The Joy of Writing a Personal Blog
Ayup! This is a blog post about writing blog posts. Blogception, if you will. I've been steadily writing away here on my personal site for quite some time now. There are no rules. I write about whatever I fancy, whenever I like. It's mainly for self-reflection and development, but sometimes other folks are also interested in what I have to say. It's calming, rewarding and thoroughly enjoyable.
These thoughts are a follow-up to a previous post called Writing Online 2.0 - Search Engine (Un)Optimisation. That article explored the idea of writing with complete disregard to search engines. A return to pure, natural and gratifying expression.
Blogging offers a unique platform for individuals to articulate their thoughts and feelings, which can be therapeutic and contribute to better mental health. It provides a safe space for self-reflection and self-expression, allowing bloggers to process their experiences and emotions through writing.
mentalhealthaffairs.blog
A calm & quiet space
Here's the refreshing part. As the online space becomes increasingly noisy and frantic, a personal blog helps to restore the balance. When designed, built and published in a certain way, It becomes your very own quiet corner of the internet. To achieve this, there are a few key principles to include and exclude.
Consider:
A clean, minimalist design
Not including adverts
Not including popups
Not including CTA's
Not including affiliate links
Writing from (and for) your soul
Removing any pressure to write
In removing any pressure and distractions, you'll likely find your motivation to write increases. If, however, you're anything like me, this will come and go. It's equally important to recognise low-motivation. This usually means you've run out of things to say. Perfectly natural, and a good opportunity to gift yourself a week or two off
The beauty of a writing a personal blog is that nobody cares if you don't publish anything for a while. Granted, it's nice when they read and appreciate your posts, but nobody's waiting around twiddling their thumbs in anticipation of your next article. Take the pressure off. Relax.
Writing has long been recognised as a therapeutic tool, and blogging extends this tradition into the digital age. A 2009 study found that expressive writing, such as that often found in personal blogs, can lead to significant improvements in mental well-being, including reductions in stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.
The mental health benefits of a Personal blog
The connection between creativity, expression and mental health is an area that truly fascinates me. Having suffered with extreme social anxiety for most of my adult life, writing and photography have become a powerful alleviation.
The chance to quietly express your thoughts, feelings and emotions does incredibly wonderful things to the brain. It's subtle, yet potent. Additionally, it contributes towards your purpose. This, in turn, fills your thoughts with ideas, subjects and potential titles. A welcome addition, especially when they're replacing less helpful emotions.
Creativity and imagination are important for children to develop because it helps them be resourceful. But these qualities are important in adults, too. Creative outlets not only help to reduce feelings of stress and loneliness but can improve your mood and even affect how your brain works. And they’re fun!
Whether it’s drawing, singing, playing music, writing, baking, dancing or gardening, having a creative outlet can work wonders for your mind.
What to write about
If you're unsure on where to start, consider writing about your passions and interests. Explore creative ideas and techniques from within your sector. You could delve further into the mental health benefits, as I do here. Or, go all-in on your tools or software. The possibilities are endless.
Choosing a blogging platform
If you think writing a personal blog might be something you'd like to try, here are a few popular platforms to consider. Personally, I use and recommend WordPress, but I also recognise that some folks will want a simpler solution. Thankfully, there's something for everyone.
WordPress
WordPress gives you the most control and customisation from all of the options on this list. That said, if you're not already used to how it works, it comes with a steep leaning curve. This site uses the default theme and makes use of the built-in block editor. Both come highly recommended.
Medium
Medium works slightly different to all of the other options here, in that it has a built-in audience. This makes it easier to connect with fellow writers and start building a following. It's easy to set up, but offers zero customisation. Most accounts ultimately end up writing exclusively to get featured by a publication, rather than naturally.
Ghost
Ghost is a pretty exciting publishing platform. It's free and open source, although you need extensive technical knowledge to set it all up. Alternatively, you can pay them directly for an all-in-one hosting/publishing package. Some customisation is available without coding, and it has built-in newsletter and subscription tools, too.
Wix
Wix is ideal if you're looking for something that's quick and easy to set up. They provide all of the blogging tools you'll need, and you'll also have access to some really elegantly designed templates. Each template can be customised to your liking, but without as many options as you'd have with WordPress.
Squarespace
As with Wix, Squarespace is a simple solution that's easy to use and looks good right out of the box. Again, they have plenty of templates to choose from, or you can build something from scratch.
Look forward to writing again
Publishing a personal blog brings joy and fulfilment back to writing. It's freeing, immersive and poignant, while calming and soothing the mind.
You don't need to be all that good at it. I'm proof of that. As long as you possess the desire to express your thoughts, the rest will inevitably fall into place. From a creative perspective, writing also helps free up some much-needed headspace and allows a break from your standard routine or practice. Paired with the abundance of mental health benefits, there's a lot to love about sharing your musings with the world.
