Hi there! Welcome to my blog! I love, love, love talking about all things metaphysics, writing, and blogging. My hope is that you leave here feeling much better than when you came. It's great to see you!
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This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
Tonight I’m featuring a blogger I actually know. Well, not really know like in real life, but a blogger whose blog I subscribed to long before I even started this series.
His name is Joe.
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
Ever since I started this series, I’ve been so floored by the talent in the bloggosphere. Not just that, the wisdom, the experiences, the level of dedication and true passion these bloggers have for their craft is astounding. I learn something new from each one, and I so look forward to getting to know each and every one of them by what they write, their goals, and their missions to achieve them.
Tonight I’m featuring blogger and entrepreneur Brendolyn Marie. She has a lovely blog called The Grey Area, where “nothing is ever truly what it seems”, a place where there is no black or white. I love that concept because some things can never really be described as one way or the other, there’s overlap, there’s confusion. Why try and define something as absolutely one color?
Like so many bloggers, Brendolyn has become inspired to create, to meet new people, and find her true calling through blogging daily. She was able to share her writing through emotional times with an audience seeking emotional healing, which then empowered her to become a life and relationship coach. She’s even started her own nail polish line called Liquid Frosting that is beyond gorgeous. Reading about her journey as an entrepreneur in particular is enough to get anyone (especially yours truly) to buckle down, and finish that ‘big something’ they’ve had on the back burner of their minds for longer than they care to admit.
Here’s what she had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
I started writing at the age of fifteen when I lost my father unexpectedly, the ability to communicate my feelings verbally were lost. Writing seemed to be my only out. There weren’t many venues that offered an outlet so I kept a journal via Myspace notes and Facebook. Thirteen years later I continue to express myself through words and I am able to explore a deeper level of creativity. I have been able to conquer my emotions and in the process help others do the same all because of my transparency on my blog. There is a fine line between emotions and creativity, mesh them together and you have a beautiful mess.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
One of my main goals behind creating a blog was to reach the masses of people who would benefit from my words. It was in the midst of finding what worked for me that I was able to achieve that goal. I have had the opportunity to work with other writers and be published in local and national publications which for me is a major accomplishment. My blog is my time capsule that will one day say “she was here and this is her story”.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
YES! It wasn’t until I started blogging almost daily and recieving the feedback from my followers and readers that it hit me like a ton of bricks. I have the ability and the appeal to truly help others, why waste that gift? In recent months I have made the choice to become a life and relationship coach as well as pursue my degree in Pyschology. Had it not been for constanly blogging I may have never reached such a moment of clarity.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
Ladies and gentle folk, may I introduce to you Kaitlin Marie, Doctor Who evangelist, beer lover, and blogger from Northwest Indiana. She blogs about all things geeky and zombie-related, among other awesomeness, which means you need to check her out.
Her blog is called Zombies 4 Breakfast, a fitting title with a cute freakin’ blog header. Like yours truly, her blog is an outlet for discussing any and all things related to her goals in life, fitness, career, or otherwise. When I met Kaitlin via Linkedin about 6 months ago, she was writing about her struggle to find a job in her field (Marketing/PR). Awesomely enough, her current posts are about her having found a job in her field, and how at times, it’s a bit more than she bargained for.
I feel connected to her through the goals she’s set for herself, and through, I’m not ashamed to say, our shared love of beer (I’m pretty sure a large portion of the US population can relate to that one though). She also has this really cool list on her sidebar of all the things she wants to do at 25, and she links to the goals she’s actually accomplished. You’re giving me awesome ideas, Kaitlin…I think I want to do the very same thing! Maybe when I turn 30…
At any rate, here’s what Kaitlin had to say 
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
Oh yes. Blogging is a wonderful creative outlet, in general. In addition to that, I’ve found that when I’m feeling really frustrated or bummed out, writing it out is a great way to work through whatever I’m feeling. One topic that makes recurrent appearances on my blog is the economic/job crisis. I write a lot about my frustrations in my on-going job hunt for a career in my field.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
I think my personal goal WAS to blog on a weekly basis, and I’ve definitely met that goal. I’ve also been writing quite a bit lately about my quest to get in shape and lose some weight, and the accountability that comes with posting those goals publicly has certainly been motivating.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Since I’m passionate about writing in general, blogging itself is a joy. Having a blog has given me a (quirky, random) voice, and a place to shout about silly stuff like zombies.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
I’ve gone through therapy before, but if blogs like Cindy Ricardo’s were around back then, let’s just say I would have sought hers out and skipped the hour-long one-on-one sessions.
