After posting my first official 'Doing Work You Love' profile (on the delectable Belgian Chocolatier Piron), I sit back and wonder if it works in the blog format. Is it okay to do feature-style profiles in a blog? One friend remarked that my first 'DWYL' profile seemed like 'old school' journalism. "Is that the way you want to go?" She asked. "This seems like some serious reportage for a blog."
This got me thinking that profiling people who love their work is not really blogging. I mean, technically, a feature article is not what a blog should be.
Blog stands for web log. Log means a diary of sorts and diary means the author's stream of consciousness about his or her own experiences. If the writing is profiling other people, then does it become something other than a proper blog?
Another friend said, "Your blog can be anything you want it to be. It's your blog!" And she's right. Yet, in the same way that pizza and orange juice just don't go together -- the more I look at it -- a piece of journalistic writing just doesn't feel like it fits with a blog.
All I know is that I love capturing the heart and soul of a subject inspired to do the work he or she loves. This whole cyber-world has opened up the opportunity to put the kinds of feature stories I want to write out there... now the question is how to do it. What form will it take?
I'm thinking the answer is creating a 'Doing Work You Love' website where I can feature 'DWYL' stories and offer a link to my blog on the site. It may be easier said than done, but it's calling out as the next logical step.
Developing a full-fledged website feels like a huge leap. By the same token, making space for 'Doing Work You Love' profiles, via a dedicated website, will hopefully inspire me to want to fill that space.
So now it's a matter of learning how to create the website. I can't say enough about Apple in this regard. As a Mac user, the 'One-To-One' training sessions are invaluable. An incredibly smart and patient teacher spends an hour showing me the ropes on everything from how to manage my e-mails and photos to how to edit video. It looks like I'll be heading back for Website Building 101 (and, from what I can tell, it seems pretty easy!)
The work in progress continues. I'll keep you posted. Steady she goes!
Good work until the next...
Carolyn
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Good thoughtful post; and I'm of the mind that a blog can be anything the author wants. I read tons and the only commonality I find is the author's passion about the subject. Whether it's first person, third person, observation or analysis..anything can go!
ReplyDeleteFar be it from me to dampen your enthusiasm for starting a Website, but I still stick to my beliefs that your blog is your blog and it can be anything you want it to be. Who says it has to be a journal of any kind? The only person who gets a say is you.
ReplyDeleteThat said, I'd love to learn what you're learning about building a Website, since I think that's my next step, as well. I'm not going to change my blog though. It's mine. Maybe this comment is simply justifying the fact the my own blog does not meet the standard idea of a blog, but those standards are defined by the bloggers themselves, not someone on high.
For example, I came across a blog about sheds, and when I tried to find it again, I found dozens of blogs — about sheds! Who knew.
Who says pizza and o.j. don't go together? :)
ReplyDeletedon't over think it. just do it... blog, webpage, articles... whatever!! talk to people about the work they love and write about it anywhere... everywhere... write something every day... anything... un-tether yourself! get five minutes with the guy selling streetwise. interview a coworker. find a spark in an eye and shine the spotlight on it with your curiosity, your attention, your love.
ReplyDeleteyou have this in you, carolyn. pop the lid off and do it everyday. spout off!
trust your instincts....
it's all good.
with love,
a friend.