I’ve discovered (more than once) writing a blog or journal (if you prefer the offline version) is much like the concept of owning a kitten or puppy. EVERYONE wants one! They are so cute, you’ve all seen the pictures. Puppies and kittens frolicking around looking all cute and you think “hey, I should get one”. And it’s all fun and games until you realize the amount of work that is involved.
What you don’t see is the house training, litter training, and cleaning up of messes. Everyone wants the cute, the nice, the playing… no one wants the work.
And that’s where I fall in with journaling.
I like discussing things, usually surrounding technology, instruction, motorcycles, wood working, and whatever latest hobby I’ve decided to try out (photography). However, when it comes to writing, this little voice in the back of my head pops up and keeps asking questions like:
- Why bother? If you’ve thought of it, someone else has already written about it, and probably in more eloquent manner in a more popular format and with better information.
- Will anyone actually read this? I’m just a single voice in a crowd of thousands, nay MILLIONS!!! It is the internet after all.
- Does it matter? In the grand scheme of things, does adding one more bit of trivia or nugget of information out there really benefit humanity. As this guy (https://youtu.be/L4pE-pdhnJw) puts it, NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY! And, quite frankly, PHOTOGRAPHY can be replaced with anything.
- Will it offend anyone? Now, this is a big one for me. I have lots of opinions about things, especially work related. However, I am concerned about the impression of “airing dirty laundry” especially when you realize that despite item number 2, people will search for you and find all those things you posted, especially those negative things when it comes down to decision making for a promotion, new employment and just curious about the new person they met.
So there it is, perhaps the reasons I don’t put things out there publicly. My goal is to address each of these individually as writing prompts… In the mean time, what keeps you from writing?
