Growing Your Writing Life

It's 2019 and I haven't shared my 2018 reflection post yet or my hooray for 2019 post yet BUT I have a few people to celebrate and celebrate them I will!

As 2018 was wrapping up, I noticed blog post after blog post from Ruth Ayres. I love Ruth and her words and the energy she shares so I was excited to read her posts. I started with I Like Writing + I'm Not a Fraud where she dusted off her blog and reflected on the writing she did in 2018. She writes, "In the year where I’ve claimed moxie as an intentional approach to life, I am glad to find evidence that the writer in me survived." She doesn't just survive, she lives through her writing and whether she realizes it or not, she's an inspiration because of it. 

Ruth spent the end of the year blogging everyday and I snuggled up in her words. She writes about the reality of life and it reminds me how being vulnerable and sharing stories can change the world. I know this because when I read her words, my heart feels tangible. Like I could carefully take it out of my chest and put it up on a shelf to admire...except I can't, it's inside me and so I get to carry all the love in my heart around with me everyday and all day and isn't that absolutely amazing?

If you aren't familiar with Ruth's blog, I hope you go check it out. If you are familiar with Ruth's blog, I hope you go visit and enjoy her words again. 

As someone who has been writing and blogging for a long time, Ruth is an example of someone who shows us what it's like to grow a writing life even after the shiny, newness of being a writer goes away. But I have two friends who bravely shared their new blogs on Facebook at the start of this new year that I'd like to recognize as well. These are people who are so boldly stepping into growing their writing life and I'm so thrilled that they have. .

I met Gregory Taylor at NCTE in Las Vegas in 2012 and loved his energy right away. I took a screenshot of a photo with him from my NCTE 2012 recap post so the image is super grainy but you can tell we're having fun!

We got to hang out again at NCTE in 2017 in St. Louis when I met a ton of his colleagues at the Nerdy gathering. He is a joy to be around and I love hearing about all the he does for the students he serves as a librarian. Well, now he has a new blog: QUILTBAG Books and I'm so excited to share it.  

I know he's going to bring the awesome to his blog and share ideas we'll learn from him. He has one post up so far and it's a must read.

And finally, I'd love to share a new blog from a former coworker of mine, Stephanie LeMaire. To be honest, I don't know Stephanie super well and we didn't work together long but we're friends on Facebook and when she shared her blog and her heartfelt reason for starting a blog, of course I clicked over to check it out. Her blog is Healthy Body, Mind and Heart. So far she has shared about her reality and how she's been managing her mental health. We need stories like this because, like Ruth reminds me, seeing how others navigate their reality gives us strength. 

Have you started a new blog? I don't mean to leave anyone out, these are the bloggers who have stood out in my Facebook feed but if you've started something new, returned to something you love, or are still plugging along, please let me know so I can celebrate you as well. 

Happy new year, friends! Thanks for sharing this writing life with me!