So, why the blog? I suppose that's what everyone's first post is about. The pontification, the reasoning, the justification. Excuses about "jumping on the bandwagon," especially now that blogs seem to be becoming passe and it's all about the Tweet. Which I still do not understand, but Twitter will have to be another post for another day.
I am listening to Candace Bushnell's book-on-CD, "One Fifth Avenue," which I'm not sure I'm loving but I don't exactly relate to rich middle-aged New Yorkers (yet?). Nevertheless, snippets of it have really resounded with me. One of the characters decides to start a blog, which she originally dismissed as being too common because anyone could do it and did. She then rationalizes it by saying that is has become one of the new obligations, like having children, for smart people to make an effort to get some sensible opinions out there.
Interesting. Of course this foreshadows all kinds of disaster that will surely befall her from writing the wrong thing about the wrong person on her blog. I am hoping my road will be a little bit smoother. And I am not calling my blog, "The Joys of Not Having It All" so I am thinking the content will be a lot less controversial. I'm also not really sure I have sensible opinions that mean much to anyone but paper crafters, and really right now if I were picking a social obligation I would prefer to have children, but we'll see how all this goes.
I am here because I see that blogs can easily combine a number of my passions -- writing; design; Photoshop; scrapbooking of the traditional, digital and hybrid varieties; card-making and other activities crafty. What an amazing way to bring all of these things together and, much like a scrapbook, document my creative journey.
I also knit, crochet, cross-stitch, make beaded jewelry, dabble in polymer clay, read, cook and play tennis when I've got a partner, some of which may or may not make their way into my posts. I have a lot of hobbies, which is why I'm not totally convinced that I have time for another. Not that I'm sure that blogging is actually considered a hobby, but it's just one more thing to take up chunks of precious time that I choose to devote to my creative pursuits.
Professionally, I also do a lot of writing and design work. I manage a Web site. I sit in front of a computer most of the day. I hate for my avocations to feel too much like my vocation. As soon as this feels like work, I'm done. Fair warning, right?
I did really enjoy creating and updating my wedding Web site when I got married last year. It was fun to be able to write freely for others and not worry that the PC police were coming to take me away. Several people commented that I should start a blog. I have no idea who because stupid me forgot to copy our guest book entries before our site expired so now they're gone forever. Yeah, especially embarrassing for a scrapbooker.
So, what if no one reads this but myself? I think I am okay with that. My professional work is read by thousands, although I often feel that no one really notices whose name is listed as Managing Editor. My personal writings can be just for me if that's what they end up being.
Of course I suppose if I didn't want to share at all I would make this private. But I have gotten so many ideas from other people's blogs in the craft world (yes I will add a blogroll when I figure out how) and I thought maybe I could give a little something back. My creations are not always innovative. I often don't know what products I've used to make them (bad habit). But maybe they can inspire someone else in some way. Not to justify why I'm here or anything...
Next post, I promise, a picture of something crafty and an explanation of the blog name. I have been working on a number of projects lately but I am going to guess I need a Picassa account or something to post photos. Nothing like just jumping in before you really have a clue what you're doing. But if we always waited until we did know, would we ever do anything?
