why i have a blog

first assignment from travelin' oma. here we go...

my initial response to the question of why i have a blog was that i mainly created a blog to post pictures of madeleine for jeanie. after all, a grandmother living out of state needs to have frequent updates on her grandchildren that are far away and i thought that a blog would be a great means of doing so. but, upon further reflection, i don't think that was the main reason that i started this blog. i think that it was the catalyst for starting the blog, but not my motivation. the main reason for starting this blog was for me to write more. creatively.

i have done a lot of writing in my life. those who know me well know that i keep a very thorough journal. it's compulsive, really. however, despite the tomes i have written that line my bookshelves, i do not claim to be a great writer. my journal is not juicy or filled with great insight (although i do hope there is the occasional gem in there). for the most part, it is simply a record of my daily acts - a log of sorts. it is therapeutic for me and informative on some level, but generally boring.

i have a very creative husband. he has also done a lot of writing in his life and has several journals of his own. but they are nothing like mine. they are flowing with creative writing, abstract phrases that represent his thoughts, and probably lack any detail about the mundane activities of his days. our children will definitely go to his shelf of journals if they want to read something interesting.

but, i try not to compare myself to randy. we are different personalities and will always have different writing styles, no matter how much creative writing i engage in. however, as should be the case with the person you marry, his constant creativity (not just in the writing arena) has inspired me to improve myself. creatively. not because of anything he says. just because of who he is.

and so, realistically, i think that is why i started a blog. as a creative writing outlet. because i figured that if i had an actual and immediate audience, i would be inspired to be a little less boring than i am in my journal. my blog isn't a replacement for my journal, it's just a chance to write more. creatively.