In writing this post I christen my new(est) blog. I have others, some public, some not, some still in existence, some inexplicably deleted. While this particular blog has been in existence for some time now (two months, actually!), I have futzed and fretted about what exactly to do with it. My blogs in the past have all had one thing in common: it was pretty hard to find them unless you knew me personally and I told you about it. This one has my name plastered across the top of it, prompting me to take careful consideration into just what I was going to do with it. Since I’m not one to just throw it all out there without regard for the consequences, I had to do some thinking. Granted, hordes of random people are likely not ever going to come looking for me on the interwebz, but if they do, I want to make sure that what I set out for them here is something that I can be okay with, perhaps even proud of.
It’s actually my youngest brother, Ben, who prompted this whole thing. We were talking about blogs one night as we worked on the Chevelle, and I believe I’d been making noises about having a web site for some of my photographs and perhaps writing as well, something that would be directly linked to my name. Within 24 hours of his departure I get an email from him. It says, “Here’s your new blog,” and has a link. Ask and ye shall receive, even if you weren’t sure you were asking for it!
I took a look at it and went, “Woah! That’s my REAL NAME on there!” This wasn’t my usual mode of operation, and yet it related to exactly what I’d discussed with him the day before. Now what? The thinking began. I hemmed. I hawed. I considered many things (lots of them only as a way of delaying making a decision about the blog). I wanted the blog to have a distinct angle, a slant, a focus. I told Ben as much, but I couldn’t figure out how I was going to do that without feeling like I was putting my entire life out to the public. I think big, kids, probably too big at times, but I also know that, if you want to find someone on the web, it’s only a matter of time before you can root them out, and I have a pretty strong desire to present myself in an acceptable manner to random strangers who may stumble across this thing while trying to find some photographer’s web site that happens to share my exact same name (more on that later).
After much thought, and what seems like a pretty obvious return to my original statement, I’ve decided to dedicate this blog to my creative pursuits. There may occasionally be some overlap here between this blog and some of my others, but largely I’ll be writing here about my photographic and literary pursuits. Music and other arts may come into play here on occasion as well.
In my first post my creative news centers not just on the introduction of the blog, but my writing life as well. Tonight I’m off to try out my first writers group meeting. There is a statewide organization for writers that is very fortunately located close to my house. I found out about a fiction writer’s group that meets on alternate Wednesdays, and I’m making the leap to check it out. I have the usual trepidations: What if people think I suck? What if they laugh at my work? What if they’re all deluded crackpots? What if they like me, and – gasp! – they want to READ MY STUFF OUT LOUD!!!
Whatever. Tonight is a step out onto the tightrope of life experiences. I’ll learn something from it. Hopefully it will lead to some great experiences in the group, some growth for me, and maybe some new writing friends. At the very least, it will provide me with fodder for another blog entry.
Welcome to the creative journey, kids. Step right this way. You are allowed to bring your own snacks, and there is no minimum height requirement. Enjoy the ride with me.