My Life, Inconspicuous

When I sat down to write my first post for SmartlyChicago this morning, I realized that I’ve lost my flow.  It used to be that everyday observations would trigger me to “write” an entire blog post in my head — several times a day.  Now, I feel like a newbie with nothing to say.  So in an effort to get back in the groove, I’m lacing up my writing shoes and going for a training run here on MLI.

It’s been over two months that MLI has been neglected.  I’ve given some reasons, but mostly vague reasons.  People have been asking why I stopped posting, whether I’ll be back and what I’ve been up to.  I figure this is as good a topic as any to warm up with…

As I mentioned in my last post, my time has been filled with other (exciting) projects.  Something had to give.  Since it takes a lot more time and effort to maintain a blog than non-bloggers could imagine, taking a break from MLI freed up a lot of my time.

But more importantly, I haven’t been posting because I’ve closed up a bit recently.  I’ve always been a very open person (to a fault), willing to share as long as I had an audience.  But so much of what’s been prevalent in my life lately has been so personal in nature that I’ve been trying to use discretion in what I share.  I’ve tried a number of times to start blogging again since May, but it’s hard for me to share selectively, since all of the aspects of my life are so interrelated.  I find it nearly impossible to write about anything worthwhile without giving away something I don’t intend to share.

I’ve considered opening a new blog — an anonymous blog where I can write about it all — every juicy detail and no one would know it’s me.  No one would know the players.  I could say everything that’s going on; everything that’s on my mind.  But somehow, that feels too generic to me.  I’m all about the authenticity these days, and it doesn’t feel very authentic to share secretively.  I might as well just write in a journal kept at my bedside.

Surprisingly, I didn’t start blogging specifically to share the details of my life.  While I had hoped that what I had to share would help others who are experiencing some of the same challenges that I have, I mostly started as a gateway to other writing opportunities and the first step toward my dream of someday starting my own magazine.

Which is why I’m so thrilled to be invited to write for Smartly.  At Smartly, I can explore new topics unrelated to my life.  I can challenge myself and surprise my readers.

If only I could think of something to start with…

Tagged as: Blogging, magazine, Writing