Two Years.
It's hard to believe I've been hammering away at my blog for two years.
I had been reading several blogs for over a year. I admired the writing of blogs I read and I began to look forward to the thoughts being shared at those favorite places every day.
I thought, "Why couldn't I write a blog? Why not just try it?"
So I did. I got a free Blogger.com account and began writing. At the same time, I was letting go of the Palm Tipsheet, mainly because I felt it had run its course, and I longed to write about so much more than just Palm handhelds.
My next concern was, would I lose interest in writing? Would my blog end up another ghost town of ancient, rotting posts?
Here I am, two years later. Now I can't imagine not having a blog.
My blog has become a public place to share thoughts, float ideas, share stories, sketches and design work — a place to experiment and receive feedback from interesting people. It allows friends, family and new readers to explore my stream of consciousness. It's like a vapor trail of thoughts.
It's funny, because last week I met my first fellow blogger from Milwaukee, Todd Sattersten. In our lunch conversation, he told me how much he appreciates meeting bloggers, because he can read their archives beforehand to get a much deeper, clearer picture of them.
I think blogging is hitting mainstream now, for that very reason. Regular people are finding other regular people freely sharing of themselves. It may be the sharing of wisdom, or stories, or opinions. Whatever the "it" might be, the act of sharing reveals that we are all human beings, who think and laugh — and screw up.
Blogs provide a way for people on a digital network to connect. Blogs are great, because people make them so. It's not the features, or the platform, or the design — it's in the stories people are sharing with each other. It's the conversation, just like the Cluetrain said.
For me, blogging has challenged me to think, to write, to sketch and to share. I've met many new people through this space, and have most importantly, learned more about myself and others through the experience.
So, if you aren't blogging now, why not give it a shot? :-)