Blogtember: A September blog challenge

Fellow bloggers, I have another challenge for you! Remember Blog Every Day In May? I started up that one because I was tired of scrounging around for post topics that would be "cool" enough - I just wanted to WRITE, and enjoy sitting down to blog every day. You know, get back to the basics. And here we are, three months later, and I think I've finally recovered from May and feel up to another challenge. To be honest, I'm envious of the students heading back to school around now. I miss brand new school supplies, I miss assignments, I miss creative writing, and I KNOW it's going to be hard to make time for my blog in the next few months. My photography business has me booked up to my eyeballs through December, and I don't want the blog to feel like a chore. 

Enter: Blogtember. I know, Blogtober sounds better, but I have a feeling October is going to be too crazy a month for us, so September it is. ;)

I made it easier for us this time - we'll start the Tuesday after Labor Day (so, next Tuesday), and I gave us off weekends. That's 20 total days of blogging in a month with 30 days, so we get ten whole days off! See how nice I am? Participate if you'd like, don't if you don't like. I'll obviously be here posting each week day, and there will be a linkup on each of my posts if you'd like to play along. 

Here are the rules:

1. There really aren't any rules. If you miss a day, you can make it up or skip it. The blog police will not come knocking.

2. I will be including a linkup option at the bottom of my post each day, so you are welcome to leave your links here for others to peruse, as well. 

3. You can still post other things every day, too. I plan to do normal outfit posts, life posts, around-Austin posts, and sponsor posts just like usual.

4. I'd seriously love you if you also include the "Blogtember" button (below) either on your sidebar or at the end of your posts, but again, the blog police will not come knocking. My main goal here is to get us all back to the basics of blogging, not to gain a million new readers (though I wouldn't mind that). 

5. Here are the topics. You can be as creative and awesome or as boring and bland as you like with these. Take 'em and run with it. Use creative post titles. Interpret each "prompt" however you like. There's no wrong way to do it. Have fun.

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Wednesday, September 4: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? (bonus points for fun photos from Pinterest, but don't forget to cite the source!)

Thursday, September 5: Pass on some useful advice or information you learned and always remembered. 

Friday, September 6: A story about a time you were very afraid.

Monday, September 9: Take this short personality test and respond to your results. (at the end, find the detailed profile of your personality account - click "click to view" under "You" and "self awareness and personal growth." You can even google your type and find more info on it!)

Tuesday, September 10: Describe a distinct moment when your life took a turn.

Wednesday, September 11: Share links to your favorite online shops, preferably with a few photos of your favorite items in each shop.

Thursday, September 12: Discuss ways that blogging or social media has changed you.

Friday, September 13: A self portrait

Monday, September 16: Write a public love letter to someone in your life. (It doesn't necessarily need to be romantic.)

Tuesday, September 17: A memory you would love to relive.

Wednesday, September 18: Only photos

Thursday, September 19: Creative writing day: write a (very short) fictional story that starts with this sentence: "To say I was dreading the dinner party would be the understatement of the century."

The story does not necessarily need to have a conclusion - you can leave your readers wishing for more!

Friday, September 20: React to this term: comfort. 

Monday, September 23: A "life lately" post. What you're up to, how you're feeling, how you're doing on your goals, etc. Bonus points for great photos!

Tuesday, September 24: Review a book, place, or product.

Wednesday, September 25: Write about a time you screwed up - a mistake you made. 

Thursday, September 26: Go to a coffee shop. Order a favorite drink. Write about what makes you happy and what makes you sad. Or write about anything you'd like! Bonus points for including a photo from the coffee shop. (I recommend downloading Ommwriter and bringing headphones along!) *if you can't make it to a coffee shop, at least leave your usual space and write someplace new.

Friday, September 27: An anonymous letter to your Facebook friends. Be as snarky as you'd like. (but don't include people's real names.) 

Monday, September 30: Share a photo of something old. Maybe something that has personal history for you, that was passed down to you, and that has special meaning to you. Tell us about it and why it's special.

