Happy Birthday Blog
Well...it has been 1 year since I started this blog, and I am actually really surprised by what a positive experience I have had so far.
So what have I learnt in the last 12 months?
1. I love to write! At primary school I adored writing stories, but higher education most definitely beat the joy of writing out of me. I had forgotten why I ever enjoyed writing, so it has been a really nice experience rediscovering that part of me. I can definitely see myself writing a book someday!
2. That blogging is definitely going to be a suitable way of recording my travel experiences when I leave on my adventures. It is a habit I find easy to keep up, and I think it will suit the kinds of things I want to record and share. The aim of starting the blog was to find out whether I could use it for this purpose, so I call this conclusion a big success.
3. To carry a camera everywhere I go. I really like knowing that I have the ability to capture any impromptu photo-worthy moment now, instead of going "ohhhhhhhhh I wish I had my camera!".
4. I need a better camera...and better photography skills. Enough said.
5. To force myself into adopting a more congruent identity. It is very easy to allow the roles we fill define us - daughter, employee, lover etc. I always shape myself to fit the moment I am in, to please the people I am with, I think we all do. Even without contradicting the core components of who we are, it is surprisingly easy to be a very different person depending on the situation we are in. When you are writing, that is no longer an option. It is a habit which has spilled over into my everyday life, and I am glad of this.
6. To expose more of who I really am in everyday life. To achieve greater congruency in identity, you have two options. Present yourself at a sufficiently superficial level that you can appear congruent to all people without risk of judgement or negative reactions. Or to always present yourself without any of the boundaries that are usually used to protect ourselves from everyone but our closest family and friends. To achieve the level of catharsis I need to find writing beneficial, the first method is not an option for me.
I think it is very interesting that of the six biggest things my year of blogging has taught me, only two of them are actually directly related to the blog itself...
2. That blogging is definitely going to be a suitable way of recording my travel experiences when I leave on my adventures. It is a habit I find easy to keep up, and I think it will suit the kinds of things I want to record and share. The aim of starting the blog was to find out whether I could use it for this purpose, so I call this conclusion a big success.
3. To carry a camera everywhere I go. I really like knowing that I have the ability to capture any impromptu photo-worthy moment now, instead of going "ohhhhhhhhh I wish I had my camera!".
4. I need a better camera...and better photography skills. Enough said.
5. To force myself into adopting a more congruent identity. It is very easy to allow the roles we fill define us - daughter, employee, lover etc. I always shape myself to fit the moment I am in, to please the people I am with, I think we all do. Even without contradicting the core components of who we are, it is surprisingly easy to be a very different person depending on the situation we are in. When you are writing, that is no longer an option. It is a habit which has spilled over into my everyday life, and I am glad of this.
6. To expose more of who I really am in everyday life. To achieve greater congruency in identity, you have two options. Present yourself at a sufficiently superficial level that you can appear congruent to all people without risk of judgement or negative reactions. Or to always present yourself without any of the boundaries that are usually used to protect ourselves from everyone but our closest family and friends. To achieve the level of catharsis I need to find writing beneficial, the first method is not an option for me.
I think it is very interesting that of the six biggest things my year of blogging has taught me, only two of them are actually directly related to the blog itself...
Here's to the next year!
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