Today marks the end of #bloglikecrazy — See Jane Write’s annual challenge to post a new blog post every day for 30 days in the month in November.
Usually I survive #bloglikecrazy by planning ahead. I usually spend October brainstorming ideas for dozens of posts and will even start drafting some of them. That wasn’t the case this year. Because my fall has been so busy, I was often developing the idea for and writing a post the same day I published it. But I’m glad things turned out that way because this year’s #bloglikecrazy taught me something valuable: When it comes to writing and blogging, I actually do know what the hell I’m doing!
I suffer from major impostor syndrome, that feeling we women often have that tells us that we’re not good enough and that we don’t deserve the position or power that we have. I often feel this way about writing and blogging. Because of the popularity of See Jane Write, people in Birmingham regard me as a blogging and writing expert, a title I often shirk because I don’t have a New York Times best seller on my resume and because I don’t seek to make money from my blog through advertisements or sponsored posts.
But when See Jane Write members emailed me questions about blogging (questions I had promised to answer in the form of blog posts this month) I could answer their questions thoroughly and easily. I didn’t have to consult any “expert.” The answer was already beneath my curly coif! And on days when I didn’t have a question to answer I was able to easily come up with a blog post idea and write it quickly and concisely while still making it an interesting, inspiring, or informative narrative.
Who knew that, of all things, this year’s #bloglikecrazy challenge would help me overcome my impostor syndrome!
I’ve realized that I may not know everything, but I know a lot, and I’m smart and resourceful enough to figure out and learn the things that I don’t.
What did you learn from this year’s #bloglikecrazy challenge?
You are smart and resourceful; not an imposter at all! You are my blogging guru.
1. It’s harder than it looks
2. It’s not as hard as I make it sometimes.
3. You never know which entry will get the most response.
4. The only guarantee you get is no responses if you don’t start.
5. I made it through 30 days straight when I didn’t think I could.
6. Now my sister wants me to blog every day for a year!
Tell me the truth: does this ever get easier?
Does this get easier? Yes and no. Some aspects of blogging will get much easier the more you do it, but in some ways it will get harder as challenge yourself to grow and evolve as a writer. But even the hard stuff is fun if you stay focused on why you’re blogging.
My response was too long to be a comment, so I made it a post. http://annajune.blogspot.com/2014/12/what-i-learned-from-bloglikecrazy-and.html