So, have any of you ever had that awkward moment where you
meet up with one of your favorites bloggers in a dream? Yep, that's happened to
me, twice as a matter of fact. The first time a blogger showed up in one of my
dreams it was Elsie from ABeautifulMess. Given her blog was the first one I
ever followed religiously, it's safe to say I fan girl over her in a big way. In
the dream, I visited her vintage shop and we struck up a conversation about
blogging (also, I distinctly remember a vintage orange couch). She asked me what I was doing my life and better yet, my blog. She's
the whole reason I decided to quit blogging on my whiney never-been-read LiveJournal blog and switch over to Dearie Lovie (you can read all about this dream/my switch here).
It's not necessarily that I
wanted an audience, I've been blogging since Junior High with not even my
mother reading my teenage ramblings. I'd gladly blog just for myself and my
sanity. It's a wonderful and effective outlet for me. However, I wanted to get
more serious about blogging. I really wanted to start spreading my wings a bit
more and jump in to a community of amazingly talented and inspiring women from
all walks of life.
That same sense of craving for community has not vanquished
over time. I've been blogging here at Dearie Lovie for over a year and I'm just
now starting to feel as if I've even got a foot hold in the door of connecting
with readers and other bloggers alike. My second dream occurred pretty recently. I was
in Portland meeting up with one of my favorite bloggers, Kara Haupt. We were
sitting at a cafe drinking coffee and taking pictures. We were having lively
blog and lifestyle discussions. We were bouncing ideas off of each other and
talking about collaborating on something wonderful. I was over the moon...and
then I woke up.
This dream only impressed upon me my desires to collaborate and
connect ever further. So, that lead me on a mini search to find Arkansas
bloggers and possible meet-ups I could attend because if there's anything that
tickles me more than discovering and reading about amazing ladies, would be the
opportunity to connect and meet these amazing ladies in person! I truly wanted
to throw myself in to a community and begin to build and network. There's
nothing like finding a person after your own heart in your own area. Am I
right?
Yet, my search results were not exactly what I was hoping
for. Most of the bloggers in my area are older women, who are more established
in their lives and topics, more serious and less free spirited it seemed. Their
blogs are interesting to read and they are great women in their own rights, but
I find myself not being able connect how I want to which leads me to
disinterest and disappointment. I don't mean this to be an all encompassing
statement about bloggers in my area. I'm sure there are bloggers out there who
are within my vein of blogging, who are different from what I've found on my
small and non-intensive search. Perhaps Arkansas is just not the young up and
coming blogger pool I was searching for and that is okay.
I just feel like I can't seem to find my niche which is odd
because I can connect and be inspired by so many different blogging niches. I
follow so many diverse blogs. I follow the Mommy bloggers and the young twenty
somethings. I follow the fashion blogs, cooking blogs. the wedding blogs and blogs focused
around design. Yet I wonder at times, "where do I fit?" Maybe right
now I don't. I still have so much learning and developing and refining to do as
life progresses so I'm not overly concerned about trying to pigeon-hole myself
into a category just yet. It's just something interesting to ponder and consider as I
sit here still thirsting to collaborate and commune with the bloggers of the
world.
Please, someone tell me I'm not alone in my cravings for
community and collaboration. Have you found a creative niche or are you just
going with the flow (like me)? What has your journey been? Have you been to any
meet-ups or collaborated/had creative discussions with any of your fellow
bloggers? And most importantly, have you grappled with ever pressing question,
"Where the hell does my blog fit in?"
I'd love to know so please feel free to share any thoughts
concerning or expanding upon this topic!
(Also, if you'd ever like to collaborate on something, are
in the area, have me guest post, discuss me taking on a project, just want to drop a line like an ole friend or
anything else you can come up with feel free to email me)
