Do what you love

I've ventured in and out of the blog scene during college and since graduating college.  A couple of these ventures were for school credit and another, for a job.

I'd like to think that in the past, I've blogged for myself - just me - but I'd be wrong.  There was always some higher goal - a grade, a paycheck.  Blogging for those reasons, I became obsessed with gaining readers, likes, shares.  I wasn't writing for myself, and I inevitably lost interest.  In retrospect, however, I don't regret having those experiences, because it's what had to be done in the moment.

But the moment has changed.

Oh hey, pregnant lady.

I sit here anticipating the arrival of our first baby girl (who at this point could make her debut as I write this.  I just left my job.  My husband just took a huge step at his job, which resulted in the decision of staying here in San Diego for at least another year.  Life has never been more exciting and full of change.

In the midst of all this, writing has been my anchor as this journey has been painful at times.  In fact, writing has always been my anchor (even though I may not always know how to properly use a comma) as life has been incredibly painful at times.  Before blogs, it was journals, notebooks, notepads.  Writing is the one thing I've always come back to.  Despite countless words of advice though, I've never made a commitment to myself to "just keep writing."  Those blogging ventures I mentioned earlier?  They fell to the wayside when I needed to take jobs to make rent, when I needed to focus on my multiple credit hours and internships.  And some people would say, "you make time for what you want to make time for", "if you really wanted to blog, you could have." Yes, this could very well be true, but life happens, time flies, and sometimes what you'd like to do be doing falls off the radar due to doing what needs to be done.

It's time to make the commitment.  Not for money, or for some grade, but for me.  To hone my skills, to explore my passions, to document my new life into motherhood.  These years have been and will be some of the craziest I experience, and I want them to remain with me.

The weirdest, most complex aspect of blogging is starting one.  The most common advice given to a new blogger is "find your niche."  I may be breaking the basics of blogging 101, but I don't agree.  This mantra has kept me from writing.  I've thought do I write about fashion, lifestyle, cooking, career, marketing?  I love them all, why do I have to pick one?  Life is full of seasons.  Interests change, circumstances change.  Marketers become moms and stylists like to cook.

So why not document the whole journey?

Join me.  Or, don't.  But please, if you find yourself on the fence of pursuing something you love, dive in head first and don't look back.

Cheers to a million more posts.