Why do I blog?
The reasons are not quite the same as when I started blogging.
Originally, I saw writing a blog as a challenging hobby that could one day grow into a revenue stream or an audience for possible products or businesses I might create. So while I didn't start blogging to get rich, the possibility of monetizing was definitely enticing. I think I was also seeking some sort of external validation for either my thoughts or my writing skills, even if I didn't admit it publicly back then.
So how are things different now?
First of all, I've given up on any goals of making money off my blog, ever. This has actually been liberating since it minimizes the need to worry about external validators such as likes or upvotes. Sure, I'm still checking them, just through a different lens than before. Now it's pure curiosity to see what resonates and try to understand why. Before, I saw them as the main indicator of success or my worth as a writer.
I now blog purely to document, grow, and connect.
Document
Documenting my "journey" online has been an exciting idea for me ever since the beginning. Originally, I looked at it as something that I could "look back on," especially if I ever "made it." Over time, this didn't feel like a true and honest reason, though, because I could easily achieve this by documenting offline. Eventually, I realized that online documenting wasn't something for me to look back on.
Instead, it's proof — for others — of what I've said or thought, how I've grown, or how I've stayed the same. Documenting online makes me more honest, accountable, and real..
Harder to be full of sh*t, basically.
Grow
Writing publicly can be a great source of growth on its own, but doing so in a second language, further away from your comfort zone, can boost it even further.
I switched to writing in English over my native language, Finnish. This was a conscious decision to optimize my growth over the probability of becoming a "good" writer. I don't pretend to be terrible in English, by any means, but it definitely puts me a category or two lower on my writing skill level compared to Finnish. Of course, a lower skill level also means more room to grow, which really excites me.
Connect
I want to connect to different people and ideas through my writing, whether it's someone resonating with my ideas or challenging them.
This was the second big reason for me to switch to English. It instantly multiplied the number of people who could read my writing and therefore connect with it by roughly 273. Of course, this also means a more "crowded" space, which might make it harder to stand out and connect with someone, but it's so much better than excluding over a billion people from the chance of ever connecting through my blog.
If you want to reach out to me, you can do so via email. See my About page for my address. I would love to hear from you and share ideas.