Why you should write a blog

What are you trying to say, Mr. Writer? Don’t you know that the future is in Youtube, in the DIY video tutorials about origami, and the explosion of hormones that a game of Minecraft supposedly evokes? You’re not wrong, my insightful little reader. But let’s not confuse apples with pears here, as we’re talking about two very different mediums of expression. The intimacy and pleasure of writing can’t compare with the audiovisual. However, one can provoke more immediate and direct feelings, and for this reason, writing a blog is an experience that no one should pass up.

We all have our own passions and inclinations, whether it’s an interest in independent films, or a complete devotion to, who knows, say, captive breeding of exotic birds for example. Although many people prefer to enjoy their hobbies alone, without any encouragement from others that know about it, the true magic of human relations lies in the possibility of sharing experiences to make them feel more important. What might seem trivial to you, could be the most interesting thing a person from Kuala Lumpur has ever read in his life. It’s important to seize this opportunity.

Creativity and the urge to excel are two of the fundamental pillars of self-actualization and feeling fulfilled. Not everyone can become an accomplished athlete or a public speaker capable of making Malcom X cry in a high school debate club, but anyone can write. Everyone has a computer within reach and knows how to put sentences together, regardless of their skill in doing so. A blog, given its anecdotal structure and simplicity when entering content, is the best door you can find to let everything out, at whatever rate you choose, being able to gradually increase the effort you put into it as your literary ambition grows.

It’s important not to get carried away with trends and the ever increasing immediacy of such a dynamic platform like The Internet ™; a hodgepodge of information high in saturated fat that almost forces us to consume at full speed, due to our non-stop way of life and the fact that “if I have access to everything, the I HAVE to use it.” Throw romanticism out the window and to hell with Cervantes. The hardest part about all of this is having reservations about these values and being considered old-fashioned for not following what’s ‘trending.’ Well, you know what? Writing is an exciting activity that lets you channel feelings that would otherwise be thrown away.

The really fleeting part of this concept is to consider it, and not do it. María Amelia was an endearing Galician woman who started to write a blog when she was 95 years old, writing about her life experiences until she passed away in 2009. To this day, her legacy continues to be present on the website thanks to her grandson; an undeniable and grand legacy in light of the passage of time, beyond appearances and trends. A decision that turned her last years into an experience of outreach and learning with people from all over the world.

WordPress will always be there, lurking in the shadows. Well, not exactly in the shadows, since it’s currently used by one fourth of the webpages on the Internet. Anyone can make an account, free of cost, hosting it on one of its servers or, if you feel like, create one yourself so you can thoroughly customize it and store it wherever you want. There’s no lack of tutorials on the matter.

Now that we’re alone, I’m going to confess that I started writing blogs sometime around 2008, before the bubble had burst (or at least the first of many that have exploded in the last seven years). Thanks to this decision, many doors have been opened to me professionally, not to mention all of the people that I’ve met along the way as we discovered common interests, and I now consider them to be great friends. That’s the best part: being able to develop your talents and share them with the world while building friendships and connections that could help you in your daily life. Now, it’s your turn.