No matter how true some of that may be (I'm at work in my pajamas, and I don't have a basement!) blogging is something that I think just about everyone should try their hand at.
Why?
Glad you asked!
I've got lots of reasons...so many that it's going to take more than 1 post. So here are the first few:
It's easy.
Seriously, you can get started in just a few seconds. Websites do all the work for you, like the one I'm using (blogger.com) or an even better one (wordpress.com). You hardly need to know how to use a computer, this is incredibly streamlined stuff. Seriously, here's what it looks like:
Looks pretty much like just writing in word or some other document editor doesn't it? Not so scary, is it?
I'd highly recommend wordpress over blogger. It's just easier. It's prettier. It's more adaptable if you want to learn how to utilize it. It is more of the "gold standard." Just use wordpress.
You are the only person with your story.
You may think you don't have anything interesting to say. You're wrong. God has given you a unique perspective and unique circumstances in your life. You really are a special snowflake. It's not a matter of narcissism, you don't need to talk about how awesome you are constantly (sometimes doesn't hurt). Just share yourself, don't promote yourself.
A blog isn't some fancy way to advertise yourself, you don't need to worry about that. Just be yourself, be authentic, be transparent. If you want to talk about something specific, or make a theme for your blog, go right ahead!
The blog police will say you need to "narrow your niche" to be successful. But who cares? Do whatever you want!
You get to make new friends.
Friends? On the internet? Strange I know. But I am surprised by the amount of people who I consider my friends that I have met online through blogging that I never would have met in real life otherwise. Some I may never actually see in person...because they don't live in this state. People like using the buzzword of "community" for online connections. But really, that's just a fancy word for friends.
This is also a big deal if (like me) you go to a large church. I've met many many people from our church who have approached me because they read my blog, and I had never met them before previously. And I may have never stumbled into them without it. I'm thrilled for the friendships that I have through this medium and for those that are still to come.
You get to know more about others.
Even though it's your blog, you will learn a great deal about other people. If you engage people's comments and comment on other blogs, you will form deeper relationships with people whom you may not have otherwise. People don't have limitless amounts of time, and you can't physically spend time with everyone you may want to. By talking with people through blogging, you can really invest in their lives, learn more about them and help create deeper friendships.
Other reasons
I'm sure there are other reasons to blog, what are they?
For those of you already blog, why do you do it?
I'd like to turn those answers into a subsequent post or two, so let me know what you've got!
