I relate the fear of blogging to a crazy dream I have every now and then. In it, I find myself standing naked in front of an audience. How I came to speak in front of a large audience without knowing I had forgotten to get dressed is neither here nor there.
The point is that for me, the fear of blogging and the thought of the nightmare of standing naked before a crowd leaves me feeling exposed and vulnerable. It can, obviously, be a complete show stopper.
Finding the freedom within ourselves to write “authentically” is not something that comes naturally to all bloggers. Whether it’s the fear of rejection or the fear of creating a “situation” (as my mother used to call it) can be debilitating. But I believe that social media and blogging is all about being true to who you are, and the only way to convey that is through authentic writing.
Blogging authentically is about knowing who you are as a writer. How do you feel about a certain subject? Would you take a stand one way or the other, and if so, are you willing to write about how you truly feel? For many, being a bit controversial or putting our neck on the line for something we firmly believe in can be intimidating. What if no one agrees and hates my blog? Or worse yet, what if no one cares or even comments? Do you really care? Your opinion is exactly that – your opinion. OWN IT.
People will relate to you being true to yourself and those that don’t – they have to be true to themselves. It probably means that they weren’t your target audience anyway. So how do you overcome your irrational fear of blogging? Just like anything else, you need to understand it. Give yourself some time to really analyze what it is you’re afraid of.
Face those fears by putting pen to paper. Start with a simple blog about who you are, what you do for a living, where you live and why you’re blogging. Is it for fun, for business or a little bit of both?
In this article I encourage you to have some fun. If you’re funny, then show some humor. If you’re serious about life, then convey that through your writing. Whether it’s through a silly anecdote or a relatable true story, it’s that side of you that will engage your audience. The most important part is that you dive in and get started. So pick a topic, grab and pen and get into the conversation!
About Rebekah Radice
Rebekah Radice, co-founder of BRIL.LA, has traded narcissism for purpose. When not driving growth, you'll find her tricking family into thinking she's Emeril Lagasse - likely covered in marinara. The spotlight was fun, but impact is better. These days she's using 20+ years of brand brilliance for good.