Calligraphy: Wildfield Paper Co | Photography: Ashley Slater Photography  | Styling: The Day’s Design

What do I have to offer the world today?

A fellow blogger posed this question and it’s been bubbling around on my brain for month’s now.  Ever read something that another writer, or even friend, has posted online and wondered why on Earth are you telling me this?  I have those moments all the time.  Why did the world need to know that?

Something very few people (if anyone) knows about me is that I used to daydream about being a writer.  I would write short stories, dream up scripts for plays, novels and had collections of poetry.  And I kept a journal.  But my journal wasn’t a pretty little notebook with flowery thoughts and aspirations, it was a mass collective of random papers, paragraphs and ideas I’d scribbled down during calculus class or angry letters to ignored crushes.  My journal was anywhere I could find a scrap of paper, napkins, post-it notes – you name it, I was resourceful and could then stuff them in my purse or pocket only to be discovered later or perhaps never even relived again.  It was this way for me to vent and clear my head and figure out what I was really feeling.  And usually they were deep, dark and often angry.  Those are the moments I most feel the need to pick up my pen.

The thing about these writings is they were never really meant for an audience.  I couldn’t easily share them with anyone and most people don’t even know of their existence.  I had a poem or two that I’d read to a boyfriend on very rare occasion, but never my mother, best friend or even an English teacher – they were much too personal and I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone critiquing my work.

Creative writing was always my elective course of choice.  I guess you could look at this as sort of a foreshadow of things to come.  Never did I think that I would post writings online, I rarely even update my Facebook status because it is simply “none of your business”.

But from what I have read of “successful blogging” is you must be consistent, follow the 3 part story structure and most of all, have something worthwhile to share with the world today.  Those are all three things that I really struggle with – and perhaps that’s why my blog isn’t “successful”.  Why would anyone want to read what I want to share with the world?  However, I mentally turned a little switch and decided to break these rules and no longer look at this as merely an informative wedding blog but rather my journal.  My writer’s block has decreased.  I feel like I just gave myself some freedom to be myself and write whatever I want – not what you’d want to read on a “wedding blog”.   And I’ve actually had a very slight increase in readership.

So, what do I have to offer the world today?  This – be yourself.  Don’t do something because it seems like that might be the “rule” of business or “the way” things are done.  If it don’t feel right, then stop.  Simple enough, right?  Just be yourself.

And a little side rant – I hate the word blog.  It so harsh and not poetic at all as it rolls off your tongue, it’s like you just spat the word out.  Plus it reminds me of Pogs which gives me a little 4^th grade flashback.

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