The Connected Life of a Blogger
Today we welcome Patricia Weber to the Life of a Blogger series! She says she is an introvert-cum-blogger, an interesting conversion as blogging has helped her to connect with many people in a wonderful way. Patricia’s blog is here! Take it away Patricia!
Levels of connections. Meeting people fits for me even though I’m more of an introvert because one of my highest values is creating something new. That includes new friendships. When I blog I meet others who could be bloggers, people who are introverts or someone who found my most recent blog topic interesting.
One of my recent experiences came from a request I emailed to some other introvert bloggers I am connected with. Now one of these 12 or so LinkedIn connections and bloggers too, are exchanging guests blog posts. Most people become some kind of a connector for me. Fewer of them are people I move the conversation further along.
Connections can open a level of creation. Some people I meet through my blogging, live in my own local community, but more are across the world. Local coffee shops work to meet with people I want to connect further who live locally. If I’m not certain of any mutual interest or benefit, then I might Skype or Google Hangout before making that in-person commitment.
A couple of years ago, through my blogging, I met a local retired enlisted officer. We emailed, telephone talked, met in person and then, he invited me to be a panellist for a topic he was presenting at one of our local colleges. Blogging for me is more than writing. It’s almost a networking venue.
Connecting can lead to a collaboration or joint venture for – doing what I love again – creating something new. Getting to this level takes a bit more time and getting to know someone. It is more of a co-creating.
Through LinkedIn, because of my blog, I am in a couple of groups for bloggers. There I met a woman and we began to telephone talk. When I learned where she is from, we hit it off – I’m from the same state! Eventually after guest blogging for each other, we created an eBook and put it on Kindle.
So sometimes I monetize efforts, other times it can be a dismal failure. Regardless, I these kind of connections, are longer lasting.
I’m grateful for each of these unique experiences and more, as kaleidoscopic as they may appear. Like a kaleidoscope, with all shapes, sizes, colors and forms, my connections from my blogging are all unique.
How does your blog help you make connections? What’s been one of your most interesting connections? Do you have more good experiences in connecting than not so good?
See other posts in the Life of a Blogger series here! We would love to hear your blogging story! Email me and I’ll send you the Guidelines for submitting your contribution.