This is a post that I never intended to write.
This is not coming from a place of negativity, and is not the result of any particular incident.
I’m not writing this because I feel the need to justify anything or prove myself to anyone.
I’m writing this for me.
I started blogging back in early 2016 on a site called “AltVogue”. I was in the midst of a pretty extreme quarter life crisis after I had started uni, and had no idea what my life purpose was.
Whenever I’m feeling low, I find that putting my thoughts to paper really helps me to grasp the problem, examine it, and quickly find a way to rid myself of it. Blogging quickly became an incredible outlet for me.
Now, I know what you’re probably thinking. Why would I post my problems online for the entire world to see, when I could simply write them in a journal?
This is both easy, and very difficult to answer. It’s easy to explain, but unless you see things in the same way I do, it will probably be a little difficult to understand.
When I write something in a journal, I am always acutely aware that those thoughts (namely the negative ones) are sitting on the shelf beside me while I work, sleep, and live. When my thoughts are written down, they are suddenly tangible and become a possession.
When I write a blog post, my thoughts are suddenly floating in a sea of content in the air. When I hit publish, I set those thoughts free into the world, and they no longer belong to me.
Question two is, why did I start my new blog (the one you are reading right now)?
AltVogue represented a time where I was totally lost.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life.
I didn’t know what my purpose was.
I had no idea who I was.
But over the space of one year, everything suddenly clicked.
My career dream became apparent.
I knew exactly what God wanted me to do.
And suddenly, I was unstoppable.
Staying on AltVogue felt like an injustice to my newfound outlook, and while it wasn’t an easy decision, I knew I needed to close that book and start writing a new one.
I called this site ‘Claire Ince’, because it is authentically me. From that moment to now, you have seen nothing but an extension of who I am- and I couldn’t ask for a better scenario.
But contrary to popular belief, blogging is not what I want to do with my life.
I am studying a degree in public relations, and fully intend to pursue a rewarding career in it post graduation.
Nor is blogging my job. I do not and have never made any money from it, and I fully intend to keep it that way.
Blogging is a creative outlet that I use to express passions that lie outside of my dream.
It allows me to build a portfolio of my writing, and explore the side of my brain that can’t be fed by my degree. I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that if nobody read it, I would still be doing it.
With that being said, knowing that people read my work does feel amazing.
I doubt my abilities frequently, and your feedback honestly makes me feel like I actually might be good at something. So for that, I thank you.
Now that we’re on the same page, I’ll see you in my next post.
If you are feeling low, please head over to the Beyond Blue website for some excellent resources by clicking here, or give them a call on 1300 22 4636. You are never alone.
