Blogging 101 Days 8 and 9 – Get Lost in Venice

14 Saturday Mar 2015

Posted by sillisoup in Art and Creativity, Random Thoughts, Travel

Tags

I Wonder as I Wander

A number of years ago a friend and I took a trip to Italy. We were on a guided bus trip, but for us that just meant transportation and sleeping accommodations. Our real guide was Rick Steves. We had his Italy book, and he was our guru. When we arrived in Venice, Rick said, “Get lost in Venice.” His point was that the best way to experience that place was just to wander. It’s an island, for heaven’s sake, you can’t really get lost! He was completely right, of course, and wandering the streets and backways of Venice was the most charming and memorable part of our whole trip. All these years later, I can still picture the quiet little squares lined with ancient houses and enticing shops and cafes and bordered by canals with boats out of your dream of Italy. And guess what? We made it back!

That experience popped into my head more than once while navigating the assignments for these two days, which were to visit new blogs, browse, view, read, and possibly leave meaningful comments. Heading into the complicated web of streets that is the blogosphere (and not even the entire blogosphere, just the WordPress portion of it) felt like getting lost. One blog or link led to another where you might pause to visit and admire or have a chat, then to another where you might look in briefly then pass on by. In many instances, I couldn’t tell you why I arrived at a particular location or how to get back to it. Finally, since we were asked to link to some of our favorites, I began making notes about some blogs that I loved so that I and others could find our way back to them.

As with any good travel experience, I learned a lot. I learned about some of the people who blog. I learned about what appeals to me when I’m spending my time in the blogosphere. I saw a variety of formats and styles in both the way people express themselves and the way they present their material. Some of what I saw and read inspired me to examine and improve my own blog.

Great Destinations: Blogs I Loved

I like to read blogs that are well written and articulate. I love visual interest – photos, drawings or other art work, interesting typography and formatting. And, of course, topics that appeal to my interests – travel, art, photography, reading. Here are a few that I found and plan to follow:

Deformedly Gracious

Stories both fictional and nonfictional accompanied by delightfully whimsical drawings
A favorite post: Moscow Metpo

My Truant Pen

Writes about everyday life, weather (she lives in New England-snow central), and my favorites – books and writing
Well written, nice photos

And, importantly, the blog listed and linked in the comment below

All of this brings me to part III of today’s post:

An Open Letter to Michelle and Blogging 101

[The format of the below is inspired by and with great respect for one of my new favorite blogs, Sincerely, Becca. This blog is beautifully written and illustrated and alternates between completely moving and hilariously funny. One of the writing formats she uses is the letter written to individuals or organizations. Here’s one I particularly loved: “Dear eHarmony, Should I Talk about Back Fat in My Profile?”]

Dear Michelle W. and Blogging 101,

I can’t decide whether to hate you or thank you! On the one hand, you have given me the tools and motivation to reactivate my blog and experience other people and even other places. You’ve encouraged me to think and write more creatively and to communicate with other bloggers. I feel more mentally stimulated than I have in a long time. My blog is looking better and better. And I’m super excited about all that I’m learning.

On the other hand, I’m spending hours thinking about what to write, writing, grooming my blog, and strolling through the labyrinth of other blogs. And you’re feeding my technology addiction. Now, in addition to checking Facebook and email on a regular basis and getting lost in all that information, I have blog checking to add to the distraction. Furthermore there’s the increased vanity, not to say self-worship, of checking all these locations to see if anybody’s talking to me or admiring my clever comments and creative genius. In the meantime, my house is beginning to look like someone broke in and ransacked it.

OK, so let’s see: learning, new writing and creativity, mental stimulation, and communication with others vs. a clean house and a less inflated ego. Hmmmm…. THANK YOU it is!!!

Sincerely,

Jeanne

Blogging101 – Renewing My Neglected Blog

03 Tuesday Mar 2015

Posted by sillisoup in Food

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

beginning, blogging101, creativity, writing

It has been over a year and a half since I posted to my blog. So much has happened during that time. Why didn’t I write about it? I’m not sure. Well, many reasons. Probably the greatest one is the inertia that hits me when I contemplate a writing task that requires some form of introspection and creativity. It’s difficult to write. And it’s difficult to adequately and honestly express one’s feelings. I have very little difficulty when it comes to writing tasks that are instructive, factual, or straightforward narrative. It’s the “deeper,” more personal stuff that daunts me. Also, maybe I’m a little lazy. And I want my writing to be perfect – which fosters procrastination. Ok, so enough about NOT blogging. Let’s just get on with it.

I signed up for Blogging 101 to force myself to return to Sillisoup, the aforementioned neglected blog. It’s interesting to revisit my original purpose in starting the blog. Almost immediately, I deviated from that purpose, because really I just wanted to be able to post thoughts, experiences, and photos. Also, I discovered that although other family members thought a location to share recipes, ideas, etc. sounded like a good idea, the collaboration never materialized. Metaphorically, the blog tittle, which originally referred to my family’s signature soup (sausage soup – that name was already taken), could be taken to refer to the “soup” of content that represents the constantly shifting smorgasborg that constitutes my consciousness and interests.

I hope that as the days progress in the Blogging101 experience, I’ll be able to write about some of the significant things that happened during the year and a half I was absent from Sillisoup. And of course, I look forward to opportunities for contemplation about the now. Further, I will look to my fellow bloggers for input, inspiration, and camaraderie. Most of all, I hope that this experience will turn into a habit that generates a newly revitalized ongoing blog!

One thing I know about any creative endeavor is that in order to do it well, one must do it, then keep doing it, then do it some more. That’s certainly true of writing. Whenever I go into agonies about writing I remember the truest thing I ever read about writing – at least as it pertains to my perspective on it. It was on a poster put out by a publisher of college textbooks: “In writing, the only hard thing is to begin.” So here I am, beginning. Again. Then tomorrow, another beginning. Perhaps after a while it’ll feel like I’m in the middle and it won’t be as hard.