Bloggity Blog Blog Blog

This week's Getting to Know You Day at Create a Connection is all about blogging:

When did you begin your first blog and what inspired you to do so?

I started blogging on Myspace the summer of 2005. Inspiration? I'm terrible about keeping in contact with people by way of phone calls and emails, so I thought I'd email everyone with a link to my myspace profile and then if they didn't know what was going on in my life it was their own fault. I'm terribly lazy like that.

Do you have more than one blog? Why? How are they different?

I actually have 5, but only 4 that are active. I still use Myspace to talk about most of the personal stuff that goes on. My mom and sister, friends from high school, and my closest college friends are all on Myspace, so that's where I try to update everyone on our exciting and glamorous life.

I have a Xanga blog that I use to clear out my email inbox when I have a lot of forwards I like - I'm not the "send this to everyone in your address list 5 times in the next 2 seconds or your life will suck forever until the day you die - which will be in exactly 24 hours" type of person. I haven't posted to it since January, though.

And I have 3 (yes, three) Blogspot blogs. I know, it seems a bit much. But I'm the kind of person that likes to be able to compartmentalize things. And the Labels feature just wasn't enough for me at the time. I have one blog just for photography (although I'm thinking of discontinuing that one and just doing my photography posts here on select days). I have a separate blog for karate. And this blog for my feeble attempts at creative writing, memes, devotional thoughts, and whatever else happens into my head as I sit at the keyboard.

How would you characterize your blog?CreativePoliticalInformationalCommunity-orientedOr something else?

I'd say this blog would be quasi-creative and sometimes informational. But mostly it's just random.

To paraphrase Oprah, what is "one thing you know for sure" about blogging?

I'm pretty sure I know where the "Publish Post" button is. Most of the time. That's about it.

Is it important to you to get feedback in terms of comments or pings? Why or why not?

Sometimes I obsess over it, but usually I can just remind myself that I'm really only writing for me. If other people actually enjoy reading it and care to share that with me, I'm thrilled.

What 3 blogs would you recommend to our readers and why?

Sarah and the Goon Squad makes me laugh all the time. Sarah's twins just turned 3, and they are hilarious little people!

Scribbit is another good one. I love Michelle's writing style. She always has great ideas, and those recipes she posts on Sundays always look yummy. Someday I'll try one.

I just started reading I Am Bossy recently. I think Sarah brought this one to my attention. So far I have yet to be unentertained by a Bossy post. I adore her "illustrations", and Bossy constantly speaks of herself in the third person - Amber likes that.