Is Blogging Worth It?

I don't know. Sometimes I think blogging is my only life-line to the world. Other times I think it is to personal to send my thoughts and adventures out into the public sphere. I do know one thing--writing is definitely worth it.

Writing is how I express myself. Writing is how I figure out what to do when something is wrong or celebrate the joy when something is right. Writing (and photography too) is who I am. That I know.

The question about blogging is usually about the public sphere of my writing. I am still figuring out myself. I will probably still figuring out myself and exactly what I believe in until I am no longer in the world as I know it now. This is something I have accepted about myself, but I don't know how other people will react to the journey.

Writing is my life, but through it you see a part of me that is very vulnerable. I don't like conflict. I have learned through my years of writing, especially for the newspaper, how to take and handle constructive criticisms; however, I have also learned that the Internet is not always tactful. In fact, the Internet can hurt. And no, I'm not talking about cyber-bullying in this instance, but I tend to flow in many different circles that often won't even acknowledge that the other exists. The problem I run into is that I can't truly speak my mind about a subject because I realize that is would step on someone's toes. I don't like making people feel uncomfortable because then I feel uncomfortable.

Of course, as I'm writing this, it sounds even a little silly. I mean, if a person is offended by something I say then they should just stop reading and ignore me, right? If only it were that easy.

I suppose I have answered myself. Blogging is worth it. I may step on people's toes, but I may also say one thing that helps someone through the day. If I do that, if I say one thing in this entire blog's existence because I wasn't afraid to speak what I believe, then blogging in it's entirety is worth it.

The reason I love reading blogs and being a part of the blogging community is so I don't feel so alone. There is always someone out there who is going through more, who is better, who is worse, who believes in you, who will be against you and who could be changed by your words.

This is why I write. This is my therapy. In the short time it took me to think and write this out, I have given myself the self-confidence I need to speak my mind and convince myself that my thoughts matter. I hope people read this, I hope they respond and I hope they are inspired (or at least feel something.) Whether you do or not, I will keep writing because like most honest forms of art, it is for the artist not the masses.

Blogging is beautiful, as is all art.

Is blogging worth it? Yes, yes it is. Blogging is worth is because you are worth it.

photo credit

[I got the inspiration for writing this from a fellow blogger, Rachel, a beautiful writer at Finding Joy. The post that caught my attention on this subject is called "Dear Anonymous. Why Blogging Matters."]