feel alone and may not be able to reach out can find solace in the company of someone who shares their joy or angst or confusion or curiosity or love or …

    Reply
    • Carole Duff

      Blogs can open doors to ourselves, if we write and read our way through ambiguity and contradiction. Thanks for your comment.

      Reply

Leave a Reply to Sarah MyersCancel reply

Meet Carole

Subscribe

Let's Connect

Favorite Subjects