Today I thought I'd write a little bit about myself. Not in a narcissistic kind of way. More of a getting to know you post.
For all of high school, college, actually most of my life, I have hated writing papers. In fact, part of the reason I became a math major in college was due to the lack of having to write papers. In both high school and college, I was lucky enough to be in the honors program. This however meant more papers than my general ed. counterparts. I would loathe writing papers. I would look at the minimum paper length and set that as my goal. I would double space everything, leave lots of room for title, throw in a bibliography page, anything to meet the requirement.
This may lead people to question, "Why would you then start blogging?" Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that it is not the writing itself that I have a problem with. I like to write to get my thoughts out, or get my point across. I like to share the information that I have and writing is a great way to do that.
The problem is that I lack a skill that many people who are good at writing papers have: the art of B.S. It's true. It is a skill that I have never developed. Some people can sit at the computer and elaborate for pages on the most minute detail. They fill the page with descriptive sentences and many many adjectives. They will write the same idea 5 different ways and magically they have a new paragraph.
My brain doesn't work that way. At least not naturally. If I have an idea or thought to express, I will write it. I may expand on it a bit, but that's it. In my mind, its said as clearly as possible. There is no need to beat a dead horse. I then move on to the next idea. Having to go back and expand what I already said just to fill some arbitrary minimum page count is where the torture comes in. I go back, find a spot where I can add a few sentences and then immediately check the updated page count. Often praying for a miracle. Eventually the paper would get done and I would have some reprieve until the next one came along.
Now blogging is a totally different animal. First, I get to write about what I am knowledgeable on. In general, I like to share funny anecdotes, things that I am passionate about and things I think others would want to know. I may ask for suggestions, but in general, I pick the topic. The length of the post is arbitrary, but I get to choose it. When I decide that I have exhausted the topic, I end the post. If I want to go back, I can always revise it or create a follow up post.
I love sharing my thoughts and ideas, tips and tricks, stories and crafts with you. Why acquire information and then hog it for yourself. Sharing really is caring! I hope you enjoyed this little insight into how my brain works. At least you know that my writing won't be full of fluff and filler. I will get to the point, tell you what you need to know so you can move on and have a great day!
Until next time, cheers!
Emily
How to take care of yourself while you are taking care of others.