There are a million reasons to start a blog. Of course I didn't realize this until after I read all the books on how to live. And after I read all the posts on how to write. So here are five reasons to start:
1. Freedom + self-expression
Running a business is a creative expression. It's a work of art. And art is a pure creative energy. So when you create a blog, you're building a platform to create your Truth. This carves your path to freedom from a sincere place.
Does blogging mean you'll have instant access to rainbow + unicorns? Hell no. It takes vision + determination.
And as my friend, concert cellist Gjilberta Lucaj says in my new podcast (have you checked it out?), it takes talent. As she says, talent is nothing without hard work.
But in order to access talent, you'll need to let go of fear.
It's only then that your self-expression will start to serve you from a pure place of freedom. You'll untangle your inner-wisdom through your words. And you'll uncover visionary ideas about your industry that you'll want to share (and sketch!) along the way.
2. Personal development
There's nothing sexier or more rewarding than growing and evolving personally and professionally. The idea that you can shift your mindset by reading words of wisdom blows my mind.
This may or may not mean that I spend 3ams under the covers with Alan Watts, Wayne Dyer, and Napolean Hill all at once(!) if I choose. (But really, I'm not that kind of girl).
I still sift through their words with a siphon pen. Underlining ideas. Getting high on Zen.
(This makes me a ton of fun at parties. I swear).
The crazy cool thing about personal development is that it…never ends. The Self incarnates through emotion. And when you can tap into this level of consciousness where your dreams and emotions collide, you can recreate yourself with pure intention.
3. You explore your edges
You'll never know how much you truly learn about yourself until you run your own business…and you start to blog. You learn about yourself because every day you hold a magnifying glass up to yourself. Your habits. Your bank account. It's just YOU – along with all of the inspiring Internet friends (and real life friends!) you meet along the ride.
It's liberating, beautiful, terrifying. And it allows you to explore your edges.
(photo taken by me)
“The edge…there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.” – Hunter S. Thompson
Living at the edge allows you to evolve…to feel even more free. You start living a life that's based on Truth, trusting the Universe, and seeing every situation as a path to play bigger. It's an opportunity to grow…to tap into your own inner-knowing with a vulnerable, open heart. And to make some serious changes – not only with your life…but with those you interact with every day.
But you'll need to own the experience. All of it. With your light and your shadows, with your stories and your Truth. Warning: You'll want to run away. You'll want to cower in the corners of the dark silhouette of the person who you used to be.
Don't.
Dig deeper – so you can dance in between the notes that don't make noise.
Listen so you can slowly melt into a quiet calling that's free, expansive, aligned. You may not always know exactly where you're going, but you'll learn that it's ok. You're ok (really, you are).
Because you're no longer asking for permission from the muses. You are your own muse – and you're now playing big – with no excuse.
4.You meet new humans
And this, my friends, is one of the most badass, best side effects from starting your blog. When you write the words that the world needs to hear, you'll co-create a community. You'll come out from behind your silhouette so that you can support others throughout the process.
Because even though your vision may be based on ideas, it's humans who make things happen. It's humans who create momentum through ideas and universal missions. And it's humans who will ride the waves of awesomeness into this new, better world.
(photo taken by me)
5. You get new business (the right kind)
Before you even think about bringing in business on your blog, you'll need to focus in on something super important: what you stand for. And then stay in this lane.
Blogging is often an indirect route to business, and if you don't know what you stand for, you'll get side-swept into other people's ideas of how you should make money.
For example, I won't accept advertisements on my blog (even though this saucy little thing that you're reading now has over 100,000 page views). I refuse to sell out to just anyone or anything that comes my way.
Because I dream of a world where meaningful media matters.
Your blog should show the truest expression of you. When you get the strength to define yourself, you'll stand out and stay strong in your beliefs. This shines a light on your perspective so that you can attract the right types of humans who appreciate your insights.
And this is priceless.
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