Having just started another blog, I've been looking around on-line for tips about growing blog readership. Which made me wonder why, people, do all of us blog?
I have a few thoughts but would like to hear from you. Leave a comment. Tell me why you blog. And I'll feature your comments in the next few weeks in my posts and link to your blog.
I'm interested to hear what you have to say.
So it started because I wanted to write a tribute to Maddie Spohr and they were having people link to their blogposts about her.
ReplyDeleteThen it became a way to find a home for Aaron.
Now that his family is leaving in FIVE (!!) days to go get him... it appears my blog will be shifting again, having served its second purpose.
Now I'm not sure what it will become..
I started blogging in order to keep our ministry partners updated on our family and ministry. With the adoption it shifted it's focus to documenting our process of bringing Oksana home. In the last 3 weeks it has become my therapy, my encouragement, and my way to document for the future when things happened in Ukraine because I don't even know what day it is anymore!
ReplyDeleteI've always enjoyed writing, in all is forms; creatively, poetically, for research, and for catharsis. I felt very naturally drawn to blogging as an output for my thoughts and feelings regarding raising a child with Down syndrome.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to use it as a forum for advocacy and enlightenment. For me, it's a true to life portrayal of the "ups & Down(s)" of life.
I always hope that a new parent, or an expecting parent will see Lucy and feel hopeful. I hope that someone that has no experience with Down syndrome will walk away with an open and embracing idea of who our children are.
Since Brodie was born, it's really 50% about our family as a whole, 40% about Lucy and Ds, and 10% My Place. My place to whine, share, brag, complain, hope, dream, and emote...
I used to write really long, funny Christmas letters for our old friends and relatives every year. So many of them told me I should do some writing that when I started reading blogs, I thought, I could do that. I didn't think it would last more than a few weeks, but it's been 5 1/2 years and I'm still at it.
ReplyDeleteFor a while I will concentrate on stretching my writing and trying to write about new things, but usually it's just about life and experiences. I have told my friends before that my platform is that I am a daily columnist. (Although really not so daily lately) Basically I found a creative outlet that I love. I never knew I loved to write before. I never knew people would find it worth reading. It makes me happy.
I started blogging to keep our family and friends...all over the country...in the loop about Jack and to share our journey. That's still the case, but I also blog now to release emotions, feelings and to stay in contact with other bloggers and gain encouragement from their stories too.
ReplyDeleteI used to write daily in a journal - usually in 2-3 year periods during my elementary and high school years. I grew up in a tiny apartment (900 square feet) with not much space to retreat from my rather abrasive family members (put us in a room together for more than 15 minutes and somebody's feelings inevitably end up getting hurt). The journal was a way to escape from the argy-bargy that was a daily occurrence in my house.
ReplyDeleteFor similar reasons, when I started a blog I decided to conceal its existence from my family members. Although I do not write anything on it which would offend them (I never post anything online that I would be ashamed to say to someone's face), I like knowing that there's a corner of the internet where I can be myself without criticism from them (I had another cooking blog 2 years ago that I DID share with them...and they criticized it so much that I had to take it down).
I like writing down things so that I will remember them, and it's handy to be able to add pictures. I might start keeping a paper journal too in order to record my private thoughts, but for now I'm happy with just blogging. I also blog as a way to connect with other people - mostly to adoption blogs since I am VERY interested in adopting someday (many of my friends are adopted) and I want to learn all that I can about the ups and downs of the adoption process.
I started blogging to keep my family, who live 5,000 klm away up to date with all going on in my life and in the church's life. It never became a place to vent.... did that a few times and it just got me into trouble - living in a fish bowl has it's down points! I like to share with people all that I love, that includes my family, my church and God. :) it's best when you write for yourself, not for readers. You'll get readers but trying to get them, will just frustrate and disappoint you. If no one reads or if 100 read a day, write for yourself. :)
ReplyDeleteWell, I started blogging because of Mayson. I have met friends along the way that have become our second family! Its my one way of staying connected to them. Because without many of them, life at times could really get tough! Its a great outlet too!!!
ReplyDeleteOur blog started as a way to share pictures with family. Then Nichole was born and I wrote my first post sharing about her diagnosis.
ReplyDeleteThen a woman expecting a baby with Ds contacted me needing support since she was considering having an abortion. And so I began to blog about life with Nichole.
Now I blog because I like it :) And it does keep our family, church, and others connected to us.
I wrote a manuscript about our daughter Beth (I say manuscript because it's never been published.) We learned of her having Ds at her birth, in 1986. I didn't know anyone else who had a child with Ds and we had a lot of people come out of the woodwork to see her. Last year I had a hair dresser ask me what it was like to have a child with Ds. That's when I decided to start a blog. I often write chapters from my book, about potty training, the effects of birth order (Beth is our oldest.)
ReplyDeleteSince starting this blog however, I have learned so much from other parents. Reading about their kids and the things they experience raising a child in the year 2010, so different from 1986!
They have become like family to me. Blogging has opened my eyes to a world that I couldn't be a part of before computers.
I had kept a diary while I was growing up, from the age of about 6 until I was 20-something. After I had Samantha, I wanted to be able to keep friends and family up-to-date on what we were doing, but then it began to be more about my thoughts and feelings about many things, not the least of which is life as a mom with an amazing little girl with Down syndrome. I like that I manage to help myself while helping others.
ReplyDelete