do this: start a blog

While doing my daily read of IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers), I clicked through to a link with the title “Why did you start your blog?” This post is the latest in a series the site does called blogger projects, where the authors ask the readers various questions relating to blogging. It’s a great way for readers to share their stories and connect with fellow bloggers.

This question hit home for me since for some reason I always feel I have to justify my blog to others. I hope writing down my response will shed some light about my own decision to blog, as well as my thoughts on blogging in general. So without further ado, here it goes… why did I start my blog?

My professional background is in journalism, namely print, working for magazines and newspapers. Blogging was not something I ever aspired to do. When I was a magazine editor, I started working on our company’s website and that was my first interaction with writing on the web. Though I understood the importance of a strong web presence and saw how huge of an audience it could draw, I still had a soft spot for the traditional print format.

Fast forward a few years and I was newly-engaged, living in a brand new city and state with a job that wasn’t exactly writing-heavy. It wasn’t long before I started getting the itch to express myself through writing. With no other prospects on the horizon, I knew what I needed to do.

I’m a writer, writing is what I love and I finally realized that it was time for me to jump on the blogging bandwagon.

By this time it was 2011, and blogging had risen to a whole new level. Blogging as a career was not only cool, if you played your cards right it could be very profitable.

For me, the core reason of deciding to pursue blogging was to have an outlet. The only way to get better at writing is to keep doing it. I’m not aspiring to be a pro blogger, simply a better, more confident writer. I was a in a professional rut and needed to pull myself out. Learning the pros and cons of blogging has been a process. My first foray into blogging was writing about the crazy world of wedding planning. Though it was certainly a good outlet for me during that time, after our wedding I was once again at a loss.

I had been reading lifestyle blogs for years, following them more faithfully than my favorite magazines. But I never thought I could have my own. What more can I add to this conversation I thought? What can I write that millions of other people haven’t already thought of?  It turns out, I did have something to say and decided to turn off my inner critic and jump into blogging without looking back. Each person has their own unique perspective to offer. Whether you think you do or not, there is an audience out there that will connect with you if you choose to share your story.

Yes, there are a ton of lifestyle blogs out there but you know what, I do believe that there is room out there for all of us.

So to come back to the original question, why did you start blogging? My answer is this: I started blogging because I love writing. I want to continue to express myself and grow as a writer and as a person. Having a blog makes me accountable to faithfully post things and continue to evolve. I hope my blog becomes a reflection of me as a person as well as a good example of my professional abilities.

How about you guys? What inspired you to start a blog? Or why do you read them? I’d love to hear.

Image via Tricks Machine