Join me next TUESDAY, September 3rd,  for #BLOGTEMBER :)

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So, what's your thing?

photo cred: Smitten Imagery

Last night I was thinking, like I sometimes do, and I was thinking about my “thing” and other people’s “things” and whether or not everyone actually has a “thing.” Allow me to explain with an example. We were watching the news the other day, and there was a story about these deep water divers that go down without any oxygen - they train themselves to hold their breath for three, four plus minutes at a time, and they try to break world records or their own records or what have you - and that’s their thing! They love to see how long they can go and how deep they can get without coming up for air. Personally, that sounds like the most terrifying and worst possible way I could spend my time and enegy, but those particular people love it. 

For me, my thing is writing. Or at least that was the thing that sparked other things that have entered my life, like blogging and now photography. Writing has been a part of my life literally as long as I can remember. It’s always been part of my identity. I was writing little stories and books and poems ever since I was a little kid, and people would always tell me I should be a writer someday.  When you have a passion, and you’re doing it, there’s almost no greater high feeling. The only thing comparable for me might be eating a Gourdough’s doughnut. But I digress.

You see all these inspirational quotes everywhere, like “follow your bliss” and “if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough,” and stuff like that, but sometimes I think what about the people who don’t have a dream? Who weren’t born with that one thing they love doing and really fulfills them? What about them? I imagine it would be a strange feeling, when you see the world carrying on so much about “following your passions” when that doesn’t seem to really apply to you.

But as I was tumbling this little thought process along in my head, I think I came to the conclusion that I believe everyone really DOES have a thing. Even though it may be uncultivated or undiscovered yet. Maybe right now, it’s just something you really appreciate and admire. I always used to really appreciate and admire great photography, but never really imagined becoming a photographer myself, until that one day I felt a DSLR camera in my hands for the first time and something woke up inside me, as dumb as that sounds. 

So if you’re one of those people without a defined passion yet, I guess I just wanted to say to you that I believe it’s there somewhere, waiting to be uncovered. A God-given talent or predisposition that will feel really good to find and will give your life extra purpose and excitement. It’s scary and awesome all at once. I hope you find it.

What about YOU? What is your thing? Do you have one yet, or not? Do you think people without a “thing” yet can still find one? It’s so interesting to hear about people’s passions. Like the freaks divers that like to hold their breath for extended periods of time and almost die on a regular basis, we are all unique, and I love to hear about what makes other’s tick. 

Happy Hump Day!

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Have you heard of Ommwriter?

So, Ommwriter. I'm obsessed.  Thanks so much to Emily for tweeting this to me yesterday! She thought I'd like it, and I do, I really do. First I downloaded the free version, then I downloaded the not-free version, which actually isn't a set price - you donate what you think it's worth.

I have such a hard time with staying focused lately. Well, for approximately the last three years of my life. Remember the "my blog gave me ADD post" a while back? Totally still applies. Hasn't gotten any better. Maybe worse. And this Ommwriter program, I really feel like it might help bring back some of the focus to my writing. I feel like I'm in another place when I'm there. I actually wrote a POEM yesterday - it just flew right out of my fingers and onto the screen. I haven't written a poem in years.

Check out Ommwriter in action over here on their website (click "see it in action" to watch the video), and decide for yourself if this is something that might enhance your creativity. It's sure working for me.

PS - If you download, Ommwriter, I highly recommend wearing headphones while you use it. It blocks out your fingers banging on the keyboard and allows you to better enjoy the ambient sounds provided.
PPS - have you heard of Coffitivity? That's another one that helps me focus while I work.

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Stay drunk, my friends

You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.

