I've been thinking about this lately because there are blog posts everywhere that talk about "being yourself" on your blog and in your writing, but how much of what you read on blogs is actually accurate? Do you try to put on a good face even when you are feeling down? Do you avoid writing about the negative things in your life? Do you really say "lovlies" in real life?
For me personally, I feel like my voice is the truest. Like, when I say "dude" I would totally say that at that moment had we been talking face to face. I like to write the way I would actually talk. But there are certain things that I don't like to mention on my blog and that intentional subtraction could be taken as if I don't experience those certain things at all. For instance, I don't like to talk about my anxiety and the nights where I get the shakes and want to dry heave for no reason and think I'm going to die so that doesn't mean I don't experience darkness and shitty things like that in life. I don't talk about my friends, well because we are new to the area and to be honest, I still have yet to make any. And also, I don't want to put info out into cyberspace about a real life friend who most likely doesn't even know this blog exists. That doesn't really seem fair. And I'd feel like a tool asking them, "Oh hey, is it okay with you if I put this dorky picture of us stuffing our faces with ice cream on my blog?"
But overall, yes I think I do accurately represent myself online, minus the super personal things that are probably too depressing and stupid to read about anyway. Life isn't perfect and I don't try to make it look otherwise. So how accurately do you represent yourself online? Do you feel like it's hard to do or does it come easy to you?
There is a really great book on writing, called "If you can talk, you can write" where the author stresses the importance of writing exactly like you would talk. To throw grammar and rules out the door and to not force words and try and sound "literary" if that's not how you talk. I truly try to do that.
ReplyDeleteI will admit, there are topics I don't cover as much. For example, I'm vegan. I have vegan recipes on my page but I feel like because my blog is new, getting deeper into veganism or even throwing that label out there now might put people off, since they haven't had the time to know me yet, and I them. So I'm slowly slipping it in because I would be dishonest to not address it and provide info on it. Just like I'm quite a big geek and sometimes it makes me feel like an outsider but I know no other way but to be me, as we all should, so my geekiness is creeping into my blog more and more (tomorrow's post will show more of my geek side). :)
I really think this post you wrote is a fantastic one because it's something I think about every time I write a post. :) Thanks for sharing Alycia!
~Aubrey
www.projectlovegood.com
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ReplyDeleteOverall, yes, I think I represent myself pretty well online - However, I do curse WAYYY more in person :P
ReplyDeleteSometimes I hold back on things in case a family member or friend reads it. People know I blog but I don't know for sure who reads what. It's my space to write what I want but still I feel have to be careful. Also working in a school as a teacher and a TA holds me back, again, just in case!
ReplyDeleteThis has been on my mind recently, too, especially because I wrote a mildly negative post recently and was called out on it by two different people for being too harsh. I didn't see it that way, because it was more for laughs than anything. But it made me think a little about what I should hold back. All of the things I say on my blog, and that post in particular, I would say in real life. Granted, I do hold back a little because I am a preschool teacher and I don't want my kids' parents to read anything that would make them think I don't like their child or whatever. But aside from that, I'm pretty much an open book.
ReplyDeleteOn the internet as a whole - I'd mostly say so. There are definitely certain places where access to information or pesonality is restricted (facebook, twitter, linkedIn). My crochet blog doesn't include much in the way of life stuff, so there's not too much personalizing going on. My poetry blog has some personal stuff on it, but it's also art, so people expect a certain bit of fantasy at times.
ReplyDeleteI try to maintain an open and honest approach in all parts of my life (sometimes to my detriment) and that includes my blog. I don't always put ALL the depressing stuff out there either. Most of the time, because I'm trying not to think about it myself, trying to let it go and/or move on from it, and writing about it would only exacerbate the problem in my head. Nor do I think readers want to hear/see all the crazy thoughts that are running around in there, anyway. Not even I want to hear what's going on in my head half the time! LOL!
ReplyDeleteI love this post! This makes me want to write about the same topic AND MAYBE I WILL! Thanks friend, and hope you had a good weekend :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great post.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, for me it depends. In my old livejournals and stuff, I used to just write WHATEVER I was thinking... and I was usually inclined to write when stressed out/ in a bad mood. In blogging, I've felt that it's been hard for me to balance putting out too much of myself out there, and having too much of a "blog personality" or whatever. I think it's important to protect yourself, but I also think it's important to not give your readers the impression that your life is so perfectly twee, etc.
Then again... a lot of people like to escape to those "perfect" types of blogs. :shrug: Maybe it all has value.
I totally don't because I am the ultimate pessimist and everything pisses me off. No one, not even me, wants to see that all the time, so I don't talk about dick all any more because of it ;) But as of the past year or so, I really feel like I've grown out of blogging as a whole because I'm just not interested in sharing that kind of life with people any more. I'd more just like to show off things I've worked on than anything (hahaha...I'm sorta rotten)
ReplyDeleteMy life isn't perfect and all clean cut. I have seen some blogs and I sit and read and I think "reallyyyyy?!"
ReplyDeleteI originally started my blog from the courage of my cousin because I always say silly things and tell random stories which happened to me he doesnt live in england anymore so he can read what up to and read im still the same and always will be. at first I was a little nervous about my blog but now I'm all whatever lets just do it and let go. If someone doesn't like my life what I say or how I come across they shouldn't follow or read.
But my blog will always be me and the things I like, thats why there will be no fashion posts, I think I give fashion a bad name haha! And when there's no commas or full stops that means I'm talking like I normally do. I talk pretty fast and hardly breath, and I giggle at te end of of senatances haha!
