A blog space of one's own

We now live in an era in which anyone can be a writer, thanks largely to cyberspace. Long gone are the days in which a woman needs a Room of one's own to freely pen her thoughts down. As Virginia Woolf aptly sums it for the women of her era: "Women, then, have not had a dog's chance of writing poetry. That is why I have laid so much stress on money and a room of one's own."

Everyone in my small family of three has a blog – and why not? It’s free, it’s available and it’s accessible. It’s a great way to develop your voice and personality in a space that does not barricade your existence to a mere signifier of your ethnicity, gender, religion, nationality, marital status, profession etc etc. No, you do not need to be a mature adult, a man, IT savy, a professional to own a space in the cyber world. You just need access to the internet and a blog space and you are good to go.

Which brings me to the issue at hand; do bloggers suffer the “Am I Crazies” syndrome that apparently writers who seek to be a published author suffer from at times? Do bloggers, like the want to be authors, question why they do what they do? Checking out some of the comments on Nathan Bransford’s blog post "You Tell Me: How Do You Deal With the "Am-I-Crazies?" where authors and would be authors air out their thoughts about the art of writing i am drawn to this particular one:

"I know I'm crazy. That helps. Having that resolved.
I also know that the primary person who benefits from my writing is me. Even if I never publish, I will have grown greatly from the process.
Finally, a lot of people say luck is involved in being published. I disagree. I think it's something much more profound than luck. Who am I to say how my writing is best utilized?
Maybe my writing is meant to reach thousands (that would be cool) but maybe not. Maybe my piece is smaller, and maybe it's better that way. If I'm part of a chain, who am I to say I must be the biggest, most shiny link?
So, I'll write and dream of reaching thousands, but I'll also trust that my job really is just to write. If that means only I benefit from it, maybe that's the best possible outcome - I don't see the big picture. I'll do my part, but try - even on days where I'm shaking my fist at the sky - to have a little trust. "

I find a similar theme in many other bloggers of differing discipline and topic. It’s in the calling. Each blogger feels the desire to participate in the continued conversation with their fellow being through their respective blog. Some may do so overtly, others set out to create a space for themselves with the hope of finding kindred spirits with whom they can form a new sense of attachment that goes beyond the daily roles and responsibilities they play out as mothers, wives, sisters, daughters. The sheer fact is its free, its available and it’s here to stay. And if like George Orwell, we have an overactive imagination and the passion for words then we'll know why we write, be that in blogs or paperbacks.