The blog has left the building.

A couple of weeks ago, I was surprised and appreciative that I was asked to write a guest blog entry for Scott Kelby’s blog today.  Scott is the President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, the founder of Kelby Training and the editor-in-chief of Photoshop User Magazine.  Scott is also a photographer so his blog is very much geared (pun intended) to that creative pursuit.  I’m sure more than a few of his regular photographer readers are initially wondering if my animal paintings are some sort of freaky new HDR technique, until they read the entry.

You’ll find a number of different takes on keeping a blog.  Some say it’s a waste of time, others swear by it.   In keeping with the theme of the entry on Scott’s blog, I decided awhile ago to just ignore what others say about blogs, and I enjoy writing in mine.  I’ve always liked writing, even in school.  Those that know me best know that I’ve even written a couple of novels, the last one over ten years ago,  although if I’m being honest, I chickened out when it came to really putting in an effort to get them published, but I enjoyed the process immensely.  I’ve been toying with the idea of dusting one of them off, re-editing it with the voice of a little more experience, and giving it another shot, just because I love the story so much.

I also find that I enjoy the ‘keeping a diary’ aspect of a blog.  At the end of each year, I write a summary of what I did and didn’t get done over the past 12 months, and I derive quiet satisfaction from going through my posts, especially since there are always little things I’d forgotten about.

From a marketing standpoint, a blog is supposed to be a good thing.  It gives you something new to post on social media, offers a little more insight into your work, and keeps you focused on your goals.   Personally, I like that it gives me a chance to write a lot more often than I would otherwise.  For those of you that stop by often or even just once in awhile to read it, “Thank you.”