My blogging workshop finally happened last weekend in musty little building back in the woods on the waterfront property in Easton, Maryland known as the Evergreen Cove. I arrived before the 9:30 start time and early enough to bake up a tray full of Pillsbury cinnamon rolls to smell up the place and then went to greet people at the door.
Mr Gerald Sweeney, aka Mr. Gerry the current President of the Eastern Shore Writers Association, introduced me to my class of 15 with such fanfare and accolades, he made me laugh at how awesome I sounded. I told the attendees if they didn’t enjoy the workshop, it was all his fault for talking me into it.
The majority of the attendees of my workshop entitled The Why is the How: Intentional Blogging 101, were seeking a basic understanding of blogging. The hows, always the hows. And what I made sure to insist in the beginning and throughout was that those are secondary. It’s your whys, or maybe your why nots, that will lead you or thwart you from your blog beginning. We agree to our bossy fears blaming our hows. I can’t because “I don’t know how” is subterfuge.
I gave everyone the best of my knowledge, the personal stories of the gifts of my unexpected blogger friendships, and my near fatal technological errors. And I did this all with the humor and compassion that I am made of. The most important fact to impart to these lovely people was that they can do it for themselves and I will be here to support them. Because I didn’t have a mentor when I needed one and everyone deserves a mentor.
I am a huge fan of ‘Drops in the bucket’, ‘One foot in front of the other’, and 15 minute increments. Or “Just start” as Mr. George interpreted afterwards. He was my star pupil. This very intelligent intuitive gentleman and scholar, and a spry 80-year-old, picked up everything I was putting down. And graciously bestowed compliments on me afterwards. I will forever be devoted to him. His emails these lovely comments to me.
“Shalagh,
As I fully expected you made a fine presentation. It was humorous, informative, practical, energetic and you made my most ominous enemy look less fearsome. I’m ready to face my dragon. I think I’ll take him on this week.”
And then …
“I thought your comment about being clear about ‘why’ I might want to do this was profound. That is the heart of so many dreams that get stalled – we’re not sure of just what we want from the dream.
Best,
George”
I plan to do future meet-ups for bloggers where they can ask follow-up questions of me and create further support and community with each other. Mr George said now they know enough to come up with intelligent questions to ask next time we meet. I followed up the class by sending out and sharing more resources and email addresses. I’ve done all that I could.
I so hope that each of these lovely people find their personal whys and a place to stand permitting them to jump into this blog journey that I have so unexpectedly enjoyed. There are moments when you do wonder what you were thinking when you started, much like parenthood. And then other times you wonder how you could have lived with out the title of blogger and the gifts and privileges that go with it. Life sometimes takes a while to show you the truth in your actions and yet you must have faith that there’s a story brewing worth telling at some point.
And If you enjoyed what you read, subscribe, via the subscription box in the sidebar, to my thrice weekly posts via your emailbox. And visit me on Instagram to see my daily pictures, friend me or like my page on Facebook. Or come find me on Twitter orPinterest too. I am always practicing Intentional Intouchness so chat at me please. I live for conversations.
And, as always, Thanks to you for your visit.
6 Comments
What a wonderful post Shalagh, so insightful, warm and beautifully written. I was smiling and nodding while reading. Great work 🙂
Jane,
Sometimes we stumble into our lives and sometimes we march into it intentionally. Blogging has been both. Making friendships like ours has been intentional. The workshop found me. The lessons I shared we happenstance but such gifts. I am thankful we share our creative Virgoaness and our passionate Mama souls. And the fact that you took the time to read my pieces is very flattering.
Love,
Shalagh
Shalagh,
I’m so glad that bogging has been such an enriching activity for
you. You make such interesting observations and raise mundane topics to new levels. That is truly a gift!
I’m certain that Gerry and George were very pleased with your
workshop and gained a lot of good pointers. They are both neat
guys. I’ve taken a couple of courses with George. One on writing a life’s story had Gerry as a fellow participant and he
is also a fellow mentor and Talbot Mentors. He’s a sweety.
Ann
Again Ann, thank you for reading and knowing and saying what you thought. It means so much always.
Love,
Shalagh
Good for you! I’m thinking of all the behind the scenes details that have to be attended to for putting together a talk – it’s a lot! And you did it! Yay!
You know Sandra, you were the one who arranged those salons and I can only imagine all the work that took to do. The funny thing about creating the curriculum was that it sorta wrote itself. And when I’d gone over it and over it and over it, I knew that I knew what I knew, ya’ know. Because your material is what you know unlike a Ted Talk where it’s what you’ve memorized.
Thank you Thanks Thank you!
Love,
Shalagh