Cindy Ricardo is a writer, blogger, and couples/individual therapist. She blogs at A Caring Counselor, and uses it as an outlet to reach out to people who are struggling to heal themselves and their relationships. What I particularly like about her healing methods is that she speaks to her clients from a point of love, self-acceptance, and awareness. Her passion lies in helping her clients restore emotional wellness through guided visualization, meditation, and even yoga, all therapeutic techniques that in my opinion, beat sitting across from someone for an hour, pouring out every problem in the book.
Blogging allows Cindy to become more in tune with her passion for helping people through emotional hurdles. Not only is she able to use the space as a place for potential clients to get to know her and her techniques, but writing about what she preaches allows her to grow as a counselor, and as a person.
Here’s what she had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
Yes it definitely has helps in both areas. As a couples/individual therapist l write about healing ways to approach the challenges all of us face in life.Ways that help us stay connected to life and to those who are important to us (children, spouse, family, etc). In my posts I sometimes share personal experiences as I feel that we all encounter challenges and learn from them. I love to write and find it to be therapeutic and freeing!
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
I try to write on a bi weekly basis when it comes to my blogs. I also keep a journal and post status updates on my two facebook pages. I practice mindfulness meditation and yoga so writing about these topics whether it is on the blogs or in a journal help me stay aligned with living in the present moment. It also helps me be more present and attuned to the people I connect with on a day to day basis.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Yes, writing about the things that I really enjoy and have a passion for makes me want to learn more about those topics. For instance, I practice mindfulness and yoga as a way of feeling connected to life and those around me. This helps me to feel more awake, present and energized. Both of these practices help me stay grounded, and meet whatever arises with acceptance and compassion instead of getting defensive or reactive. Witnessing first hand how these approaches can help us deepen love and our relationships with ourselves and others keeps me motivated to practice on a daily basis.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
I’m so excited to feature Shavonne Pounders here on the blog today because she is a regular reader here, and the code she lives her life by is the same one I live by: love.
Her blog Exotic Roots, is about a journey of self-love. Like most of us, Shavonne struggled for years to be a certain person–the type of person she thought people wanted her to be. What she found was that it was too hard to look and be a certain way, and much easier to be herself. She started to love and accept herself not only for her own self fulfillment, but for her daughter, who started going through similar problems with self love and acceptance as she got older. If she was going to teach her daughter how to love herself, Shavonne had to make sure she loved every inch of herself as well.
Like most of us, blogging for Shavonne has been extremely cathartic. It’s allowed her to get back into writing, and explore new business opportunities. Since discovering blogging, she has quit her corporate job, allowing her to focus on building her talents as a writer and blogger, something I absolutely commend her for! It takes a crazy amount of courage to pursue the things you love.
Here’s what she had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
I have been through quite a bit in my life which has led to me bottling up a lot of my feelings. I also have been mentally, physically, and emotionally abused most of my life making it hard to open up to others. I have written since I was a young child, but blogging has allowed me to do several self-journeys. Sometimes all at one time, other times slowly. I can go back and forth between my passions and update all my work with my creativeness. I also love how I am able to bring my thoughts to life through my blog.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
I am just now getting into the habit of blogging regularly, which is one of my huge goals. This also motivates me and challenges me to actually attempt to see if this passion I have for writing can be taken even further than I ever could imagine. I recently invested in my blog and plan to continue to do so with all my blogs. As I bring these goals to life, I know my other goals will just fall into place as the universe and God sees fit to let them, as long as I am putting in the work.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Most definitely! I am currently exploring expanding my web-based business and my branching out to do more freelance writing. I recently “quit” a corporate job so that I could pursue my passion for blogging and writing more, but I do still maintain a part-time job. I have also enrolled in a couple of courses for blogging and personal growth. I am excited to see what is next for me and all thanks to my passion for blogging. Blogging has also given me my self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-respect. It has helped to heal my wounds and has allowed me to slow down and finally focus more on me and what I personally desire from life. Blogging has renewed hope in me and brought my dreams back to life.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
Nona Snyder is a sweetheart. I connected with her earlier this year when she reached out to me about my Passion Series, and she’s been a frequent visitor here on the blog ever since.
Her blog is all about personal growth, which I love. Her posts are never not filled with perspective, and opinions on the current state of affairs in politics. She also sometimes will write about what it’s like to have lost her father, as well as care for elderly parents. I definitely can relate to having lost a father, and I love reading what she has to say in that regard, because it makes me feel less alone.
Also, her posts are mostly short and sweet, something I’ve never been able to accomplish, and which I think is great for the limited attention-span of the world that comprises the internet. She’s a super frequent blogger, and you can see through her writing that it is a wonderfully positive outlet for her, as it is for myself, and thousands of bloggers everywhere probably. I am so happy to introduce you to her blog tonight, and showcase some of her work.
