This was the title of today's presentation. Our plan was not to have any pictures or flow charts, just a good conversation about why we blog, what makes a great blog post and how to push ourselves to do it better. What's striking about being with a large group of bloggers is how very individual we all are. We all blog in different ways, for different reasons and the very fact that we blog is the thread that weaves us all together. I really believe that creating a great blog, however and for whatever reason you do it, is a real accomplishment. There are millions of blogs out there, it's a crowded field and those that are able to build a name for themselves and create a following have done something to be proud of. It's hard to encapsulate almost eight years of work into a few talking points and yet that's what we were there to do.
For us Ideas in Food is about being true to ourselves. It was created as a digital notebook, chronicling our adventures in food and will remain as such for as long as it is in existence. No one would call us an overnight success and we freely admit that we are always looking to do more and reach more people. We talked about different approaches to blogging and what we realized is that the only rule is that there are no rules except for the ones you make for yourself. This is your platform to present your stories and ideas in your own fashion with no one but your readers to answer to and you should own it, enjoy it, and do it however it makes you happy. It's hard work and it won't always be fun or easy. Trolls are out there in large numbers and naysayers delight in taking us all down a peg or two. On the other hand, if you embrace it you will create something special of your very own, possibly building your own brand, and definitely finding your own voice and learning something about yourself in the process. That is always something worth working for.
Years Past
June 8, 2005
