Changes to the Blog

For the past year or so, I’ve been pretty structured with the blog, putting up at least one post every week. Although I’ve written some other things, I have a few dedicated series: Why I Write, Writing Tips, and Book Reviews. While I’ll be continuing those series, it won’t be at the same frequency or in a set order anymore. I want to take a more relaxed approach now that I’ve spent some time establishing content on here.

So what will that look like?

Instead of 4-6 scheduled posts each month, it will probably be more like 2-3. I’m hoping this will free me up to do more check-ins and posts specific to me and my own journey and interests. I will still continue to provide general topic posts for people to enjoy, but I want the flexibility to write about whatever I’m thinking about or working on at the moment, rather than feeling like I have to stick to the rigid structure I set up for this past year, not only in the post topics, but in the posts themselves. The structure has been helpful for me to get lots of good and hopefully interesting content up, but now I expect I’ll be able to direct that energy in other areas as well. And I’d like to be more conversational than instructional moving forward.

Self-expression is essential to deeper connection.

I’ve historically been pretty good at teaching and leading, having done so in a professional capacity much of my adult life. Whether it’s been as a co-founder of a doula agency, the leader of a large direct sales team, or as a mentor and counselor, I seem to have the natural skillset for doing such things. Although I’m an intense introvert, I cannot deny that I’ve found a sort of comfort zone in the detached professionalism of leadership and teaching roles. I don’t think anyone on any of my teams would have described me as detached, nor would any of my clients, but there’s always been a certain level of distance between myself and those I’m working with. It was drilled into me while in school for Psychology, and it’s been a tough thing to shake. I’m good at being personable without being personally vulnerable in my professional life.

I want to change that.

I doubt my personal life is all that interesting to the general public, so I don’t expect I’ll be deviating too much outside my writing journey, but there are are a handful of topics I’d like to approach and discuss here on the blog, related to my own personal experiences and how they’ve impacted and influenced who I’ve become. I think that’s relevant to my writing journey since all of it informs the themes, characters, and stories I choose to explore in my work. I also think it’s important, even in professional spaces, to be a whole human being. So while writing is a huge part of my life and central to my day-to-day existence, it’s not all of who I am.

I think, especially in creative fields, it can be important to feel like we know or understand who our favorite writers, artists, musicians, etc. are. Not only does it help me connect more with their work (because I understand where it comes from), but it helps me connect more with them, thereby making me far more invested in what they’re doing. Art is inherently a reflection of the artist in many ways, and as the consumer or appreciator of said art, my engagement with their work is deeper when I have a greater understanding of what inspired it.

Context matters. So does community.

I think some of the themes in my own work might be missed without the context in which it was created. This is fine as a general rule, because I also want my writing to be accessible to people regardless of their knowledge of me or their level of involvement in the literary community. But for those, like me, who tend to go all in with our interests and passions, I want to make sure those readers understand who I am and what I stand for.

I’ve read plenty of books where I had no idea who the author was beforehand. Quite often, actually. And I still enjoyed many of those reading experiences. So, while I don’t believe knowing more about the author is essential for enjoying their writing, I do think it’s essential for deepening my connection with it. While I would be absolutely thrilled with anyone reading my stories, whether they know a single thing about me or not, one of my primary goals at this stage of my life is community building. I believe this is done best when all parties are expressing and connecting. I want a community, not fans, and I don’t think that’s possible if I remain some kind of enigmatic character who only talks about writing all the time.

A prime example of where I experienced this recently was when I read Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki (I reviewed it here in one of my bite-sized book reviews recently). I didn’t know at the time of reading that the author was a transgender woman, but through reading it I understood that the author must have some sort of deep connection with the community in one way or another. The sensitivity and nuance with which the main character was approached spoke of an author who truly understood. It prompted me to look into Ryka Aoki more as a person, and the result of that research was an even deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, her work. I cannot wait to buy anything and everything she puts out now, because not only is she a brilliant writer, but she’s a person whose life experiences feel like they connect and intersect with my own. I want to support her now.

A thank you before I sign off.

I’ve gotten a few messages regarding some of my posts over this past year since I don’t have comments turned on. I know I already said so in private, but I want to publicly thank you for the wonderful conversations and ongoing support and encouragement you’ve offered as I’ve dived head-first into my writing career this year. It’s a strange thing to shift gears so dramatically at 40, but I know in the depths of myself this is the right path for my life right now. And every single message has only served to encourage and inspire me even more. Truly, thank you.