I think it's important to come off as you would in person. But, at the same time, there are certain things that I would never post about (like my day, family/friend issues, etc) because my blog is strictly my craft blog. Now, I might post about a project giving me a hard time, or how I utterly failed at doing thumb gussets for the first time (true story :s). Basically, I don't post anything "personal" unless it relates to my craft in some way.
ReplyDeleteI definitely do. Honestly, being a gamer and such, I've been online most of my life. Between role-playing forums, games and now writing and reading blogs, I definitely am well... me. I can't imagine being anymore "me" online than I already am. :P For me, online and offline isn't really any different.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I try to represent myself as close true to real life as possible on my blog. I'm not one to hide how ridiculously poor I am due to working for myself, or that I like to go out and get drunk with my friends. That I have a weight problem and am trying but often failing to lose the lbs. I try to write the way I talk in real life, but my Twitter is probably even more true to me. I will rant and swear and say ridiculous things on there which I don't necessarily feel appropriate on my blog. I don't know why I feel the need to restrain myself slightly there but it's how I like it right now.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rafflesbizarre.blogspot.com
Well, my blog does represent me -- this is what I gathered from blog-friends whom I've met with. It didn't even occur to me. But yes, I have been blogging an online journal for several years now, and it is me. Although, I do admit to switching up to fancier words when the time needs it. And I am one of those sorry ones that put down the dark moments, when it happens. That's life, isn't it -- not everything is rosy. But I realise it isn't nice to infect others with bad things, and I do 'spring clean' once in a while and weed those unpleasant ones out, after a while.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I try not to talk about the real-life friends who are not aware of my blog.
I am still shy about telling others, Hey, I have a blog. What about you?
But I am one of those dorky ones that DO ask friends if I have their permission to put our silly pictures online :D
Juanita http://www.juanitatortilla.com
I'm pretty honest - or at least I think I am! I'm definitely not afraid to write about things which might not go along with popular opinion.
ReplyDeleteI don't write about my friends too often either, since none of them are bloggers. :P
I suppose I do try to put on a happy face when I'm feeling sad. I'm an honest blogger otherwise, though. I don't shy away from my mother's disability, so when it starts to get to me, I'll talk it out online as well as in person, even if it is only partly to raise awareness. I'm not afraid to show my disappointement when I get rejection letters back from fantasy literary agents (so flipping few of them accept fantasy, it's beginning to feel completely hopeless). BUT, I don't talk about serious things like politics, my standing on religion and what I think about assisted suicide and certain laws and so on. I don't feel people need to know about them.
ReplyDeleteBut I suppose I am a little nicer online than I am in person, but I'm not sure that's a bad thing. I'm not bitchy, but I'm so used to people being bitchy towards me that I've just sort of become a little sour. No one knows me well enough online or knows enough of what I look like to be so bitchy, so I'm a little more relaxed than I am in person.
So after that extremely uncertain babbling, I'd say I am fairly true to myself, but I might put on a happy face when I'm not so happy, but that's all. I'd say it was quite hard to be yourself online, though. With the fact that people can't see you face to face, you get a little more confident and behave how you wouldn't usually, and also for that same reason, it's easy to "re-invent" yourself. I fell into such a habit but I'm working on pulling my way out. Why would I want people to like a fake Kim? The real Kim is awesome, just not everyone's cup of tea, but I love her all the same ;P
Kim, A Blackbird's Epiphany
one of my best friends told me that my blog is 'totally you, but not you at the same time' - a side of me I guess. And I'm happy with that. I don't share much about my life as most of the people in it want their privacy, so I stick with my photos which I love sharing and taking. But honestly, I try not to worry too much though about how I represent myself and what others think any more, I got too caught up in all that a while back and it just added to my worries rather than benefiting me or my blog.
ReplyDeleteI am honest with the things I write on my blog. But I certainly don't write everything that happens in my life you know the bad and the ugly. I want to keep the nice and funny memories...you know family adventures. Maybe I would write all of my feelings only if I knew nobody would read it ah!
ReplyDeleteThere is a great writing book on this topic, called "If you can talk, you can write." I've read a lot of writing books and connected with it the most because he stresses the importance of writing like you would talk. So if you say "howdy" or "awesomesauce" then write it. On the contrary, if you don't talk "literary" then don't force it by writing that way. That is what I try to do, just write like I would talk.
ReplyDeleteThere are some topics I'm not diving in as much, about me, because my blog is so new but I'm letting it creep in more and more, giving readers time to get to know me and I them. :)
~Aubrey
Project Lovegood
Interesting topic! I've been going through a "self-reflection" period for my business as well. I think I'm becoming more of who I am, rather than who I think "the market" wants me to be. When I write & create & share info that is truly me and that I'm passionate about, I find that I get more and better feedback from the community. I'm still trying to find my voice, it's a long process. I have to admit though, that I do hold back. I curse like a sailor in real-life, am way harder on my self than I appear & am hesitant to present controversial topics for fear of scaring people off. It's a fine balance.
ReplyDeleteThe funny this is I do say "lovelies" in public... I get lots of weird looks lol. I'm okay with that ;) love your honest posts. they're fantastic (and yes, I say that too).
ReplyDeleteI feel like my voice on my blog is pretty consistent with who I am in real life, most of the time. I tend to write the way I speak, and I'm a personal blogger so there really isn't anything that's off-topic for me to write about.... I write about good things in my life, and somethings I write about not so good things. Probably one of the most common things I hear from readers of mine is they appreciate how I keep it real. That said, there are areas of my life that I'm extremely guarded about and at times I wish I was braver...
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