There has been one thought going round and round in my head for several weeks now. I keep thinking about what I thought blogging would be. I guess I should say what I hoped it would be.
Three years ago, I kind of backed into blogging with a little prodding from a friend. She said if I didn't like it, I could just delete it. Deleting it has never crossed my mind since I started until maybe now.
I was amazed by the friends I have made by blogging. People from all corners of the country and even out of the country. It has been an awesome journey that I truly love. I can't imagine my life without it.
But...when I started blogging, I thought that it was going to be my place to speak freely about me and my life and my thoughts. It was for awhile. Then, it started to change.
I didn't go out and tell lots of people that I was blogging. It was my thing, not theirs. But, people found out. They began to scrutinize what I was writing and it became not so much mine anymore.
I have come to the point in my writing where I feel like I have to censor my thoughts and hold back what I am thinking. It wasn't supposed to be like this. Now, I find myself wondering what I should do. More and more, I'm not writing here. I spend more time on Facebook and my picture blog.
The thought of not writing on this blog breaks my heart, but the thought of writing trivial junk isn't the answer either. I need to find an answer.
This was my first entry in Just Write. I hope this is what it was supposed to be. I did "just write".
Writing publicly does create a dilemma, for certain. There is definitely a censor thing that goes on. It's NOT like going to lunch with a friend or friends and just TALKING. I am one of the ones who FOUND you here and I love visiting you here! This is one good conversation you've started, and I feel the same way... xo!
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way Nancy...I have so much I want to write but I don't for fear of saying to much. I love that you took the time to "just write"...maybe that's what I need to do. I do miss reading your updates and even what you term as "trivial junk".
ReplyDeleteits hard - some of the stuff i blog about i know isn't stuff a lot of people want to hear, but i write it any way.
ReplyDeletei would just encourage you to examine why you feel a need to censor yourself. is it a legitimate concern (something that could get you in trouble at work, for example) or is it a fear of being accepted? exploring the why of your current feelings might help with the "what to do" part
Not being anonymous can make it hard to write freely, ime. I hope you find the best answer for you.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, that I think a lot of bloggers go through. I'm glad I found you through blogging!
ReplyDeleteI always love to visit your blog! Loved this post too... that's what you need to do, just write. OH... and post pictures of your darlings!
ReplyDeleteI would encourage you to consider going private. Then you can invite who you want to read. :) You won't get as many hits and as many comments.
ReplyDeleteI think it's a very normal dilemma that you are having. I know I had it. In the end, I really had to think about WHY I was writing and then write for that reason. This is YOUR blog. Write what you want!
ReplyDeleteI know EXACTLY what you mean.............
ReplyDeleteWriter's have to have courage. That doesn't mean everything we write has to cause an earthquake but we can't censor our thoughts. The only time I do now as if what I say would do more harm than good. For me, it's not worth hiring someone. But everyone has to make those calls.
ReplyDeleteI understand how you feel. I've felt the same way. I post something that I ponder for days if I should have. I keep going back though because it's the only way I know how to write. I try not to worry about what others might think. I'm writing for me. Write for you.
ReplyDelete