Ray Bradbury said that, and I have to agree with him. There's almost nothing more intoxicating for a writer than to sit down with purpose and just write. Personally, being able to share my life in this space has been exactly the coping mechanism I've needed to help me handle things that've happened in my life the last few years...  blogging has been my message in a bottle, the note I've scribbled out on parchment and released to the world to take it as you may... and in doing so, it's helped me tremendously to purge sadness and negativity from my life and just be happy. Blogging is fun and therapeutic and fulfilling, and I can't tell you how glad it makes me to see people getting so excited for the Blog Every Day In May challenge, starting tomorrow. I really hope that you will all carve out a lovely little space for yourselves each day, where you can sit down and truly enjoy the process of the writing - whether that's in a sunny corner of your home with a glass of iced tea (or wine) and a lit candle, a crowded coffee shop to feed off the energy of its patrons (and its caffeine), or any other cozy spot that lends itself to your creativity. I know that's not always practical - some of us (myself included!) will have to schedule posts sometimes, but that's okay. It's all okay! :) See you tomorrow for the challenge. I cannot wait to read what you all have to say.

*above photo in my new little workspace at my mom's... I don't hate it here. :)

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Blog every day in May: a challenge

I have a challenge for you, fellow bloggers. I was reluctant to issue this particular challenge because, let's face it, I wasn't sure if I could actually do it myself. Blog every day for an entire month? Specifically, a month with 31 days in it? Blog even on weekends?! Whaaa??! Elizabeth (one of my favorite bloggers!) did this back in January, and I was so impressed. I think when you force yourself to blog every day, you stop feeling so much pressure for every post to be perfect. I do that (the pressure thing) BIG TIME, and lately I've been so frustrated by the fact that I'm not enjoying the experience of blogging as much anymore. I want to get back to the basics. You know, the writing stuff. I don't know about you, but I miss my English classes in school where we were given a topic and told to run with it. Something I may have never had the motivation to write about before, but wound up really enjoying once I got started. Do you remember that? We bloggers feel a lot of pressure to write something "cool" and funny and relatable and enjoyable, and that's GREAT, but sometimes the pressure can be too much and so we don't write at all. 

That's what this little challenge is all about. I am challenging you and me both to blog every single day in the month of May, and I've even come up with post topics for us. Aren't I nice? If you're anything like me, just figuring out what the crap to blog about is the hardest part. So. Will you join me?

Here are the rules:

1. There really aren't any rules. If you miss a day, you can make it up or skip it. The blog police will not come knocking.

2. I will be including a linkup option at the bottom of my post each day, so you are welcome to leave your links here for others to peruse, as well. 

3. You can still post other things every day, too. I plan to do normal outfit posts, life posts, around-Austin posts, and sponsor posts just like usual.

4. I'd seriously love you if you also include the "blog every day in May" button (below) either on your sidebar or at the end of your posts, but again, the blog police will not come knocking. My main goal here is to get us all back to the basics of blogging, not to gain a million new readers (though I wouldn't mind that). 

5. Here are the topics. You can be as creative and awesome or as boring and bland as you like with these. Take 'em and run with it. Use creative post titles. Interpret each "prompt" however you like. There's no wrong way to do it. Have fun.

