Why Do I Blog?

Being a blogger can be hard work but it's rewarding. It's a way for you to express your thoughts about something that you are passionate about. Blogging is about being creative. It's an outlet for you to talk about whatever you want to talk about. There are general blogs and there are niche blogs. Some bloggers will focus on niche topics.

Even though I am considered a book blogger, it doesn't mean that I don't like to blog about other things. I have other passions that I will include in this blog such as Harry Potter. Although I blog about books, I don't always read book blogs. I often love reading food blogs, lifestyle blogs and nail art blogs. Maybe one day I will start a food blog since I love cooking and baking.

Blogging to me is like an interactive online journal. I mainly blog for myself but I love co-hosting features and being involved with the book blogging community. I love to interact with my readers. Blogging will always be there for me. I won't stop blogging just because someone doesn't like what I say or because I don't get free things such as ARCs. Don't blog for others. Don't blog for the free stuff. You should always blog for yourself first.

Blogging has always been a nice way for me to organize my thoughts or to just get my thoughts onto something physical. With so much things going on everyday, I forget a lot of things. Blogging helps me jog my memory. It helps me fine tune my writing and even how I analyze things. Blogging has opened many doors to a multitude of opportunities.

Blogging helps me create awareness and to make a difference. Blogging teaches me how to manage my time. It helps me commit and it teaches me responsibility. Blogging helps me meet new people that I would not have met if I didn't blog. Being part of a community is amazing. Not only can you share the same passions but you make new friends. I can be reserved at times but blogging has helped me break out of my shell a bit. I learned how to be more assertive, confident and not to be afraid to step out of my bubble. The ambiance of blogging creates a sense of self-fulfillment.

What does blogging mean to you? Why do you blog and how did you decide to start a blog?

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!