Why I blog?

After adding a comment to Tim's blog about "how I blog" awhile back, he tagged me today with the meme of "Why I blog?". In the same week with my three posts about blogging, plus Tony's post about mine and the comments on both our blogs, the answer came easily. I've even been discussing my reasons for blogging with people in my real world this week. It's like Tim is a shill I planted in the audience to set me up perfectly for my next act. Seven reasons come to mind. Thanks for asking :)

Communing with kindred spirits: This is the only facet of my life where I hang out with people who are as articulate and creative as me. We not only are all good with words, we all think deep thoughts, reflect on our own conduct and add valuable insights into the world. I think we are a very caring bunch to give to the world this way. We seem to all be fascinated with changes and better ways to do things which makes for great reads and reasons to subscribe to each others blogs.

Robust cross fertilization: I am a voracious reader in a variety of fields. In the years I taught college, I was drawing parallels from ecology, filmmaking, counseling psychology, quantum physics, game design, etc -- to the management topics I was teaching. The blogosphere is cross pollination on steroids. The number of opportunities I get is staggering --to synthesize opposing viewpoints, see the hidden connection between stances or combine seemingly disparate approaches. When I'm doing this, I feel creative and very satisfied.

Role congruence: Being a blogger fits me perfectly. I repeatedly get told I'm a "natural born teacher" (can you tell?). Mentoring entrepreneurs fits me to a "T" also. Both roles call upon abilities I have and love to use. I feel like I'm doing what I'm called to do when I blog and mentor. I have major misgivings about classroom teaching and executive seminars -- that have been validated and amplified by the blogs I subscribe to. Blogging and mentoring are outlets with none of the controlling, damaging, or inhibiting side effects for the learners of formal instruction.

Therapeutic benefits: Like Wendy and Tim, I find blogging to have healing effects on me. Without the daily postings I love to write, several chronic problems occur. My writing voice becomes less readable. My writing production declines. My thinking becomes insular and unrelated to my readers. My development of new ideas becomes stale. My focus darkens and dwells on what is ineffective, incompetent, or unjust in the world. All those problems vanish when I blog. Write two posts and call me in the morning.

Clarifying vague possibilities: I am far more imaginative than grounded. I have the classic personality type of a visionary innovator. Most of the bloggers I read provide wonderful balance to my temperament. Lofty issues and fanciful possibilities that are on my mind -- become more practical and useful under the influence of my favorite bloggers. Unlike cynical naysayers who shoot down my ideas, I get the best of both out of blogging. I manage to keep my head in the clouds while my feet find the ground. Others may become more imaginative and possibility oriented under the influence of my writing. We both end up as "visionary pragmatists".

Credentialing each other: So many of us seem creative and visionary, it's likely there are collaborations in our future. Blogging is a great way to check each other out. Unlike job listings and interviews, blogging is a long term look with more realism brought into the picture. There's no hype or claims about abilities, just saying what we have to say. There's less fear of being misled or deceived. Abilities and values alignment are evident in our writing, reactions to disagreements and contributions to others blogs with comments. Unlike the business world where intimacy so often breeds contempt, I'm finding the blogosphere to mostly breed respect and admiration. Unlike brief encounters, the prolonged exposure we get to each other develops deeper insight into what we care about and handle gracefully.

Making a difference: I always want to make a difference in others' lives. Blogging is a great way to do that. Putting quality efforts into the world catches on contagiously and links to those who find them to be useful, valuable and beneficial. The blogosphere is prime real estate for "word of mouth advertising", unsolicited testimonials and the formation of of a fan base. Making a difference is a two way street here. There's none of that "give out buckets - get droplets back" deal we get into with needy parasites in the real world. The more difference I make in the blogosphere, the more difference you make in my life. Thanks!

In thinking about who I want to tag, I realized it was the entrepreneurs who I'm mentoring in Colorado USA. But none of them are blogging, so my question to them is "why not?"

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