Day 1, Wednesday: The story of your life in 250 words or less (or one paragraph... no one will be counting your words... probably)
Day 2, Thursday: Educate us on something you know alot about or are good at. Take any approach you'd like (serious and educational or funny and sarcastic)
Day 3, Friday: Things that make you uncomfortable
Day 4, Saturday: Favorite quote (from a person, from a book, etc) and why you love it
Day 5, Sunday: Publicly profess your love and devotion for one of your blogger friends. What makes them great? Why do you love them? If you don't have blogger friends, talk about a real-life friend or even a family member
Day 6, Monday: If you couldn't answer with your job, how would you answer the question, 'what do you do'?
Day 7, Tuesday: The thing(s) you're most afraid of
Day 8, Wednesday: A piece of advice you have for others. Anything at all.
Day 9, Thursday: A moment in your day (this can be just a photo or both a photo and words)
Day 10, Friday: Most embarrassing moment (s). Spill. 
Day 11, Saturday: Sell yourself in 10 words or less
Day 12, Sunday: What do you miss? (a person, a thing, a place, a time of your life...)
Day 13, Monday: Issue a public apology. This can be as funny or as serious or as creative as you want it to be.
Day 14, Tuesday: Ten things that make you really happy
Day 15, Wednesday: A Day in the life (include photos from throughout your typical day - this could be "a photo an hour" if you'd like)
Day 16, Thursday: Something difficult about your "lot in life" and how you're working to overcome it
Day 17, Friday: A favorite photo of yourself and why
Day 18, Saturday: Tell a story from your childhood. Dig deep and try to be descriptive about what you remember and how you felt.
Day 19, Sunday: Five of your favorite blogs and what you love about them
Day 20, Monday: Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.
Day 21, Tuesday: A list of links to your favorite posts in your archives
Day 22, Wednesday: Rant about something. Get up on your soapbox and tell us how you really feel. (a pet peeve, a current event, a controversial topic, something your husband or roommate or neighbor or boss does that really ticks you off)
Day 23, Thursday: Things you've learned that school won't teach you
Day 24, Friday: Your top 3 worst traits
Day 25, Saturday: Something someone told you about yourself that you'll never forget (good or bad)
Day 26, Sunday: Something you read online. Leave a link and discuss, if you'd like.
Day 27, Monday: A letter to your readers
Day 28, Tuesday: Only pictures
Day 29, Wednesday: Five songs or pieces of music that speak to you or bring back memories. Use Grooveshark or YouTube to include them in the post
Day 30, Thursday: React to this term: Letting Go
Day 31, Friday: A vivid memory
 <center><a href="http://storyofmylifetheblog.blogspot.com/2013/04/blog-every-day-in-may-challenge.html"><img src="http://i1131.photobucket.com/albums/m553/jennilu07/May200x200_zpsf8349f10.png" border="0"/></a></center>

Will you join me NEXT WEDNESDAY, May 1st, to BLOG EVERY DAY IN MAY?! We can do this!

#BlogEveryDayInMay

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The thing(s) about writing

Being a writer is one of my most defining characteristics.  I feel like one of the lucky people in this life who were just born knowing what they should do, and writing is it for me.  It’s one reason why I think this blog has been fairly successful, because it’s coming from a place inside me where I am in my element (this is a fabulous post that really hit home the other day, about being in your element). 

Sometimes, usually when I’m driving in my car, I become so lost in these stories in my head that I switch to autopilot and, however many minutes or hours later, I find I’ve reached my destination and have no real memory of how I got there.  Dangerous? Maybe.  But my point is… the stories.  They’re in there!  The characters are already a part of me, even though they’re undeveloped. 

A while back I became obsessed with the idea of writing a novel, and I set out to do it.  I’m most inspired by music, so I created playlists that really fed my creativity, and I would spend hours “brainstorming.”  (by the way, brainstorming for a writer looks a lot like sleeping or meditation… or insanity.)  I had some ideas I liked—some characters I really wanted to develop further—and I was more excited than I’d been in a long time!  I was gonna do this!

But you know what I wound up writing of that novel?  The sex scene.  Like, just the sex scene.  But it was awesome. 

And when the rest of it never really happened, because I just didn’t quite feel ready yet, I realized something, and Henry David Thoreau says it best: 

How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live. 

I remember something Edd said to me, and it was what sort of got me thinking on this topic.  We were talking about writing as a profession and he said something like “I guess in order to be a writer you have to have life experiences.” 

And then I scratched my head and was all, “well, shit.”

Because I’m way more comfortable sitting in my pjs in my comfy house behind my nice, safe computer screen.  But I don’t know if that’s how it works, with writing.  Your writing will only ever be one dimensional, if you’re going about it that way.  In order to really convince your readers, you have to have felt things yourself, to an extent.  Not saying you have to be in an adulterous relationship to write about one or something, but do you need to have depth and dimension to you to write characters of depth and dimension? I think so.

I guess lately I’ve been challenging myself to experience things and feel things more fully, because as a writer, our experiences feed our craft.  But this might be uncomfortable for me!  You know… doing stuff.  Following other dreams.  Meeting people.  Taking life up on some of what it has to offer.  Even embracing the awkward and not-so-perfect scenarios, whatever they may be. 

I think, as a writer, one of the very best things you can do for your craft is to live.  And then, while you’re living, it’s also important to do a couple other things, like write more than just the sex scene…

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