The Joy of Blogging

The following post was a guest post I did recently over at Lil Blue Boo.  Ashley has had some different guest bloggers over talking about how they find the joy in blogging. Ashley is undergoing cancer treatment.  If you don't know her story, I would encourage you to visit her blog.  She is a true inspiration. 

I seem to have Ashley on my mind daily with all that she is going through during her cancer treatment.  I pray for her and her family quite often and I hope things move in a positive direction.  Ashley is such an incredible example of what it means to "Choose Joy" in ones life.  I could only hope that if I was dealt the same set of cards, that I could carry on and be a positive inspiration like Ashley.  But I honestly don't know ~ she is pretty darn amazing.

So, the question is "How do you find joy in blogging?"

I started my blog, The Cottage Home, almost exactly two years ago.  It originally started as a way to share my projects, recipes and ideas with my family and friends.  I began blogging through the encouragement of one of my friends.  She was really into reading blogs and knew that I was into, what I like to call, the domestic life.  When she told me that she would read my blog if I wrote one, I couldn't believe it.  Really?  Someone would actually be interested in my life?  I figured if even one person would read what I had to say, maybe others would too.

I find blogging to give me an identity outside of being a mother.  Yes, mother and wife are my two central roles, but I think it is so important for us to continue to pursue our passions outside of those primary roles.  I also want my children (two girls and a boy) to see me as something outside of their mother. I hope that when they look back at the blog I have created they will not only see their mother, but they will see creativity, passion, drive, a business woman and more.

Being a stay-at-home mom is wonderful, but sometimes it is hard to find other women that have the same passions and interests as myself locally.  Through blogging I have connected with more women who share my love of sewing, cooking, crafting and all things domestic than I could have ever imagined.  I love knowing that there are other women out there that share my same desire to create, my same addiction to fabric, and my same focus on family and the domestic life.

There is an innate desire within me to create.  Whether that may be creating a project for my children, creating a gift for a friend, or creating a comforting meal that I can share with my family.  Through creating I show those around me how I love and care about them.  The true joy comes when I can inspire others through my way of life to create things in their own lives.

My blog is pretty sewing focused and it is trilling to receive an email from a reader where I have inspired them to get back into sewing.  Perhaps they used to sew, but got bored with it and now I have created a project that they are excited about trying.  Or maybe it's someone whose mother sewed while they were growing up and now they want to sew for their own children.  Or maybe a grandmother has seen the girls clothing I create and is inspired to create something for their grandchildren.  Whatever the reason may be, if I can inspire someone to return to their sewing machine, then in that, I find true joy.

Not only do I hope to inspire others through blogging, I am forever inspired by my fellow bloggers as well.  I thought I would share some of the dresses Ashley's sewing patterns have inspired me to create. 

Thank you so much for inspiring us all through your blog, Ashley! Keep staying positive ~ we are rooting for you!

So, if you blog, how do you find the joy in blogging?

I'd love to hear from you!