Censored.

The question today is: How personal should you get when posting a blog?
On the internet, any eyes can see what I am doing, who I am and what I am about-as long as I choose to share it.

The thing I have done consistently my whole life is write.
I used to share stories with my mom, ink on blue lined white paper. I would leave them on her pillow as a surprise when I was six years old.
I left her love letters declaring my appreciation for her in colorful crayon.
I let it all out, even as a young girl.

My writing happened before the days of the Iphone (or cell phones in general). I wrote with a pen and paper-before blogs, google, twitter, facebook, or myspace.
This was less than 20 years ago.

In high school, I vented my frustrations outloud in English class to fellow students through my poetry and essays. Classmates who I viewed as hard to reach often surprised me when they met me in the hallway to communicate how they felt a connection with my writing. I was such an insecure girl (as we all are in high school) and I was blown away that perhaps one thing I shared with people was considered "cool."

Upon graduation from high school, I was reassured of this again when I entered an essay to Seventeen magazine's literature contest just to see what would happen. A few months later, they sent me a letter telling me they received over 5,000 entries, but mine was picked as one of their top 100. My personal essay was this close to being published in a famous magazine! In this letter, Seventeen magazine insisted I never stop writing-that this was a gift I needed to share with the world. I kept this letter as an inspiration.

In college, my English professor unpredictably became my mentor. I still have books of poetry he wrote and gave to only me. I read out of this antiqued Chaucer hard cover novel once in awhile since he told me he thought I could relate to Chaucer's writing. My English professor at FIDM kept insisting I needed to write like no one was watching. Censor free.

My whole life my mom has always told me that my best writing has been when it is about something that matters to you.

Little Women is one of my favorite novels and movies. Little Women is a very personal story-but it never would have been written if someone didn't tell Louisa May Alcott to write about something personal-something she was passionate about.

This is why I write about things that matter to me, and don't feel afraid to share them with the world.
I am not writing about my "crazy night out" last night.
My blogs don't look like a cheap romance novel.
I don't have any photos where I am flashing any private body parts.

I write about issues that affect everyone.
Love.
Disease.
Frustration.
Hope.
Family.

But most importantly, I write when I am compelled to write.

I may never publish a book in my lifetime, but the internet provides the perfect place for me to write my own novel..and share it with anyone who happens to stumble upon the treasure that it is. It would be awesome if even one person read about one of my experiences and it helped their life evolve - if even for one moment. After all, God says the more you share your hopes and dreams with other people-the more support you will have with the purpose you are to follow.