A dear friend wrote this comment in response to my initial post. Because we’ve been friends for about 20 years, I know where he’s coming from. Nevertheless, I thought it might be helpful to explain why I started blogging. My friend’s an artist who handcrafts both his words and works specifically for individuals. He loves people and he’s always looking for oppportunities to connect with others on a personal level. On the other hand, I’m somewhat of a paradox because most people see me as the hand-shaking, back-slapping, hugging, hold your baby kind of guy who’s always circulating in public. I do enjoy those times, but part of it is a learned discipline because in actuality, I’m an introvert who greatly prefers the world of ideas, imagination, and solitude.
Earlier this year, I started to get the sense that something was missing in my life…that there were things within me that weren’t finding expression. As I reflected on this “feeling”, I realized how much enjoyment I get out of teaching and training. Should I look for more opportunities to do those things? Somehow that didn’t seem to be the answer. What I ultimately hit upon was the fact that I love sharing and discussing thoughts and ideas with others. Teaching and training is but one way to do that. On the other hand, I didn’t want to seem bombastic or overbearing with others simply because I was looking for an outlet for self-expression. So what to do? Blog.
Blogging gives me an outlet for my thoughts and ideas – some of which will be shared with others on a personal, face-to-face basis. However, the fact is that most of what I write will be for me, a form of cathartic expression. As I see it, the beauty of the blog is that no one is forced to listen to me or to read what I write. I assume I’ll continue to have plenty of opportunities to share with others, but more often than not, those times will involve just the tip of the iceberg that’s been floating around in my mind.
hey man — great to see your blog (and thanks for putting my link on the short list!) we got your family photo in the mail the other day and were delighted.
yes, blogging has become a place for me to nurture the communicative introvert in me as well. I’ve gotten to the point where I write simply because I feel the need to write — whether or not there’s a listening audience. blogs give a general sense of an expectant audience though, which helps get me over the creative slump sometimes.
peace