Personally, nothing has ever really excited me when it came to writing. I was always so disinterested … probably because I felt like I didn’t really know how to meet the expectations, and knowing that somebody would read it, seemed quite daunting. However, upon undertaking this course, I’ve been given the opportunity to give it a proper shot.
What I’ve come to understand about online writing and blogging, is that it’s a place, similar to a journal, where I’m able to document “ideas, reflections, [and] activities” (Miles, pg. 66), a space to freely “express doubt and insecurity about [my] knowledge” (Miles, pg. 67), publicly.
Through weekly exercises, in depth readings and lectures, not only have I gained a new set of skills for writing and managing my online profile, but I’ve also learnt a lot about important fundamentals, such as creative commons. Garibyan, McLeish and Paschoud argue how “user permission information contained in licensing agreements is sometimes unclear and complicated” (pg. 9). But creating my own creative commons license makes it a lot easier to communicate and grant permission for users without any hassles. This free licensing encourages me to bring together a very rich communicative environment and collaborate with multiple different communities.
Pretty much anything available on the internet presents us with many links to other pieces of information. It gives us the opportunity to connect, to broaden the content and engage with online writing to a greater level – stimulating conversation or knowledge. From saying this, I decided to incorporate some on my own ‘hyperlinks’ into my posts. For example, my ‘James Bae Concert Review‘. The hyperlink attached to his name enables readers to find out who this person is and what’s he’s all about, if they didn’t know so already.
Similarly, I found that ‘widgets’ were a great way to connect other platforms of media onto the side of my blog. Adding something like my Instagram or YouTube account, “enhances your reader’s experience, and can even increase the number of pages people view”. (Bodnar, pg. 98). I felt that this would be a great way for viewers to have a better concept of who I was, outside of the blogging world, and to connect with me on a more personal level.
I know for myself that I am more inclined to engage with a post that includes other types of media, not just text. Thus I made sure to include a plethora of videos, links to other media and photos to accompany my pieces of writing. Check out one of my earlier posts; ‘Why Music…?‘. I believed these visuals, not only professionalised my blog and intrigued readers, but also allowed me to personalise my blog in a unique way, and simultaneously enhancing my story telling.
Surprisingly, I have found this whole writing online experience really enjoyable. It’s not very formal and gives me the freedom to control my own online persona. I can talk about things that I’m actually passionate about, be myself and express my thoughts from my own experiences. I can happily say that I hope to inspire others and give them a positive light, not only about the industry but for themselves as an artist as well. Being exposed to an entirely new way of presenting information and telling a story has certainly got me excited about blogging and being a writer.
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Bodnar, J. 2013, ‘Starting Your Career as a Professional Blogger’, Allworth Press, pg. 89 – 103
Garibyan, M. McLeish, S and Paschoud, J. 2014, ‘Access and Identity Management for Libraries: Controlling Access to Online Information’, Facet Publishing, London, pg. 9 – 20
Miles, A. 2006, ‘Blogs in Media Education: A Beginning’ [online]. Screen Education, No. 43, pg. 66 – 69
Caitlin Min Fa 