Am I Blogging As My True Self?

IMAGE : THE MOTHER LOAD | Am I Blogging As My True Self?

I've been asking myself this question quite a lot lately. 

Am I really blogging as my true self?

This question has been bugging me in recent times, niggling away at the creative side of my brain which most of the time also doubles as my harshest critic. Truthfully, the answer is that I'm no longer sure. Maybe I am but I feel a bit of a disconnection to my own story lately and the words aren't flowing quite so freely. I feel like maybe I'm censoring myself a bit? This might be because I'm going through a few life changes; not the type of changes that see me driving a red sports car and shouting hormonal obscenities at random strangers, but more the kind of lifestyle changes that flip your world upside down while you hang on by your fingernails and hope for the best. More about that later.

ProBlogger 2014 - You Were Awesome!

IMAGE : THE MOTHER LOAD  | ProBlogger 2014 - You Were Awesome

This past weekend, I attended ProBlogger - Australia's largest blogger conference on the Gold Coast. What a fantastic community of passionate, talented and dedicated people I am lucky enough to be part of.  I'm so pleased I forced myself to attend even though the idea of staying home and remaining curled up under a blanket of bloggy anonymity appealed to me so much more than getting in the taxi to the airport. Now on the other side of the experience, I'm happy to report that I'm changed! ProBlogger has changed me! Not in an "I've found God" kinda way or even in an "I'm going to give up sugar" kinda way but in an "I know where I want to go on my blogging journey" kinda way! Zing! (Yep - waaay too many exclamation marks here I know, but there's no other way to provide you with the full version of my excitement and post-conference energy so bear with me, OK?).

ProBlogger 2014 - Here Goes....!

IMAGE : THE MOTHER LOAD | ProBlogger

Eeek! I'm going on a blogger's conference. In nine days. By myself. Eeek!

I don't go anywhere on my own. I'm lucky to get a trip to the beautician without someone accompanying me, asking all kinds of questions about hot wax and pain levels. I get followed to the bathroom with such predictable regularity that even the dog manages to get the door open most of the time. Nonetheless, I'm packing a bag and heading for the Gold Coast and I'm going simply as me the "writer" (note, I put that in quotation marks because I don't really feel worthy of that title yet - maybe the conference will help me change that?).

I'm a bit nervy though. I'm not very good at walking into a crowded room without having someone to make a bee-line towards. It reminds me of starting at a new school when I was a kid. Just gotta open that door and dive right in, eh? Nothing to it. Character building, one would argue. That's what I keep telling myself.

Finding A Voice - A Year In The Making

IMAGE : VOICESOF2014.COM.AU

I've never been very good at reaching goals. I LOVE to set them; I love listing them in lovely neat handwriting, I love imagining the steps I will take in order to reach them and then visualising myself atop the metaphorical podium accepting whatever accolades are associated with the end result. (I recall with fondness my Olympic dressage circa 1985 goal which sadly was not to be thanks primarily to a distinct lack of talent from both me and my humble steed).

When it comes to goals, I'm not often one to follow through and do the hard yards regardless of the usual impediments and challenges associated with reaching success. Either the life has gotten in the way, the goals are often just too Mount Everest-like for me to reach, or I'm just plain lazy and I lose interest with a loudly declared *yawn* as I fall back onto the couch. Indeed, my consistent failure is the result of all three in most cases.

One Year On! (And Other Cliché Headings)

IMAGE : MORGUEFILE.COM | One Year On!

So this week marks one year since I shared The Mother Load Australia blog for the very first time. *insert proud, overbearing stage mother face here*.

Back then, I set myself a little writing-a-blog goal and although the sharing was the most uncomfortable bit (yes - hard to believe at this point, right?), the response has definitely been the most rewarding part of the journey. Not in my widest dreams did I imagine that people would take the time to read, comment and share with their friends, the thoughts I randomly transfer from my scrambled brain onto the page with my usual irregularity and lack of planning. I still cringe with a small sense of embarrassment when I consider the concept of having an 'audience', but that is far outweighed by the privilege of getting a response every time I write.  What a rush.

I've had such a blast writing my ramblings, meeting other bloggers, learning how to do it better and seeing the audience grow. The most fun bit for me is that The Mother Load Facebook page is heading towards 200 followers - that's nearly 200 people who are happy for me to appear in their Facebook feed on an ongoing basis which is kinda mind-blowing and awesome. Thanks to all of you for taking the time to comment, 'like' stuff and share;  I'm certain the goal would have died a long time ago without the encouragement and accountability of all of you (because half arsed, unfinished goals are also a passion of mine it seems).

Anyway, here's to the year ahead. The Mother Load Australia will continue in 2014 and my new goal is to see it evolve, continue to do it better and hopefully entertain with more ramblings of parenthood, instinct, opinion, occasional wisdom and more than a little dysfunction.

S. x