My Journey into Blogland

 

That's it right there...that was the moment that I had an epiphany,

sitting in the Barnes & Noble in Baltimore on a vacation to visit

my brother. I picked up my very 1st copy of 'Artful Blogging' &

I was hooked! It was May of 2009 & I read this addition from cover

to cover while sitting & drinking my Mocha Frappuccino & all I

could think of was...this speaks to my inner soul. This is not only

who I am, but it who I want to be. I want to be artful & I want to

share my joy & inspiration with the blogging community & so I

dreamed it & so it was done...that's just the way I roll! ;)

 

June of 2009 I wrote my 1st post & over the past 6 years this

world has lead me on oh so many adventures. Every goal I

had set for myself has basically been fulfilled through my

blogging experience. It introduced me to people & places &

a creative community that I never knew even existed. It took

me to Round Top & a solo trip from the southern coast of

California to Texas on my infamous 'Texas or Bust' tour.

 

I was introduced to the Junk Gypsy's whom I adore & even

sold some of my wears to them for a few seasons. I got to fall in

love with the whimsy of Magnolia Pearl & although I could

never quite afford her...a few pieces hang in my closet from

the kindness of others & a $200 check I wrote for a homespun

vest. I still think pickin threw baskets of doily's was one of the

high points of my trips. I wanted to start doing digital design

& create blogs for others, check! I wanted to be published in

a Stampington Magazine, check, check. I wanted to meet Jenny

Doh, the editor & chief of Stampington at the time...check, check,

check. I wanted to create a blog full of beauty & inspiration

& I think I managed to do just that...a big check.

And then I just got bored with it all.

 

Facebook just kinda took over the world & seemed a simplier

place to find out what friends & organizations were doing. I didn't

have to make a big deal over anything, I could simple click like &

that was the extant of my communication. So much less time

consuming then an actual blog. You have to work a blog, you have

to think about content & all those beautiful images you wanted to

share. Facebook was a one stop shop into the world of everyone

& anyone you ever wanted to know & maybe even into a few

you could care less about. And sooooo, Facebook nudged out my

blogging for a while, but as of late I am feeling ever so disenchanted

by it's lack of intimacy. I'm a face in a sea of faces, a sound bite

in a never ending barrage of sound bites. I'm just not feeling it

& it's time for a change...I think it's time for a BIG change.

 

 Heading toward 59, with 60 right around the corner, I'm looking

for something more. I want a place where I can live my real &

whole truths out loud, not just a pretty & sweet, candy coated

version of me. A place where all my imperfections & madness

can be exposed, along with my beauty & joy for creation. An

open letter to the universe that reveals my tough skin & my soft

underbelly, flaws & all & maybe especially my flaws. There's

a favorite line I have in the movie 'Gone Girl' where the main

character says..."I love to have strangers pick at all my scabs".

I totally get that...she really didn't, but sometimes it's necessary

to be able to share your truths.

 

So from this moment on, this will be my raw & honest blog, 

probably filled with the curse words I use everyday. Probably

offensive to some & not always the happy place I use to try

& give my readers. This time it's for me & anything goes &

if not a soul reads it or comments on it...I am soooo cool with

that. I'm just going to put it out there, my own personal journal

because I've never been good about jotting thoughts down on

a piece of paper & besides...everything is better with a few pics!

 

Simply Susie...