Monday Meme: My Blogging Journey Challenge

In an epic example of patterns, Strawberry has some more questions about how and why we blog - something which I always think is very interesting. There are a lot of blogs about Second Life, and each of them have their own mood and tenor.

1. Which electronic devices do you use to blog with? I use my laptop for everything, up to and including correcting errors. While I do read blogs on my phone, I don't usually read mine because not much happens without me.


2. Do you have a mission statement for your blog, if so, what is it? I don't really have a mission statement as such, but my focus is expressing myself and trying to share my sense of beauty and emotion. I also want to record different events as they happen, from MadPea Hunt Stories, to art displays, so that I and hopefully others can enjoy them even when they've inevitably vanished into the past.


3. How do you feel about blogs that use their platforms to spread negativity? Depends on what you describe as negativity. I am a fan of a well done critique and I often learn from them. I enjoy hearing about the gritty and emotional lives people have, and to get to know them as flawed individuals. I'm bored by some specific areas of conversation, however, and people who are simply slinging insults back and forth bore me as well. I have an artists appreciation of an expressive meltdown, though, even when it's my own. Is this spreading negativity? I'm not sure.


4. Are you a grammar junkie? Do you thoroughly check your blog for errors before posting and/or do you judge other people’s posts if they contain errors? I do double and triple checks, and go back to fix things, but I'm not particularly judgmental about others' errors, and I'm a fan of an expressive misspelling. My focus on proper grammar and spelling is so that when I deliberately break the rules it is more apparent that it was not an error, but rather a stylistic choice. I completely adore  the playful edge of how malleable English can be in terms of inventing new vocabulary, creating new and meaningful grammar rules, and in general offering up a thousand shibboleths for every sub group.


5. If you could switch blogs with another blogger who would it be? Emerald. I really miss her enthusiasm, and I wish I could be as honest and raw as she sometimes could be. I also miss her, full stop.




6. Has your blog/blogging style evolved over the year(s)? How? I've actually been going back and trying to clean up my tags, so I know I've improved on that end. I know my pictures have also improved, though I'm sure I still have loads of room for improvement on that front as well - right now I'm working on achieving good lighting inside of Second Life without blowing out my skin tone too much. I think my copy is more interesting, too, but I'm honestly not sure; I still get very few comments, but I get a decent amount of views.


7. What is the most extraordinary thing that has happened to you because of blogging? I've gotten to know some people I wouldn't have otherwise, creators in particular. Many of them have become friends, which is really nice.


8. When it comes to Second Life blogs, there are different styles: Fashion bloggers, Lifestyle & Travel bloggers, Informative bloggers, and more. Which style do you prefer and where do you feel your blog fits in? I like all of them and follow all of the different types plus people who don't fit into any type. I also have a pattern of following even people I disagree with - I think it's important to try to remember people can disagree and have valid points and perspectives, and this is one small way of maintaining that mindset. I think I'm an artsy lifestyle blog mostly, but I also think I don't easily fit into any category. I most admire the very small number of bloggers who engage in actual critique in Second Life, but their posts are necessarily rare and often hotly contested. 


9. What has blogging taught you? Blogging has taught me so much about my own worries and insecurities. I've learned about some of my insecurities and so many of the more negative sides of my personality - or sides I see as negative, like my desire for positive acclaim and my jealousy and envy when I don't get what I want. It's been a curious exercise in vulnerability and fear given how low the stakes are.


10. Share your top 3 tips for new bloggers. Try to find your own voice - it's ok to start out inspired by someone else, but it's your own voice that we want to hear. Always aspire to improve your skills. Try to keep a sense of perspective - you may not get the views, responses, or fawning hordes that you hope for, but that doesn't say anything about you as a person.

( More pictures here. )