I was casually scrolling through my homepage on Pinterest, and a “suggested for you” post came up: “How to better your blog without networking”. I have never searched any of or related terms, and yet here was a post, 100% for me.
I am not traditionally shy, per se. In fact, give me a speech to say in public and I’ll barely stumble on my words. But put me in a room full of strangers, or worse, acquaintances, and I’d forget my own name. I’m not socially awkward, but probably come across as what is commonly known as stuck up or antisocial. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to anyone, it’s just I need the other person to make the first move. Then I’m okay. Somewhat.
I loved blogging for this very reason; I could express myself without the fear of rejection, judgment or be shunned. I didn’t have to physically speak to one person, but rather have a platform to voice what I love.
When I started my blog just short of 3 years ago, it was very different to the blogging industry today; there was more of an emphasis on quality writing and exceptional imagery. It was purely about words eloquently strung together to captivate an audience. Now, it’s more about popularity in a different sense: who gets to go to the best/most events and who knows everyone in the room. It’s not wrong; in fact, it’s a different, enviable skill set all together. It’s captivating an audience in a different way.
So when I read the article below, I heard it in my own voice; I felt as though I wrote it myself.
That’s it. I am an introvert. I oppose small talk. I’d be happy to never attend another party again. I’m just not great at people-ing. I suffer severely from social hangover: a situation where I am exhausted the next day from interacting with people and literally need to take the day off. I don’t oppose being an introvert, but I don’t love it either. It’s gorgeously complicated. I think it’s best summed up by this quote:
“Half of me is filled with bursting words & half of me is painfully shy. I crave solitude yet also crave people. I want to pour life & love into everything yet also nurture my self-care & go gently. I want to live within the rush of primal, intuitive decision, yet also wish to sit & contemplate. This is the messiness of life- that we all carry multitudes, so must sit with the shifts. We are complicated creatures, & ultimately, the balance comes from this understanding. Be water. Flowing, flexible & soft. Subtly powerful & open. Wild & serene. Able to accept all changes, yet still led by the pull of steady tides. It is enough.” Victoria Erickson
