Why do I do this?

on my bedside, find it here

I'm writing this, while I am a little lost in translation.  We've just come back from a week on the road to celebrate our wedding anniversary (more on this to come) and I find my energy is coming in waves as I try to acclimate to our time zone (and also try to save our garden - who knew it was going to be this hot in Toronto!)

You may have noticed on the sidebar there is a link to a course that  I have been taking.  A blogging course - BYW 2.0 with Holly Becker of Decor8 and author of the bestseller Decorate Book on design for the home.

This trip required some preplanning leading up to departure and 8 days on the road.  This meant there was a conflict with the last half of the course and I debated if I should wait for the next one when I would have more free time to devote to the homework and lessons that fill the 4 weeks of classes.  In the end,  I couldn't help myself.  I got so much from the course BYW 1.0 last fall that I just couldn't resist.

Let me tell you it was painful not to dive right into the last few lessons from Katrina Tan of Pugly Pixel and all the tips and instructions on photoshop collages, mats and general blog bling ( I can't wait until the dust settles in my brain and I can go through the lessons thoroughly)  There was also great inspiration provided by  Jeanette Lunde of Fryd Design - especially with her insights into the world of on-line magazines.  Oh how I wanted to get my feet wet right of the bat - but that will have to wait.  Nicole Balch of Making it Lovely also had great insights into the business of blogging and how she has made it work for both her own life and that of her family's in regard to income and as a balance.  Finally, Holly (and technical support from her husband Thorsten) shared experience and insight and a dizzyingly huge array of tidbits about publishing, resources and a seemingly unending wealth of ideas for blog posts.

I diligently read all my resource materials (while trying to pack and plan my trip as well as finish off the school year!) and finished my homework on time.

This leads me into the theme of today's post, as this was the final homework assignment of the course and a source of frustration as I couldn't do it while I was on my trip.  Our assignment was to discuss what blogging means to us and maybe why we do it and/or what we get from it.  I have thought alot about this while I was on the road.

Why do I blog?  Some days I hate it, some days I dread it, some days I feel stupid ... BUT more often than not the world of blogging fuels me.  It makes me feel connected to a world that inspires and motivates me.  I become a student learning about styling, design, photography and graphics.  I have a way to express my creative side and a reason to keep creating and learning.  And maybe most importantly, I have a connection to other people that feel the same way.

I have many friends that I have known since I was little, others from highschool, some from university and some from my life with my girls - school, our neighbourhood.  But most of these friends don't share  the same interest in "pinning" or crafting that my virtual friends do.  They don't follow my blog or share  their boards on great party decor.  The world of blogging has connected me to group of like-minded souls that share their interests in design and crafting and family and support my ideas on the same.

Do you have a friend that maybe you don't see that often but when you do you just feel so good after?  Maybe they just make you feel good about yourself, or validated in some way or maybe they just fuel your creative side.  After your meeting you just feel energized and ready to face anything that comes your way.  That is what a blogging does for me.  It connects me virtually and in some cases personally to a kindred spirit and that in the end, I think,  is what life is all about - learning and growing as a person and sharing what makes you feel fulfilled as an individual.

Simply put - this last year of blogging has pushed me to get out of my shell and put myself out there.  Not for anyone else but for myself.  Thank you Holly for sharing your insights and knowledge and to everyone that has ever given me support and advice through this blog.  I hope I do the same for you and that both virtually and personally we can continue to support and inspire each other.

ps.  here is a hint of what I have been up to the last week - more to follow ...