Blog Swap!

Hey everyone.  I'm Nic, from The Music Plays You.  20 Something Bloggers has put on a blog swap, and I was the one chosen to swap with Kelly.  The theme for this swap was "The best part about being a blogger..."

... well, for me, I'd have to say that my favorite part is the FREEDOM.

I've been writing for a good portion of my life, and gave it up almost completely when I entered college.  Sure, I'd have the occasional paper to do, but is that really "writing" to many of us?  I'd argue no, personally.

To me, true writing isn't something that has to be thought about, but rather just flows from the creative centers in our mind straight through our fingers, either onto paper or the keyboards that we type on.

This goes along almost perfectly with what Kelly submitted for my blog.  She talked about the release that bloggers experience, the rush and the high that comes with being able to fully express oneself at last.  Sure, you could write many of those things into a journal and get the same sort of satisfaction, but does that really get you anywhere?  With blogging, you suddenly have the same freedoms to write whatever you want, but now you're able to share that with others and allow them to offer their own insights on what you've been thinking.

Last night, I was extremely frustrated because I had blogger's block.  I couldn't think of anything to write about!  For some reason, I'd gotten it wrapped around my head that my blog had turned into a self-help meets inspirational meets get-things-done blog, and without a clear and concise topic, writing was worthless.

And then I thought... why would I do that to myself?  Why would I box myself in to a pattern in a personal blog like this, and make everything the same?  Seriously, if I keep writing all these inspirational/self-help posts, I'm just going to quit and write a book.

So I did what I do best.  I cleared the page, I put on some ambient music, and I wrote.  Not about anything in particular (well, that's not true... I had a pretty good idea for a topic), just writing from the heart and the creative centers of my brain.

And I ended up with this.

That post had absolutely no point.  It had no direction, until about halfway through when I decided running into a door would be funny.  That post was entirely done on a whim, from the seat of my pants.

And it's probably one of the most exhilarating things I've ever done.

Don't get stuck in a rut.  Don't write about just what everyone expects (or tells) you to write about.  It's your blog, right?  You're not getting paid to do it?  They're not paying to read it?  Then go nuts.

Your blog is your canvas.  You are Picasso.  Go write me some abstract stuff.

-N