Olliviette_-_How-I-Fell-In-Love-With-Words (1)

guest post by olliviette – how i fell in love with words

This blog post is about words and I’m sitting here struggling to find the words to share how I feel…about words.  

I came into this world with a paintbrush in one hand and a book in the other.  As a child, I was either creating a “masterpiece” or devouring a book. While art allowed me to express myself freely, books granted me passage into different places and times.  They pushed me into the secret worlds where imagination ran wild. Words created the space where I was allowed to be an artist.

This escape might seem trivial to those who grew up in a world where they had every chance to be someone or something but for a girl on a rock in the middle of the sea it was priceless.  

As I grew older, I started writing.  I wasn’t trying to be the next Dickens. I used writing as a means of expressing myself and capturing moments of my being.  You can take your selfie, give me a blinking cursor or a journal – they are my pensieve.

I started blogging before it was even known as “blogging” so writing has transformed into another means of expressing myself.  At first, my blogs were all hidden but as people found them and connected to them, I realized blogs are powerful tools.

I remember the day my mommy, who had just started to use the internet, told me she found my blog and enjoyed it.  She listed her favorite posts and I was sitting there like what twilight zone episode is this?

It has become important for me to write and whether I do it well or not is not my concern.  I try to do it well but I’m seriously not Dickens ya’ll. Gathering my emotions, jotting down a crazy idea, reflecting on the messiness of it all, I’m creating my own stories.  I don’t care if they’re not the best; they are mine.

But let’s go back to the point about the little girl on a rock in the middle of the sea.

If I hadn’t been allowed to explore words, books, and ideas, I wouldn’t have had the chance to let my imagination grow.  I wouldn’t have been curious about the world beyond me and I would have been satisfied with the rock.  Without the ability to savor words, I wouldn’t see the importance of writing my own story. There would be no need to evaluate my life and think beyond the first layer of the onion.

Art gave me a soul, words gave me an escape and blogging/writing gave me healing.  I appreciate words and blogging more than I let on. But I’m happy to have the chance to share my true feelings today.

So you wanna be a blogger huh?  Here’s some real advice that you can only get from Olli (uh, that’s me):

  1. Blog what you know, blog what you love: I don’t know anything about rocket science so I don’t blog about that.  Simple.
  2. Don’t worry if your writing sucks:  More than half the people calling themselves bloggers (and writers!!) are mixing tenses and start every paragraph with “so”.  Sooooo….just write?
  3. Trying to be like your fav blogger is a waste of energy:  Why?  Cause it’s not your voice or your life.  Be yourself and be authentic on this journey.
  4. Know why you write:  Some days I sit and think of nerdy lil me with my head deep in a book and young adult me writing her first blog posts.  Both versions of Olli needed words. I needed words to find new worlds and to capture the world I was living in. Both versions are cheering me on right now.
  5. Blogging doesn’t have to be a business:  It’s super okay if you don’t want to make money from this or go to fancy events.  It’s okay if you just want to share your thoughts. Don’t feel pressured to be that blogger.

About the blogger

Name: Olli

From:  A rock in the middle of the sea

Blogs at: www.olliviette.com and www.thecococreativ.com

Follow her on Twitter:  @olliviette

Get in touch: [email protected]

 

Comments

  1. This is such a lovely story. I love your point about words giving you the power to explore and go beyond your own reality, because that’s something I’ve always loved about creative outlets. Blogging is the best addition to that, because you really can explore the whole world just through reading posts from people all over the world.

    Megan // https://pixieskiesblog.wordpress.com/

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