Blogging therapy
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By: Miranda Babbitt
Blogging, in most cases, goes hand in hand with writing. Sometimes, the process of writing is a joyous pursuit. The words just won’t stop flowing! Try and stop us, we yell triumphantly! The rest of the time, however, blogging goes hand in hand with writer’s block.
My blog is the sour truth of that.
Trust me, if my blog were a book, the pages would have gathered so much dust by now, you’d probably just back away slowly from what clearly appeared to be a witch’s spellbook. (Actually some of you may very well jump in at that prospect to live out your Hogwarts dreams, and for that, I don’t blame you.)
Do you know the feeling though? To have a blog sitting somewhere, not doing much except reminiscing about the good old days when it was churning out posts every week? Well, let me tell you something that you may not know: a big contributor to the wad of “blah” that’s stuck between you and your writing is fear.
Fear, that dear old friend, has a way of making every post you’re excited about seem impossible to approach. It can make any post you’re even planning on writing look just about as ridiculous as writing a spell to turn your least favourite professor into a cuddly kitten. Then there’s the fear of writing something people won’t like, and also the fear of writing something you don’t like but you think will appease your readers for the time being.
So how do we beat these insecurities rattling around in our heads? Own them.
That’s right. Use your fears to your advantage.
I can’t tell you how many bloggers I’ve met that have said the most rewarding pieces they’ve written are the ones that required them to open themselves up, if only a little, to their readers. The nerves before clicking ‘publish,’ the anxiety stirring inside their tummy afterwards, and then the gradual emanation of glory in knowing that they have put something out into the world that someone might be able to really resonate with —this experience is unbeatable.
While tapping into the hearts of your readers is in itself deliciously rewarding, the very process of writing out your feelings is also known to be very therapeutic for you. The power of journaling is well documented as a super effective therapy exercise for those who find it difficult to articulate their anxieties. For some though, journaling falls flat because, well, who’s going to read it? (Pretty sure your younger sister has moved on by now.) The thrill of knowing that there’s an audience can help you articulate your feelings even more clearly, letting you inch closer to the root of your anxieties. And who knows? Maybe by the time you’re finished writing, you’ll be a pro on how to help yourself out of a situation, which just means you can tailor your post into the most profoundly personal advice column ever. Those are the bomb.
Yes, it can be effing scary to publish your insecurities to the world, let alone whisper them to a friend. But, I’m telling you, that vulnerability can reap such treasures inside of your soul and the souls around you. If you open yourself up, you can open up whole communities of people at the same time who are going through the same thing you are.
So give it a try! To help you, we’ll give you a few ideas for prompts:
Where do you see yourself in two years, and (this answer could be different) where do you want to see yourself in two years?
Are secrets good for the soul?
What do you need to remind yourself of more often than anything else?
Photo Credit: Tweak Your Biz
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