If I Look Like One, Maybe I'll Be One.

I have an addiction. An addiction to blogs. And not just any blogs. Design blogs. Fashion blogs. It's a wonderful thing to be addicted to - I can preoccupy myself by reviewing others who dress better, design better, than myself. They have the money and the means to wear all the things I can't and drape their house in fabrics and furniture and prints that I can only dream of. And the blogs themselves - gorgeous!

I have visions of making my own blog easier on the eye than what I have at this moment. My hope is that before the end of the year, I'll have a custom design for my blog to introduce to you. A friend is working on it for me, and I can't wait until that day when my writing finally has a space that visually reflects the same quality.

However, like any addiction, my design-blog obsession has distracted me from what I really want, which is to delve deeper into the world of self-published writing. I've found a plethora of writing blogs, but I hardly ever read them because the designs are often nothing less than detestable. I don't care if you're the greatest writer to come along since Shakespeare. If you've posted your words in lime green over a cerulean background, I won't get past the title before I click over to something more appealing. (Is there something wrong with taking the basic templates and messing with the color? Live a little, people.)

And so, I have this fear: if my blog isn't visually appealing, it's not worth reading no matter how well I write. Which means that my real problem boils down to this thought:

Maybe if I look like a writer, I'll become one.

I hinge my success on how I appear to others. I may write well for my blog, but to be a successful blogger, I need to grab your attention, right?

Understandable. Proven fact with world wide web analytics. "Content is king" doesn't matter if no one can read it.

But I can't allow that to be my excuse not to write, right? Waiting for a better blog design is not a good reason to refrain from posting.

Once again, I find myself peeling back the layers of unnecessary negativity in my life in order to see what's really there. Underneath it all, I have something good going for me and I need to unearth it. I need to let it out. I need to write. I need to create. I need to share it with others.

Here are some posts that have propelled me forward in my hope for my writing:

Jess Constable at Makeunder My Life has a fresh batch of wisdom every day - I can't get enough. Read her post about why managing your business is like high school (no cringing necessary!)

Jon Acuff has some interesting things to say about selling out. What is your definition of a sell out? How do you impose that on others, and how do you allow others to impose their opinions on you?

A bad review isn't the end of the world, right?

I found this blog today - I need more poetry in my life. And maybe I should start posting photos from my idea journal… what do you think?

Tools for writers. Exactly what I need.