My Blog is My Blog

Last April, I went to a blogging workshop to learn more about blogging. The workshop was very helpful in helping me come up with ideas. It forced me to think about why I wanted to write my blog. The instructors and class threw out wonderful ideas about what I could do for my blog. They were fantastic and funny. I found myself laughing and saying yes to their ideas because they were good ideas.

One instructor told me he felt my blog would be great, but he wasn’t sure if it was narrow enough. He liked the concept – but didn’t see how it would be different from any of the other magazines or articles already out there capturing the information I wanted to speak about. My blog twisted him up like a pretzel. I was falling into that funnel matrix trap. I had no idea what that meant, but I soon learned that it was the trap of starting with a subject that was too broad and not having a narrow enough niche for my target audience. He told me he was envisioning my blog as a video blog. One way I could present my information was by wearing depends or a swimsuit to get my point across, and that would help me stand out from the crowd.

I found myself laughing, smiling, agreeing, and understanding his point. After all, he was the marketing expert, and I was the student who needed the help. What did I know? Before long, my idea of my blog was no longer my idea of my blog but others’ ideas of what my blog should be and become.

I left that workshop feeling good about the knowledge I obtained and ready to move in a new direction. What? Wait a minute – what just happened? I just sold myself short again on what I wanted to do. I don’t want a video blog. I don’t want to present my information in depends – it could be funny-but that’s not me.

I want to write a blog about my thoughts that inspire people. I hope I find an audience that will enjoy what I write. But, if I don’t, it’s my blog.

Believe in your dreams – if you don’t no one else will.