Why I Write and You Should Too

I write to promote good causes

I write to promote good causes

How do you connect to your community? What’s the best way to share your ideas with others across the world? How can you share your ideas and strategies to help others reach success? Why I write and you should too.

Des Walsh recently asked me to be part of blog hop.  He and several other people are trying to build some buzz in their respective communities and introduce their readers to new individuals in the process. I’m lucky enough to be part of the activities. I thought you might enjoy seeing what we came up with for our readers. I’ll share links to all their blogs at the end of this blog so you can see how to do your own blog hop.

The question for this week’s blog hop or meme was “Why do I write?”  An easy enough question to answer, I write because it provides me an opportunity to connect with my community on a regular basis.  It also gives me a chance to share what I know with others as a way of giving back to our communities.

I started writing a blog almost ten years ago, when my parents both became terminally ill. As an only child, I was responsible for taking care of them and I wasn’t sure how I could keep in touch with everyone when I lived several hours away from my clients and my community.  Taking care of two parents during their final years can be taxing and physically exhausting. So, I created a new business model that  allowed me to coach my clients where I was, and doing nature photography and write about it as a way of keeping my sanity. You can’t imagine how surprised I was when people began sharing my nature blogs and clients sent me questions about their photography interests.  Everywhere I went, I’d get questions and notes from people who had a mutual interest in technology and photography.  I had a relative small community, but we enjoyed, and still share, our photography.

I was not a writer, had never been one, and thought I never would be one. The photography blogs got me started and, as my parents’ health worsened,  I continued writing. I was surprised how closely people followed my blogs. Every week, I got notes from different readers either to ask a question or provide support.  Before we closed the nature photography blog down after my mother’s passing, we had a community of 8,000 people. For me, that was amazing, considering it was only supported by word of mouth marketing.

I changed all of my websites to blogs.  I created Developing Serving Leaders, as a place to write about my thinking, ideas, and strategies on serving leadership and issues that are important to my readers.  Since the blog is under my name, I can share what I think without worrying about what might offend someone else.  I write about tough issues and it gives me a place to share my ideas on what we can do to make the world a better place. Over the years, my blogs seemed to tap into the feelings within our communities, providing huge leaps in readership when I write about critical issues.

We  currently have over 121,000 readers  in our communities on my two blogs. I’ve shared my blog platforms with many great guest writers who bring their ideas on how to become stronger leaders in our communities.  This is why I continue to write.  Writing has become part of me, part of who I am.  Once you start writing on a regular basis, it will become part of you, as well.

The blogs have created a connection to my community and allow me to live by my values.  They have introduced me to many different, wonderful people with whom I now partner on different projects.  I find joy in being a writer, as well as a doer.  What else could you ask for? Not bad for a non-writer.

Now, to continue this blog hop, check out my fellow blogger, Des Walsh.  Thanks for including me, Des!   Read Des’ post from 8/11. Here’s Des’ Blog

Thanks to Susan Foster for starting this blog hop on Why I Write.

Come back tomorrow, when  I share three secrets that can be a great foundation for your writing efforts.  See you then.

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