Why do we blog?

I have been thinking about whether it is time to close down my blog. I only started blogging because my friend, who is a writer, set me up with a site one night over a glass of wine. Unlike many bloggers, I was not really clear about my reasons for blogging or about my goals. But here I am, five months later, writing posts religiously every week. It is as if the compulsion to write has a life of it’s own. So, I have been asking myself lately why have I been blogging? A little backwards I know but I have done many things in my life backwards.

I actually write for a living; policy pieces on environmental issues. So I have been writing on this blog anonymously to give myself the freedom to write about personal things. I have written about losing my job, challenges in my marriage, my fears and joys as a parent, my longing for a spiritual community, my feelings about the growing darkness in the world, and my attempt to put the Universe in charge of my work life while I create my own work.

I have asked myself at times how blogging is different from writing in a journal. It is different, but it is hard to explain how. While I write my feelings out in my journal, I feel no obligation to express them in some cohesive form; to describe them clearly; to tie them off in some way. Blogging, on the other hand, forces some discipline on me; it gives me the opportunity to express myself as if someone else were reading my words. And I have enjoyed this challenge.

I love writing. I have used writing all my life as a way to understand my feelings; process my relationships; and come to terms with my life and the world. I have bared my soul in these posts over the last few months, but every so often I have wondered why; why not just stick with my journal? And then, I get a note from a fellow blogger who knows just what I mean; who expresses compassion for the feelings I have expressed; who affirms my view of the world; and I realize that that is the difference. While we do blog
for ourselves, we also do so in the hopes of touching someone else. My weekly posts have helped me to navigate the emotional storm within myself, but they have also put me in touch with like-minded souls who are out there bobbing along in their own little rafts, and that has made all the difference.

About kp

I am a woman and a mother, a sister and a wife. I have called myself a socialist and a feminist, an environmentalist and an activist, a pagan and an atheist. But, at this stage in my life, none of these labels feel right. I am searching; trying to find an inner calm; trying to make peace with life's disappointments; trying to answer the big questions in my own small life.
This entry was posted in Healing & Compassion, Signs, God & Universe, Writing for your life and tagged , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

6 Responses to Why do we blog?

  1. KP,
    Wow–this post is so important for every blogger. You’ve expressed what we all feel at one time or another, with compassion and a new understanding of WHY.
    Would you think about giving me permission to post it at my blog? Of course, with you as the author and a link back to you. :) I’m having more Guest Posts because my regular readers know what I’m likely to say because I’ve said it SO MUCH. I love and appreciate new perspectives and energy.

    • kp says:

      Dear Pam….I would be delighted to be a guest poster on your blog particularly in light of the wonderful support I have received from you over the last few months! You are certainly a kindred spirit who has kept me going during dark times. Who knew you could find that through a blog!! Kp

  2. That’s so great! Thanks, Kp. I’m copying your post into a Word doc and will send you the link as soon as it’s up. You’ve hit at the heart of blogging with this post. :)

  3. B Jas says:

    I love this post! And I ask the same question of myself too, particularly when my time is all accounted for, and I still manage to find a moment to write. It’s just who we are.

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