My First Blog Post of Many To Come
Hi there!
This is my first blog post. My name is Mo and I enjoy so many things, one of them is writing and storytelling. I’ve always wanted to write and start a blog, but I never took the steps necessary to make this happen. Now that I look back, I’m not sure why. Perhaps I’ve waited so long to start a blog because I was afraid of failure or just wasn’t sure what to talk about since I have so many interests. Of course, I didn't know enough about blogging and didn't have enough time between work and classes. But now, that I am done with being a student (for now that is), I thought to give this a go, and I’m very excited!
Realizing the Benefits of Blogging
I think the biggest reason I didn't start a blog sooner was that I just didn't know what to say. It took me a while to realize that by writing about my experiences, I could share them with others and help them along their own journeys.
I'm hoping that blogging will be another outlet for my creativity and allow me to connect with like-minded people who are interested in similar things as myself. I hope to be inspired and inspire others as well.
The Challenges of Starting a Blog
Starting a blog is not as easy as it seems, and that was one of the things that contributed to my putting this project at the bottom of my list for many years. There are many challenges to overcome before sharing your writing. The first challenge is choosing the right platform for your blog. There are many platforms out there, but finding one that meets all of your needs can be difficult if you don't know what those needs are or how they differ from other bloggers. For me, I wanted a blog that will not pigeonhole me, and that it would grow with me as my interests and passions grow.
The second challenge is developing content for your blog that is both authentic and relatable. It is hard to stay true to yourself on the world wide web while keeping up with trends and generating constant ideas and topics that will resonate with people, keeping them interested in reading your blog on a regular basis, which hopefully translates into more traffic.
After overcoming the first two challenges, comes the challenge of promoting yourself and your blog. It can be embarrassing to self-promote and announce to friends, family, and the world that you started a blog. I’ve always been afraid of being called a “copycat” because many others have done blogging before me and successfully. But you can still be an original even though you are using the same tool as many others. For example, all artists have brushes, paint, and canvases, but it is what they do with these tools that distinguish them and keep them original. When I shifted my thought process, I removed all the barriers I’d placed on myself and was eager to start.
How I Overcame the Challenges
Once I knew I wanted to start, things start to flow for me. The excitement of it all allowed me to research, explore, and work quickly. Of course, there were so many platforms and options available that it was overwhelming. But I settled on Squarespace for the hosting of my site and blog. Then, I started thinking about what kind of content I wanted to share. This is probably the hardest step, but once I narrowed down my interests, it was smooth sailing.
Summary
All in all, I anticipate this will be a fun experience for me, and I am excited for what’s to come, what I will share, and what I will learn. I hope you’ll join me on this journey. Come with me, let’s build a life we love!