I commented a little while ago on another blog about substance and the lack thereof on the internet. Sometimes the inanity is just frustrating beyond anything. But there are these little oases – islands of refuge – that offer up something weightier than the day-to-day fluff we’re often assailed by. These are the places I find myself returning to again and again. They’ve come to be a bit like morning coffee to me (and anyone who knows me, knows how important that is) – they’re pick-me-ups and reminders of what’s beautiful in the world – and they’ve become something I look forward to.
So when Carolyn at Dreamphemera listed my blog as one she considers to be of substance, I was deeply honored. I don’t normally partake in blog awards though they have been offered in the past. Mostly because I don’t feel like they “add” anything to what I offer. But Carolyn wrote of my blog with such thought and it was such a gracefully delivered compliment, that this is one award I don’t feel like I can bypass and in order to give her proper thanks, I’ll take a leap here and participate.
So here it is:
To accept properly, I need to thank the person who decided I was worthy of this, pass it on to others, and sum up my blogging philosophy in 5 words.
I’ve already thanked Carolyn, but thank you once again. Yours is one of those little oases I mentioned earlier that I go back to again and again.
There are several blogs that I read – most are poets, all are artists in some form or other, and all offer me something of substance which is what keeps me returning. All of them deserve to be recognized for contributing something meaningful. That would make this long post (for me) even longer. So I’m singling out the two that most often make me go “oh!”
First, to Dhyan at Utopian Fragments who has such a uniquely beautiful view of the world. Dhyan seems to me to have the soul of a natural born musician who plucks his words from the air like finely tuned strings. He is world-concious and word savvy and his work practically breathes on its own.
Second, to slpmartin. I don’t know where to begin to describe his work. He too is world-conscious with a sharp eye and a sharper pen for injustice. His work is always thought-provoking and sharply insightful and there are times that his deftly written twists have been like a smack on the back of the head. His writing has a way of reminding me that the world is so much larger than myself.
On to my blogging philosophy, which is something I’ve never given much consideration. I began this blog as a way to regain a part of myself I’d thought long lost. I’d basically given up the “artsier” pieces of myself, being more comfortable hiding myself away in the trenches of everyday life. I’m shy by nature. And my writing and my music are both deeply personal things. They are both such intimate parts of me that to put them out in the world for all to see, hear, and (gasp) criticize is a small act of bravery for me. I think that taking this step has allowed my work to evolve somewhat and has given me a much needed outlet in addition to the feeling that I’ve regained a piece of myself in the process.
So here are my 5 words: Bravery, Grace, Self-Discovery, Growth, and Spirit. These are the 5 words that come to mind when I consider my writing, what it means to me, what I try to infuse into it, and what I hope some can take from it. They are the words I try, but sometimes fail, to live my life by. But they are something to aspire to and something that I can apply to at least one area of my life – my writing.
I’ll end this super-lengthy post with this little tidbit. There’s a song by Katie Melua that says “beauty need only be a whisper.” And it’s true. If once a day you can find something beautiful and really stop and reflect for a moment upon it, no matter how small that thing may be, your day and your spirit are the better for it. And often that thing of beauty is found in the writings of those I read here.
ebbtide 