I’ve got to the end of the #Blogging28 challenge. And the final topic is to think about my blogging plans for February. Last week I heard the coastguard helicopter hovering overhead, I went to Twitter and saw that locals were discussing it. I noticed one of the locals had a blog and I decided to follow them. I have a lot of people in my life that use blogs, but most just blog to talk about their hobbies and interests. So, despite being frequently around bloggers, I rarely meet people passionate about blogging.

One of the things I’ve noticed about this blogging local, is that they are part of blogging networks and share their writing on social media. This is something I have not really done before, I mean, it’s difficult to say please read about my life. I worry about being boring, seeming vain or just inadvertently excluding others. But if I really analyse these feelings, most communication involves some form of risk – whether that’s risk of being disliked, misunderstood or ignored. I don’t know if I am ready to start promoting myself, but if I want to interact with more folk I will probably have to at some point.

I started following a few Twitter accounts aimed at supporting bloggers. I like them, and have found interesting blogs through them. However, a theme I am noticing in all the networks is Follow me, retweet me, comment and we’ll do the same to you. So, to me, the correspondence feels shallow. I am sure it’s not aimed that way. But that’s how I feel.

The local blogger writes often about their mental health. This is a theme I have strong opinions on. And I’d like to blog about more often, but meh, I live my mental health. I am too tired to write about it. I probably will write about it again in the future, but right now I’d rather paint about it:

Latest painting

So what does this have to do with goals? Well, what is seen as blogging good practice (eg. blogging often, promoting yourself) just isn’t me. Sure I’d like readers, but not enough to actively go out fishing for them. I’d like to write about my mental health because I think it is important to communicate, but I need to recuperate. I want a support network of other bloggers to hang out with – virtually or in real life – but I don’t socialise naturally. And if I keep comparing myself to other bloggers, I’m doomed to feel inadequate. One of the things I think is important about my voice is that sometimes it’s just quiet – and that’s OK.

With this in mind, here is my plan for next month:

• Blog when I feel like it
• Refrain from starting my posts with I haven’t been active lately but…
• Enjoy the silence