Why Do You Blog? Five Reasons Why I Blog.

filedesc http://www.epa.gov/win/winnews/images05/0510keyboard.gif (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Next week I'll be speaking to a meeting of Christian authors about my journey as a writer and how I've recovered the dream of being a writer through publishing children's stories about Wyatt the Wonder Dog and most recently, my book for grown-up children, The Call.  In addition, it's coming up on three years that I've been writing this blog. All of this has caused me to reflect on my journey through the world of writing.  It has been an exciting and rewarding learning experience for me. I've slowly become a blog addict.  In the beginning, I was nervous about putting out my thoughts and feelings.  I have a strong censor and I write then edit, then write again.  With my high "C" personality, this could go on forever, but I've learned to let some of it go.  Thus, the process has become quicker and while I still edit for typos and grammar and flow of the whole piece, I've learned not to obsess so much about the content that I spend an inordinate amount of time processing and reviewing the material.  Sometimes you just have to close your eyes and click that publish button...

One of the biggest obstacles to overcome in beginning and following up on a blog is the fear of not being good enough.  I suspect you know what I'm talking about, that inner voice that says, "Why do you think that you have something important to say?  You don't even have your own life figured out, how can you advise others?  What if you write and write and no one reads it?  (In the beginning I actually sort of hoped this would be the case but the momentum quickly turns on that one).  There are so many experts out there, why would I try to write something significant?"

I've learned some important lessons as I've confronted these doubts and personal deficits.  Here's what I've learned:

1. You don't have to be an expert to share your knowledge and experience.  Just as there are always those who are ahead of you, there are also many who are behind you in these areas.  Write for them.  You just might find that the "experts" ahead of you can learn from you as well.  There is a tendency to put people on a pedestal that only makes sense from our own perspective. 
2. Be yourself.  People don't want to read material from a textbook or a technical manual on how-to-do-it.  They want to know about you and your struggles and achievements.  Make it personal.
3. Be generous.  One of the things that I really like about the Dan Miller and the 48days  community which I have been actively involved in for about four years, is that it is a very generous community.  People share experiences, resources and products.  Benefiting others ultimately benefits you.  Zig Ziglar used to  say, “You can have anything you want if you help enough others get anything they want.”   Share your resources, your ideas, your creativity and your support.  Too many people act as if when you share what you have, everyone will steal your ideas and you’ll be left with less than you started.  In reality, the opposite is true.  The more you give the more you have.  
4. Have fun with it.  There are of course some days when I stare blankly at the screen and wonder what to write about.  There are just as many though when I hate that other responsibilities keep me away from blogging.  I'm always thinking about getting to it and always feel a sense of relief and completion when I finish.  If there is no fun, no pleasure, no clicking into the zone and enjoying it, then find your passion elsewhere.  Write because it fills a need and is fun!
5. Be a learner.  Every post I write engages me in clarifying my thoughts, researching some topic or reviewing some past experience.  Just as I hope to teach others from my experience, I learn just as much in the doing.

What about you?  Why do you blog?  Why do you write?  What have you learned?