December 30th, 2016
On January 1st 2016, I set off on a journey, to write one post per day for one year. I started off strong, keeping to my schedule. I had an ambitious vision of posts on various topics assigned to every day of the week. I soon realized that trying to write on the weekends when my children were home, my mother was visiting and my husband was off work, only created stress. I was not enjoying my quality time with them because all I could think of was that I had promised to write very day and I should do it.
I soon revised my plan so that I only wrote during weekdays. On the weekends I spent quality time with my friends and family. This worked much better. I still enjoyed writing but my topics became more predictable. I couldn't organize a tour of a cheese producing facility or farm in time for the blog so I focused on concepts, books, articles, experiences. I also journal every day and, at times, I had to remember that this blog was public. I needed to ask myself what I wanted to share with strangers and what I should keep to myself.
I had no idea how many people would read my posts. After a year of writing, I have maybe ten people who read my blog. I have heard the advice of professional bloggers to add photos, provide tips, have risky topics and get lots of advertising on your blog. I just wanted to write. It is therapeutic for me to write. I read a lot and like to share what I have learned. This helps me consolidate the information and I feel like someone who needs to see this might learn from reading my post.
A by-product of this blog is that I feel more like a writer than I did one year ago. It has helped me shape my identity as a writer. I plan to continue writing but not on a daily basis. I have another blog devoted to art therapy. I have neglected that blog this past year. I will alternate between writing on this blog and the art therapy one, writing monthly. I do have followers on my other blog and people post comments so it is more active than this one. I am glad I did this little experiment.
2017 is a big year for me. I want to finish writing, The Mommy Monologues and do more public speaking. I'd like to write, The Daddy Diaries as a follow-up to the first book. Writing this type of book is so fulfilling for me. I meet interesting people, hear heroic, fascinating stories about how strong, resourceful and resilient we are and I get to share them with a broader audience which becomes therapeutic for them and for the people whose stories are in the book. I learn a great deal from these interviews and so I gain from the experience as well.
I'd like to thank the ten individuals who have read my posts consistently. It motivated me to keep going, knowing that someone would read what I wrote. I hope some of the topics were useful to you.
I will tune in regularly with more posts. Until then, have a happy, healthy, peaceful, prosperous new year!!!!
Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org
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