When I started blogging (almost 5 years ago) I spent a lot of my time in awe of seasoned bloggers; all their followers, the volume of comments on each post and even their posting schedule of 2, 3 or 4 a day. The question for me was how did they do it but it never once occurred to me to ask. Weird right? I held these people up on some kind of pedestal, when in fact they were also just forging their way in a relatively new space. Then something happened – I wrote a post about the work of someone I held in great esteem and I sent her a message to share it with her and she sent me back a beautiful and encouraging reply. I made the connection and it has since inspired me in a couple of ways. Firstly people are generally willing to answer if you ask – try it sometime. Secondly and even more importantly I have a lot to offer.
I made two friends this week – how often do you say that as an adult? I reached out to them and asked them for guidance and offered help in return and they both agreed. It was a knowledge exchange barter. Each connection is quite different but they are mutually beneficial and I’m so happy for taking the plunge and making a suggestion and being rewarded for doing so. I have no doubt that I will be better for it and I am sure that I can benefit them both in some way.
When you sit alone and toil away at your creations or blog it’s quite easy to second guess yourself so that’s why I think these connections are so important. They allow you to learn and grow and empower others. Creating (and even blogging) is not a one way street, it is a dialogue that can only happen through making connections. How have you connected with someone lately? I would love to hear about your experiences.
P.S. The image via flickr is 26-05-10 II The Weight Of All Those Willing Words by Bethan Phillips
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