I’ve been thinking a lot about the Blog arena as a place to exercise one’s authentic voice. That’s something that’s discussed on and off all the time — as is the idea of “writing oneself into existence.”
Oddly enough (or maybe not), I’ve always looked at the real world as a place to exercise my authentic voice, to write/speak/act myself into existence — so my blog voice is the same as my real voice, the one I use all of the time. And my blog behavior is the same as it is the the real world. I don’t need to type myself into existence through my blog; but it is a way to share my real, authentic voice with a larger world.
Question: Why doesn’t everyone use the same voice/behavior in the real world as they do in the blog world? Is it fear? Inhibition?
Just something I’m thinking about as I’m cleaning, cooking, and packing for the drive. I’m inviting you all to think about that too.
Kalilily Time
Just an old lady talking to herself
You’ve opened up a pregnant question, Elaine. I hope I have time to write a blog post in response before I leave for vacation. It may have to wait until my return.
For starters, I’d say that it’s not fear or inhibition because one risks lots of exposure in blogging. I used to think that I wasn’t risking anything because my readers are far removed from my “real” world.
Then, as my ranking in Google began growing, I discovered that people in my “real” world were finding my blog through totally unrelated searches. There’s no hiding through blogging.
No, I think the explanation you may be looking for revolves around the issue of authenticity. You don’t strike me as a person who, whatever other burdens you’ve carried, had to struggle with an overpowering sense of inauthenticity. I did. It may have been my number one demon. For someone like me, blogging is a form of liberation. For you, it’s an extension of yourself. For me, and I’m sure for many others, it’s a welcome opportunity for re-invention–a pathway to the true self that one’s demons have prevented one from expressing in the “real” world.
Well, whaddaya know, there’s my blog post. I don’t need to wait. Thanks for the question.
You comment rings true. I guess the challenge we face is making the real world a place that values authenticity as well. Sigh. Where to start?? Having taught in Junior High, I know that schools don’t value or encourage that. I guess it’s up to parents to foster that in their kids. That doesn’t happen much as far as I can see. It wasn’t fostered in my family either. I haven’t figured out how I managed to develop that value –maybe something in my genetic makeup — which includes some of Marie (Slodowska) Curie’s genes, and she was a real risk-taking hellcat!)
So, for some, blogging is a liberation of spirit; for others, an extension. Makes sense.
Thanks for the invitation!
As Tom says, this is a pregnant question and, being at work right now, I am unable to give it the attention required for the birthing process.
It’s true that the me revealed through my blog is closer by far to the real me than the me the general public, and even most of my family (although my blog is no secret), knows. Why is this? That is a question I promise to tackle someday soon in a blog post. In fact, I may have touched upon it previously – I seem to recall addressing the question of “personae” – i.e. the masks we wear from day to day and occasion to occasion – at some point in the not too distant past. This question of identity and authenticity is a crucial one, though, and I look forward to giving it further attention(when I have the time!).
I think one of the first times I visited (or maybe commented) at your site, you had posted something related to this subject. As I recall, it had to do with the types of things different people are comfortable posting, and your approach.
Although not exactly the same as considerations of authenticity or “real life” v. “blog world,” in any form of writing there is a struggle with the internal censor. A lot of writing workshops encourage overcoming this censor; I don’t always agree with that advise.
I, too, am pretty much the same in person as in my writing, whether that is my journal, ejournal or a personal essay. I’m neither less nor more authentic here than in other places. This is me.
Thanks for the thought-provoking post. (If you don’t stop making them soon I will have to assign all my students Incompletes for the semester :-).
If you link over to Shelley Power’s weblog, she has links to conversations going on about writing and learning to write, about the differences between speaking and writing. Very interesting stuff. I, too, don’t agree with doing completely away with the internal censor, but it is valuable to explore, through creative writing, the nature of those censors and the feelings they displace. The issue, then, becomes how widely does one want to share that writing. Obviously, the choice is a very personal and risky one.
Sheesh. I need to be cleaning my bathroom and vacuuming to make room for my Christmas company. I’m as bad as you are, Gina.
Great comments guys. Peter FDA
Priveyet (Hello)
Va skolka (How are you)?
Minyar eemya Alexi (My name is Alexi).
Spasebo Balshoi (Big thank you).
S’novom godom (With / Happy New year).
Paka (In a while / see you soon).
Alexi