Let’s talk about writing, shall we?
The time was autumn 2006, and I was packing up my bags after living in Portugal for a handful of years. As part of my cultural re-adjustment to America, I started a Blogspot. Writing on the blogger helped me process life, and started to help develop my writerly voice.
Then, after moving to Southern California, I put a new dress on her and moved to WordPress. Many of you joined me for the move, and cheered me on. (That was nice of you.) Strange and wonderful things happened, like the day my computer started to talk to me. And then it happened again!
I was in seminary by then, and found the pressing-of-words to sort through everything from systematic theology to sexual ethics to aesthetic philosophy. What glorious years those were!
Somewhere along the line, I started to write for a living, a’ la copywriting and social media and ghost-blogging for businesses. And poof! There went my writerly energy. No more snoop bloggy blog for me.
Well, after approximately three years of such poofing-and-away-she-went, I’m returning.
I know, I know, I KNOW! I have said this before. I then proceed to write somewhere between three to five clever new posts, and swiftly then forget about said blog. It then stays dormant like a forgotten garden in the city.
Hang with me.
I’ve decided that if I am to be a healthy woman, I will decidedly be doing two things consistently:
1. I shall sufficiently pluck my eyebrows.
2. I shall blog regularly.
I might also add:
3. I shall floss my toothies.
4. I shall pause to talk to Jesus, more intentionally.
And this evening, as I sat down to accomplish #2, I browsed the Holga uploads on Flickr and was mesmerized by the cross-processed film maneuvering many a lomo-phile had used. (As in the photo above.)
For me, writing is a cross-process. It’s a vocation and it’s an avocation.
It’s both the cash and the flash. Without one, the other is waning.
And so I recreated the blog-o-wonder here on a self-hosted platform. I’m paying homage to one of my favorite passages from Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet, and asking you to come along to border and greet me.
Here’s to hoping we can soar to some great heights together, once again. I so appreciate you for patiently coming along with me.
Love,
Jenelle
[Gorgeous Cross-Processed Holga, I did not take; Taken in Emilia Romana, Italia – Tony]
celebrating this today! have missed your blog voice.
Jane, this means so much to me. Seriously.
I’m with you nelly. So glad you’re back. I’ve missed you and your words.
I need to come back to the bloggy world too. I’m struggling between wanting my little blog space to be focused on food(career focused) vs writing my heart, like I used to.
Come back, Mel! I love the idea of you merging your culinary world with your heart. I believe in you.
Hi Honey. I guess that I’m telling on myself that I haven’t been keeping up with your blog. So sorry to see that you no longer own “hellosaidJenelle,” had a very nice ring to it. But it will be the substance you provide that will make it another successful and intriguing repository for your special art. Have fun with it and remind me once in awhile that I haven’t posted on your blog.
Il Dio benedicas il mio angioletto! Ciao, la mia bellezza.
Thanks, Daddy! It makes me really happy to know you read my blog!