DIANA REPUBLIC

I began this blog a year ago as a birthday present to myself. It has been the single best gift that I have ever given myself, even better than the Fendi purse that took 10 months to pay off. The interesting part is that I had no idea the rewards this endeavor would bring. And they are so much more valuable than anything I could have envisioned.

I had, I now see, delusions of grandeur. I read everything I could about blogs: how to create a blog, what and what not to write about on your blog, how to put advertising on your blog and how to get your blog recognized by search engines. I have a library of blog-related books worthy of a Barnes & Noble section. I was going to make this a revenue producing hobby. I was going to get a book deal. I was embarking on a journey to achieve literary and internet world domination.

Then I began to write. I wrote about whatever moved me and, as it turns out, lots of things move me. It was liberating to have a venue to vent my frustrations. It was kind of decadent to be able to tell funny stories about my dogs and my husband. But I found myself putting into words thoughts that had previously just bounced around in my head. Writing about my struggles and choices and successes made me see them more clearly than I had before.

It became reasonably clear to me early on that I was not going to be able to quit either of my part time jobs. To reach my lofty goals I would either have to produce some children and attract the marketers who want to reach mothers or jump in the Way Back Machine start 5 or 7 years ago. I began to look at statistics and lament the traffic on my site. I checked the revenue from the ads on my site with marked disappointment. I went to a conference to learn more about successful blogging and was completely surprised by the lessons learned. The most valuable lesson: I love to write and while I would still love to be financially rewarded for it, I am emotionally rewarded for it every day.

I began writing with the hopes that strangers would read what I had to say. I was actually reticent to have those I knew read what I wrote. It made me feel too exposed. I love when strangers read my blog, don’t get me wrong, but I have received the most amazing and supportive response from friends and family. I have had the great fortune to connect with old friends in ways I couldn’t have predicted. I have let others know me in ways I may not have had the courage to do. It has been a wholly cathartic and rewarding experience.

In short, I may not have been so much delusional as misdirected. I still have goals and aspirations and literary world domination is not out of the question. Diana Republic may not have made me any money (to date) but it has definitely enriched my life.

Thank you to all of you who visit for this gift.