After two years of looking after other people’s blogs I have taken action and started this blog. The inspiration for the title came from a client who said that every time she came to see me she would tell her friends that she was going to “see a man about a blog”.
I thought this was so hilarious that I decided to use this as my title rather than a dry and boring one like ‘social media management’. I had thought about using ‘Blogging for the Terrified’ but this is not just a resource for people who are just starting or have a fear about expressing themselves. However when I get faced with a blank theme I can get blocked by the fact that there is so much to do and the thought that no one might be interested in what I have to say.
Fortunately I have read ‘The War of Art’ by Steven Pressfield which tackles this thorny issue. He says that the thing we are most frightened of is the very thing we were sent to this planet to do. There are no clever tricks about beginning to write – you just have to start. And once you start you can usually trick your brain into thinking you might actually have something interesting to impart.
So my hope is that I can inspire other people to write blogs and share their unique knowledge with the world – you might even make a bit of money or even a lot of money! Even if it just allows you to explore your creative part then I think it would have been worth the effort.
You are always welcome to ask questions. I like questions – it means you are willing to learn something.
Keep blogging
Andy
dee blick says
January 5, 2011 at 8:21 pmA nice little blog!
I am an author and erstwhile journalist/columnist so I suffer from an overdose of words; too much to say and consequently the need to pare down more than I care to admit. However we can all find our flow and less is more, as I often remind myself so good luck with your blog. Be genuine, share without reservation and spend a little time reading your posts through before you post them. I am my own biggest critic and the proverbial red pen is never far away! There is nothing like regularity to get you into a writing flow and developing your style and confidence.
Andy Britnell says
January 5, 2011 at 10:54 pmThanks Dee
I am fortunate that my partner is a writer so nothing goes out without her beady editorial eye checking my spelling, grammar and that my writing makes sense. I often write posts and then leave them to ‘settle’ before publishing and often read them again after publishing to see if something can be tweaked to improve the flow. My writing has improved dramatically over the years through article writing for my website and doing writing for other blogs I look after. I agree that posting regularly oils the writing wheels. Grateful to you for adding your wisdom to my little blog – I am sure it will grow over time.
jane stretton says
January 6, 2011 at 10:11 amHve left u a message on twitter. am very interested in the whole thing about procrastination – (am world’s worst – or best, depending on how you view it, I guess) Have just started putting some stuff together about it – might be good to chat when I have something coherent to say?
hve tried to connect on LI – but dont know ur email and I don;t know u any other way – want to find me instead?
Andy Britnell says
January 6, 2011 at 2:12 pmHi Jane
Hope you have found me on LinkedIn now. You are obviously a professional procrastinator, having practiced it for years 🙂
I think most of us procrastinate in different ways and in different contexts. The thing is that procrastination is not a behaviour – it is a strategy. We go through various stages or states to get into procrastination and then different stages or states to get out again.
It is useful to think about what causes you to get in, so you become aware of how you do it and can break the pattern. Also become aware of the strategy to get out of it, so you have a blueprint for escaping when you realise you have not caught it at an early stage.
There is more about procrastination on my website. Why do we do it and 5 ways to get unstuck.
Give me a call when you want to talk. I’ll send you a direct message on Twitter with my number.
Many thanks for your comment – it’s great to have interaction on a blog.