{why blog}

i was watching this vlog by denise today and it made me think of a similar question posed by ali edwards about the reasons why we scrapbook.

in her presentation, ali suggested by determining our underlying intentions, we can find the true voice for the stories we wish to tell.
and i believe the same is true for blogging.

it's no coincidence i think i was drawn into the world of blogging by these two women:
ali, for her incredible amalgamation of the art of story telling and actual creative design (something i hope to incorporate into my new journey with the tarot)
and denise for our then shared journey of (in)fertility.

certainly with regards to my discovery of denise's blog,
it was a huge thing for me.
for, up until then,
i had felt very alone in my secret hopes and fears about having a family.
so reading denise's blog was like having a weight lifted:
someone understands!

and listening to what she was saying on her vlog about reaching out to other women ~
well, i definitely felt she reached out to me,
and opened me up to a whole world of self discovery as a result.
honestly, blogworld can be like the best self-help book you could want!

i have to admit until very recently i was wanting to be just like,
some of the wonderously talented bloggers and e-entrepeneurs out there;
which can be, in some way,
a little counter-productive to self discovery.
but now, as i feel my own true self emerging,
i know this probably would have never happened had i not started by emulating what it might feel like by vicariously trying on the life of another.

but i digress...
sure, blogging has opened up a whole new world to me,
but why do i blog?

yes, there was the original,
"oh i want to blog and be just like them" bit,
but when you break it down,
it still brings back the original question:
why?

looking back,
and also seeing it from where i stand now,
i can see three main reasons why i blog:

1. trivial and as contradictory as it may sound,
i blog so i know my journal is contained and safe.
over the years i have half started many journals,
lost and burnt a few,
and generally have such a scattered psyche,
it is genuinely important to know my words can be safely stored away from my careless hands.

2. to share myself with those who know me.
for me it has been surprising to know who in my bricks-and-mortar world actually reads my blog.
often i write here about things i wouldn't necessarily talk about,
or even know how to bring up in every day conversation;
so it can give an insight to those i see in real life about what goes on beneath the surface.
i don't publicise my blog to all the people i know,
but for those i have done,
it was quite literally an invitation.
and although it has sometimes hurt me to see who might or might not be interested in taking up the invite,
it ultimately gives me a more honest level to connect with people on.

3. to connect with others i yet have the pleasure to meet.
probably one of the main reasons i was initially drawn into the world of blogging and wanted a piece of the blogger action i could see going on,
was all about the sense of community.
i would read about these amazing tribes of women forming through the common medium of the internet,
and i craved that.
that sense of women supporting each other:
sharing their vulnerabilities and strengths to empower each other.
it semmed so special.
so inspiring.
and i have to say,
meeting the women of the BBC as a result of blogging has been the greatest gift i could have wished for.
and they are a big reason for why i feel my own wings are finally making themselves apparent.

so those are the key reasons why i blog.
what about you?