Why do you blog or read blogs?

Today I read an interesting little article called What is your favorite thing about blogging? by Crissy Herron on Indiebizchicks.com. It got me to thinking about how much of an outlet my blog has become for me and how important it is to me. There are so many reasons people blog, but I blog to vent, seek comfort and friendship, to feel connected to others and find and share inspiration and honestly to look for approval, though I don't like to admit that. I have met so many caring people and "soul sisters" that I can't imagine just dropping it or giving it up. I know that I really don't have that much important stuff to contribute, but I feel like part of a community here and I've always liked to throw in my two cents anyway. I kinda feel like my own CEO of my life here. I control what I post, what I link to and when to do it. When do you really have that much control in life? Not very often, for me.

I've often wondered are there many people out there that just read blogs and not have their own? I have so many blogs that I read or at least try to keep up with that I could easily fill my time just reading and not do any writing myself. But I feel like I have too much to say and to show. I guess I'm kinda the spoiled child that demands "look at me, look at  me!"... ha ha

I love to read about other people's lives and what they do and what goes on and their kids and animals and homes. People really open up about themselves in their blogs whether they realize it or not. I especially like to read the blogs of creative people and secretly hope some of their ambition and energy will rub off. One of my most favorite things to read about of these creative people is their workspace. Like that expensive and totally addictive magazine "Where women create", I get to peek into their creative lives and see how I stack up. I also like to read snippets of facts about them. I used to post at the bottom of my posts "This artist's observations of the day" but kinda got out of it. I think I'll start that back up, because that is stuff I like to read. I also have recently been trying to go back and correctly label my posts. If you have recently just started to blog, this is important. It really is time consuming to go back and label and re-label but I think it is making my blog easier to navigate even if just for myself. I didn't quite understand the labels before, but now it has clicked.

My grandma, who is 94, used to write in her diary all the time. She has books and books of them and tells me she goes through occasionally to remember. I like that, and a blog or at least my blog is kinda like a modern day diary that me and 12 million other souls can read if they so please. Of course I don't put everything out there that I think or do, most of that would be dull, boring and possibly admissible in court. But I like to share things in my life and the voices in my head... ha ha. It definitely has helped me deal with my mother's death.

My husband truly does not understand this at all. I was taking pictures the other day of food to use for a post and he asked me what on earth was I doing? I used to sheepishly answer "nothing", but now I just smile to myself and proudly tell him I'm sharing with my friends. He just rolls his eyes and shakes his head. I guess he'll never understand. Well, he doesn't have to. I have all of you. :)

Why do you blog or read blogs?