The past couple of months I have really began thinking more about this little blog.
For a year or so now, I have been regularly reading several blogs of people I don't even know (I'm aware of my own nerdiness). I would somehow find a link to their blog somewhere, read a few posts, and enjoy them. This would get me to come back to some of them daily. I read a lot of funny blogs, because I like to laugh. I read blogs by published authors. I read several blogs that are written by people similar to myself--women in their twenties or thirties, single, just trying to figure out why God put them here and what He wants them to do about it. Most, if not all, of the blogs I read are wonderfully written. As I began to read more and more of what these complete strangers were writing, I began to write more on my own blog. While all the blogs I read of people I don't know have hundreds of readers, if not more, my little blog here has mostly family and friends. (I love that y'all read the blog!) I decided I wanted more readers. I read a few articles on how to make this happen--a few of the tips ended up in my To Do in 2011 list. Then, I really started thinking about what I was trying to accomplish. Why do I blog and why do I want more readers?
It seemed pretty narcissistic to me.
Then I thought about it more--which began as an attempt to justify my actions, I admit--and I realized that there are a few reasons I blog:
1) I am a writer.
You know how sometimes people say art or music is healing or clarifying or relaxing? Writing is my art; writing is my music. I can't really paint or draw and I definitely can't sing or dance. I write as a means to process things, to express things, to share things. Quite simply, I can't function well without writing. It sounds dramatic, but it is true.
A blog is simply an outlet for this.
2) I want to be a writer.
Like anything, writing gets better with practice. Blogging is excellent practice.
Also, I would like to be published (in print) at some point--to become a "real" writer (if such a thing exists). Saying "hundreds of people already read my writing every week" is probably a better selling point to a potential publisher than "25 of my closest friends and family read my writing whenever I decide to post something."
Perhaps these reasons are still pretty narcissistic. I think, at least to some extent, most art is. The thing is, though, I hope to glorify God in everything I do, not the least of which is writing (in a blog, in a book, in my prayer journal, in an email). I also want to help others glorify Him. Most of what I write (here and everywhere) may not be particularly helpful or what you might consider traditionally worshipful, but my hope is that it is, at least, encouraging. I have read many a blog post (from humor writers, from people-like-me writers, from "real" writers) that have made me think, laugh, or even cry. Some are good for a little laugh, a smile in my day. Some let me know I'm not alone. Some challenge even my personal belief system (in a good way). My hope is that my blog does those things for my readers, or will do those things--at least one of them!
That is why I blog.
