Finding Your "Blogger Voice"

Blogging: the online equivalent to "Stand up, face the class and read your diary out loud please." 

I used to think blogging was something similar to the concept above.  I always admired the courage it took to share and publish your own thoughts in a less formal setting for anyone to read. I never thought I had it in me, I never imagined I would be asked to blog, but here I am. 

When it comes to blogging, I am pretty much a newbie. I have created websites for my post-graduate courses that included blog components, but these were structured and had specifications to content and format.  This is my first time creating a blog that is simply for the purpose of blogging.  Each time I write a blog post, I am fighting the urge to use formal language and cite sources and links with a 'References' section at the bottom (and for my first blog post, I did!).  For my first few posts, I was typing into a word document, then copying the text into my blog draft because I was so worried that the site wouldn't save it. 

After just a few blogs though, I started gaining comfort. I watched a few videos and learned how to add an "About Me" page (which if you haven't checked out yet, you can see it Here).  I am happy to report that I wrote this blog without my safety net of drafting it in Microsoft Word first. Learning to blog, like many things, is a process that takes time and has a period of adjustment. It is important to celebrate the small milestones. 

When I blog, I am writing something for the purpose of others to view, read and reply to. In my head, it feels like sharing your class notebook with a peer who missed a day of class... You are happy to share, but there is a voice that whispers to you: "Are you sure you spelt all the words correctly? Do you know what you are talking about? Will your notes make sense?" When I share my perspectives and voice, there is a certain amount of doubt that I have to fight. To reflect for your own purpose is one thing, to share a reflection with your professor is another, but to share that reflection with many classmates in a public environment, it takes courage.  I am outside my comfort zone, but I am learning how to share in a new way through a new platform, and that part is exciting. I believe I am in the process of finding my unique "blogger voice." I also like the idea of others being able to comment on my blogs, I enjoy replying to classmates and hearing their perspectives on the matter. 

I found this blog particularly helpful in working toward finding my blogger voice: 

Here’s How to Write a Blog Post Like a Professional

When blogging, I find that inspiration plays a large role. When writing papers or doing assignments, I do feel inspired, but that inspiration often dwindles as deadlines, word counts, rubrics and requirements are added.  The motivator of 'inspiration' usually takes the backseat as 'stress' takes the wheel.  Blogging in contrast, offers a more open space with less constraints, where I feel free to write with inspiration driving my ideas.  Blogging feels like taking a sudden turn off a nice, smooth paved road in the middle of nowhere and driving right into the landscape. It's bumpy, it's new, it's exciting and a little scary, you're making your own path, and after a while you start getting used to it.