Here’s what she had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
Blogging has been an amazing release for me. My life is in transition right now…blogging has helped ease my anxieties in sharing my thoughts and concerns and blessed to receive positive feedback.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
Personal goals have been achieved through blogging. It has given me the confidence to seek or start my own support groups for caregivers…..it has also reinforced my own confidence in life. I’ve found through blogging, I’m not alone and we seek and receive support through the blog world.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
I find blogging has enabled me to be less inhibited with personal desires…..I have a passion for news and helping others achieve their own goals. I’m now going to go back to school for a degree in mediation/negotiation as I embark on a new phase in my life.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
How I was lucky enough to connect with Jason Loper I’ll never know, but his highly entertaining blog Captain Dapper reads like a happy, yet hysterical instruction manual for the fashion-impaired. Admittedly, I’ve smiled at least three times while reading a single one of his blog posts.
Jason has an eye for fashion, and a great writing voice. Having been involved with do-it-yourself projects since he was just a wee lad, he’s learned to utilize those talents in various jobs over the years, even starting his own handbag line at one point. He took to blogging not only to share his creative DIY projects, but to voice his love for beauty, style, and design, all in a way that makes you feel like you’re old friends, gossiping about trends over a steaming cup of joe.
It seems like blogging has allowed him the freedom to, as he explains below, devote most of his time to things he is passionate about, which I feel is one of the greatest luxuries of this century–it’s never been easier to share what you love with people from all over the world, and I am changed every day by reading about the way people like Jason utilize this luxury.
Here’s what he had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
I have a habit of writing like I talk – very personally and with my heart on my sleeve. While I try not to put EVERYTHING out there, I can’t help but put my emotions into my blog posts.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
Ever since I first read the Encyclopedia Brown books when I was about seven-years-old, I knew I wanted to be a writer. I kept diaries and journals when I was younger and then, after college, I gave writing up completely. Sometime around my thirtieth year, I got an urge to return to writing as both a hobby and a profession. Blogging has helped me reach both of those goals.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
Earlier this year I went on a search for the perfect white jeans for summer. Before I starting blogging I wouldn’t have delved into the subject as deeply as I did — actually going out and buying three pairs of jeans, taking them home, trying them on, photographing them and so on. Blogging is just another way I can devote my energies to my favorite thing: style.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>
This post is part of a weekly feature called the Passion Series…enjoy!
Stephanie Crandall makes me laugh, and she makes me think. And she really makes me want to watch TV. She’s a twenty something blogger from Connecticut blogging at Part Time Nerd not only about all things nerdy, but also the struggles of unemployment, which really hit me hard.
I remember what it was like to be fresh out of college and trying to find a ‘good job’. It was pure terror. If I’d have known a thing or two about blogging back then, I definitely would have done what she did and start a series called Adventures in Unemployment, where she dives into the day-to-day of what it’s like to be unemployed. Even though the tone of the series is somber, she had me cracking up about how she ate two whole pies over the span of a few days (just because she was craving pie) and how she finished 8 seasons of one show in a little over a week. I just find that hysterical in all of its awesomeness.
The Passion Series every Wednesday night here is about featuring people who have found their passions through blogging, and I chose to feature this gal tonight because I really feel like she uses her blog in the way that I urge a lot of people to use it as–an outlet for various interests, learning, and creativity. All of which eventually helps you discover things about yourself that may one day lead you to a place where you’re doing something you love for a living.
In this sense, I have this really weird feeling that the devotion Stephanie gives to her blog will pay off for her in some way. She gives great run downs of her favorite TV shows, and she absolutely has an entertaining writing voice. I could totally see her writing for a popular show review website of some sort. And I love her GIFs. That’s a resume bullet point right there, guys.
“Ability to incorporate perfect GIFs between perfect pieces of text.”
I really feel like employers who are looking to hire people should look towards bloggers–it really shows their discipline, writing skills, and capacity for critical thinking.
Here’s what Stephanie had to say.
Has blogging helped you in any emotional or creative way?
Most definitely, in both ways. Blogging has been there for me through the good and bad. It gives me the push to think harder and longer and push my creativity for new blog posts. It was also nice when I lost my job in March to have a place to talk about it.
Has blogging daily/weekly helped you achieve any personal goals?
Keeping the blog open has been a huge goal for me. I had tried starting other blogs in the past, but weeks or months in I’d forget about it and just not care. The fact that I’ll be heading into 2 years come December is astounding to me.
Does the ritual of daily/weekly blogging give you motivation to pursue things you are passionate about?
In some ways. The blogging and vlogging community has given me a boost of motivation to go for my passions. Seeing others able to find what they’re passionate about and make headway to achieve it is amazing. Keeping up with the blog, giving me a routine, is a great start.
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This post is part of a series on bloggers who have found direction or passion through blogging. If you would like to be featured in the Passion Series, please contact me through this form with responses to the above questions, and share your passions. Thanks! See all Passion Series posts >>