Blogging is more than something you should do just because you see some sort of cash influx at the end of the tunnel. Blogging, and more specifically, writing, is something every person should partake in - whether or not they're writing for all of the United States, or an impressive audience of one.
Blogging Makes You a Better Storyteller
As Malcolm Gladwell taught us in his book Outliers, it takes 10,000 hours to truly become an expert at something. The more you practice, the better you'll be. And there are only so many people we have that are willing to listen us yammer on about what's happened in our lives at any given moment. By writing and orchestrating narratives that inform an audience, we craft our storytelling in such a way that we'll tell better, more entertaining stories when they matter most.
Strong storytelling abilities make us more interesting and likeable. Having more friends means your social networks are stronger, which, according to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, makes you a happier person. And your happiness makes other people happier - and on goes the circle of goodness.
Blogging Makes You Better at Your Craft
When you write or blog about any topic, you're forced to carefully structure the argument in a way that causes you to challenge and strengthen your own ideas. Before we write something down, all that information is floating around informally in our brains, and because of it, we often miss rather simple holes in our own logic.
By writing it down, we find and close those holes, and also better understand the topic in order to practice and teach it more effectively. Plus, you will likely end up teaching others and connecting with other thought leaders in the space - who in turn will pass on their expertise to you.
Blogging Makes You A Better Reader
When you begin writing for a long time, you begin to better appreciate the writing of others. Instead of viewing a book for an idea, you begin to appreciate the effort and depth required to create that book . When you read some of the best writers alive, you gain special appreciation of their style and structure, which in turn makes you writing better.
I don't think it's very arguable that reading makes you a better, smarter, more interesting person - and any time you have reason to do more of it, that's going to enhance your life - and others - overall.
Get your blog on!
Even if you're just writing for yourself, blogging, and writing - is something you should do. Writing is a practice of active thought, and the more we get away from mindless television and other entertainment, the better society will be. Blog on!
Why You Should Blog Even Without an Audience is a post from: We Blog Better. © 2010. Share it freely, but please link back to this source.