Thursday, November 14, 2013

Blogging Confessions Tag

Oh Whimsical Me tagged me in this blogging "confessions" post
1. When did you first start blogging and why?

I started blogging a few years ago to chronolog my sewing. I wanted to see myself improve... Since then I've learned knitting, made friends, and used this blog to deal with some hard life questions.    

2. Have you had any past online presence?

I had a LiveJournal a long long time ago. I don't even remember my user name.

3. When did you become serious about your blog?

About a year ago, I began to realize my blog could be so much more then just a history of my sewing adventure. I branched out into sharing my own personal story--I wanted to encourage others who might have gone through the same things as me.

4. What was your first blog post?

It was a post about a watercolor picture I recently painted.

5. What have been your biggest challenges blogging?

I've gone through many challenges through the seasons. First, finding time to blog with my full time, third shift job in 2010 and 2011. In 2012 I encountered another challenge when I got married and found that my husband did not quite understand blogging. He was worried about all the personal things I was revealing online, and how they would affect us and his family. We had many conversations, and I almost stopped blogging. At first I felt my husband was taking away my one love, my one outlet. I wasn't sure why I felt so upset when he would question my blogging. After many hard conversations where it felt like we were not connecting, I was finally able to explain that I wanted to blog because I don't want others to feel alone. I want to be there for them, and I want my story to be there for them as well. My husband was able to understand this. I learned that he just wanted to have input into what I put on my blog. Since my story now was so closely related to his, I had to realize it was unfair to post things abut my husband without his permission. We both learned.  

6. What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?

 
Venting. Feeling like I'm not alone. It's funny how I can write a post and hope it helps others, and then people leave me comments telling me how my blog helped them and touched them, and then in return be helped by their words. My post "being a stay at home wife" is in the top three google searches for those words. I get so many comments from women who feel just like me, and it is so encouraging. Together, we can encourage the world about our choice and dreams!

7. What is the most discouraging thing about blogging?

The hateful comments. I've only had a few. It's not like they hurt, its just so bewildering. I think of myself as a very open person--I love discussing other viewpoints, and I don't like judging others. How does leaving a hateful comment help me understand what you disagreed with in my post? How does it open the doors to having an insightful conversation about our differences?

8. What is your lasting inspiration or motivation?

I don't really know. I get inspired by light or the leaves on a tree. I find motivation in the way the air moves in the morning when the clouds are just rising over the horizon. My husband's smile, full of warmth and love, also makes my heart soar. Knowing God loves me even when I don't understand Him and ignore Him helps me stand steady.

9. What is your blogging dirty little secret?

I'm actually really interested in reading others blogs? I don't know if I have any secrets about this blog. Maybe that sometimes I never know what to leave as a comment when people comment on my posts? A simple "thank you" seems trite.

10. What is your current goal as a blogger?

Grow as a person and encourage others.

11. Have you learned or become passionate about anything through blogging that caught you by surprise?

Blogging introduced me to knitting. And to...well, everything associated with blogging. I can't imagine who I would be without all this.

1 comment:

Emorie Kidder said...

Thanks for joining in and answering! I always love learning more about my blog friends. I agree about venting and feeling like you're not alone <3 I still can't believe you've ever received hateful comments. I guess I've just been lucky so far in that regard. Fingers crossed that it continues!