Finding My Blogging Voice - Carolina Mama Style

John Mayer Lyrics
Say What You Need To Say Lyrics

Surprisingly, a reader asked me, Carolina Mama, recently how do they find their voice, grow their blog, etc. And honesty, I would say the real bloggers know, Rocks In My Dryer, Big Mama, Boo Mama, etc. Or here. However, being asked the question definitely gives me pause to consider my own voice. Of course, there are many more and yet these all are consistently sharing things in common. (And I like their styles, nothing crass and profane.)

As a former Columnist here and with a Creative Writing degree from the University of South Carolina. My journals of my childhood carried on through life. And on into Journalism. It was always a natural phenonenon. I've always had something to say. So much so that I have fallen madly in love with John Mayer's "Say" which vocalizes me. You see, being raised a Southern Belle in this Southern City of Charm. It wasn't always easy to be the little girl who took after her gregarious attorney father.

It is important to be impeccable in our word. As a believer, I know there is a time for quiet, a time for few words and I have come to full-terms with the person God has made me and I usually have something to 'say.' Maybe many words, maybe little. So when John Mayer came along with "Say" recently, it spoke to my heart. "You better know that in the end, it is better to say too much than to never say what you need to say," Again, as a Christian with a home in heaven, this speaks to me much. I want to say what I need to say in this life. I want to be the girl God created me to be. I want to have the courage and boldness to speak up and say even when it is easier and to maybe not say a word. And so I write.

My experience as a Columnist was delightful as were my years studying at the University of South Carolina and University of Colorado.
I loved being a Columnist because I could say what I needed to say. And of course with this great Editor, Robyn Jackson, writing was good. :) Editors are the real writers. They are amazing because they bring everything together in this wonderful way that meets the reader where they are. I was fortunate with Robyn, she is an excellent writer, has 25 years plus experience in publishing and she was an exceptional Editor, Mentor and Writing Coach to me. Read about her first published novel, Lakota Moon and see Robyn's own work. I learned a lot in my days of writing for The American. One thing, again, that was great for me was to be able to be myself. I had an arena where I could share my voice and reach out to other mothers, two passions of mine.

Fast forward a few years of raising the Tigers. I entered the world of blogging for a specific information portal for me at that time in my life. It felt wonderful to be back to writing. Eventually, like most writers, I couldn't stop writing. So of course I have fallen head-over-heels for blogging. It is a different medium than the written word and writing as a columnist. And it is beautiful all the same. So I'll keep writing. And you'll keep writing. And we'll "say what we need to say." In the words of a dear friend, "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." Dr. Seuss Blog on! Warmly, Carolina Mama