Why Do I Blog?

I haven't formally blogged until the last few years. Before Nicole's Novel Reads, I use to keep sort of an online journal on Xanga and on Livejournal during my high school years. I eventually switched over the Livejournal permanently due to the groups and my love for reading fan fiction. Being obsessed with Harry Potter during my high school years, it led me to read tons of Harry Potter fan fiction on a multitude of sites, one of them being Livejournal. I scoured through many groups and Livejournal accounts for fan fiction that would satisfy my hungry appetite. Lo and behold I encountered The Draco Trilogy by Cassandra Clare. At the time, I never knew Miss Clare was going to be popular but I loved devouring The Draco Trilogy. Although I love canon, I cannot deny that I love fanon as well!

Through Livejournal, I actually found a girl who eventually became my college roommate. Livejournal connected me to other people with the same interests. It wasn't until college where I found out about Wordpress and Blogger. Working with a group of other classmates, we created a Wordpress account and a twitter handle about the importance of college students voting when Obama was first running for office. Our instructors encouraged us to utilize twitter to spread the word. We made radio, TV and print ads. This gave me a taste of what it means to be passionate about something and how I can share my passion with the world.

It wasn't until a couple years out of college, I decided to create Nicole's Novel Reads. Although I love everything Harry Potter, I wanted a passion that I can regularly talk about and not bore people about.  So, I decided to make a book blog. During the first two years, I was juggling a lot of things and I was never constantly posted. I have been a book lover ever since I was a child and I wanted an outlet to express my thoughts about books I've read. It wasn't until late 2014 when I decided to reboot up Nicole's Novel Reads. After reengaging myself with social media and book events, I met a lot of bookish friends that motivated me even more to blog.

WHAT DOES BLOGGING MEAN TO ME?

Primarily, I blog for myself. I blog about things that are important to me such as books I've read and Harry Potter. I will occasionally incorporate my love for tea and design into blog posts as well. I don't like comparing myself to others. I don't want blogging to turn into a competition of who has the most books, who obtains the most ARCs and who attends the most book events. People need to be grateful for what they have. Blogging is about creating something meaningful; it's not about possession and numbers.

My blog is sort of a creative journal for me. I don't include my day-to-day list of things I do or how my day went. Instead, it's a way for me to track my bookish interests. If people stumble upon my blog, that's great. If they don't, then that's fine too. I am not here to push my thoughts on other people.

What I love about the book community is the people who make up the community. I love interacting with people who share the same interests. Everyone is welcoming and there is so many things to participate in such as #OTSPSecretSister, guest posting on other bloggers' blogs and collaborating in group features.

By blogging, I am seeking new experiences by connecting with others through book events and discussions. Sometimes I like to take the blogging offline; meeting new people in real life is one way to still be immersed with everything bookish but it is a way to step away from the computer. It's often refreshing to connect without the use of technology.

So tell me why do you blog? What inspires you to blog? Let me know in the comments!