The Difference Between Blogging and Writing Articles

I write well, just not here. The difference between my blogging and article writing is simple: Here, is the home for my seemingly endless trains of thought to be broadcast into the great void I like to call the internet. Half, to get them to stop constantly swirling through my head contributing to insomnia, and half because I think maybe someone might find them interesting and I feel a duty to keep these imaginary people updated.

When I write articles, the intention is different. I try to convey a thought, a single idea, in a clear and succinct manner to express my opinion or enlighten someone who happens to have the same question. I was much better at melding the two – blogging and article writing when I was still in high school and did both regularly. Sadly, I feel that the quality of my writing when I was in high school was much better than it is now (not including content – I hope that lives in a dark dark place).

I’ve realized, that while I don’t intend to give up my place of musing in long streams and overuse of commas, It might be nice to get back into writing well. I’d like to brush up on The Elements of Style, and write up a few pieces that I can point to and say “this is an example of my writing”. Because my blog is simply a blog, and not an accurate reflection of my ability to write; just a reflection of my rich internal life and too many thoughts to keep in one brain. Or one blog, for that matter, judging by the amount of notebooks I have that I keep filling.

Future articles that I post here, will be under the “Article” category for safe keeping. Next week I’ll post several articles covering a variety of subject matter to remind myself that I am actually a good writer.

Experiment

Next week I’m going to do an experiment. I’m going to post specific content (which I’ve already partially decided on) and I’m going to monitor how much time I spend updating my blog and the social-ness related to it. Not because I think it’s bad or that I’m going to stop, but because I think it’s a skill that I should continue to hone – writing interesting content and keeping everything all updated and synchronized.

So I have a handful of topics that I think will be interesting, and I’ll be posting article-style (like I used to, with better writing and everything!) during the week.

I’ll also be unlocking more badges.

Time

I feel guilty because right now I’m not trading my time for money. Which on bad days makes me feel like I’m just a leech, and on really good days makes me feel incredibly free and useful.

I’m using my time to be productive, learn, and establish myself. Which are all good things, and smart things and lucky things to have time and the (saved) income for…I’m setting up my fake empire and doing all these things at 21 is pretty good. Still, watching people who have less time than I do because of working makes me feel guilty for having so much of it and having so little to show for it. At least, it feels that way.

So, I focus and I do things, and I do a lot of things. I don’t really know what I’m doing, but I’m learning, and setting myself up, and that’s a good use of time. I think.

The most valuable thing is time

(artist unknown?)

Doing a Thing

Status

I’m doing a cleanse thing this week. Today, I’m eating fruits, drinking a ton of water and having green tea with honey (because my throat is sad, cat allergies :P ). I like it because I have a fridge-ful of fruit. I plan on doing some core exercises all week too – nothing intense.

hm

Switched bags for tonight and my trip tomorrow. I plan on filming a segment, if not an entire special episode for next week while I’m off adventuring. Both at the Avenger’s midnight premier and in Boston before/after The Nerdist Podcast.

I need to sleep more, but I just got my hair all perfect for going to the game thing tonight so I don’t want to lay on it. Also, I’m way too excited (and woke up way too early) about the next 36 hours. I can always sleep on the train, and sleep until I need to get ready to leave tomorrow.

I was having a hard time not feeling guilty all week because life happened and ruined my plans of finishing badges, Mass Effect 3, and starting on a new painting set – but it supplemented it with better things, so I shouldn’t feel bad right? For some reason, when I write things down and say “I’m going to get this done this week” I feel bad when I don’t. Which is good, I guess, but I shouldn’t let it get to me to the point where I stress about it because there are more fun things to do but I told myself I’d do X, Y, and Z instead.

art journal

It’s weird sometimes, how one different decision can affect your general…I don’t know, decision-making-outlook for a brief time (or longer). Like, deciding to go to the game night instead of turning it down – one unusual decision lead to, hey, you know if I really wanted to, I COULD go to Boston. Another, even more unusual decision. And then doing that.

Making unusual decisions is really scary, but it’s the good kind of scary, it’s the scary that makes you feel like you’re alive and actively involved in your life instead of passively. Unusual decisions lead to new experiences and adventures, which fit well with my word and my 21 things. I wanted to be more social, and do something that scares me and making unusual decisions (or decisions that I don’t generally make in favor of staying in my comfort zone) allow me to do that.

21 Things