Why I started blogging again

First of all let me tell you why I stopped. I'd been blogging for about a year or so and was enjoying becoming part of a blogging community. I liked the thrill of tracking visitors and contributing to conversations. However, I hadn't found my niche. I was blogging about Buddhism as a general theme but I'd lost my direction in Buddhism. It wasn't what absorbed me night and day; I wasn't passionate enough. I also wasn't really interested in some of the holier-than-thou philosophical conversations that I was taking part in.

The danger with writing about something like Buddhism is that your writing gets very personal very quickly. That's fine if your blog is a diary style blog or if you can retain your anonymity. But what if your blog is public? You realise that your inner thoughts and fears are being shared with your family, colleagues and partners. I wasn't up for that.
So those are the two main reasons I stopped:
1) I lost my focus
2) It was getting too personal

I've learnt from my experience. I'm trying to find a way to write without going down the journalling style route and I'm trying to engage with the issues that grab me. The ideas that wake me up in the night, the kind of things I want to share with others.

So that leads me on to why I started again. Firstly, I love blogs. I love reading them and I love the idea of blogging. It's such a powerful and creative choice that gives you the potential to connect, network, share and showcase your ideas. It depends on your reasons for blogging but, if you're dedicated, your blog will take you far.

A huge inspiration of mine is the brazencareerist blog. It's punchy, powerful and has done wonders for the writer's career. Another favourite of mine is badscience: an important, intelligent and compelling piece of work. The distinguishing features of these blogs is that they are part of a community, they have something to say and they say it well.

Another motivation for my blogging revival is my discovery of some really rather bad blogs: poorly written and badly designed. Oh my, if they can do it so can I (and so can you).