Day 15 - My Writing Style

Today is day 15 of the WEGO Health health activist writer's challenge and today I am asked to describe my writing process. Most of my posts come from something that during the day inspired me-maybe it was a new coping skill that I recently learned or a new way of thinking that opened my mind. I always try to end the post, even if it's something on the negative side, with a feeling of hope, for that is the purpose of this blog-to spread the word that despite having mental illness, hope for a better life is always real. I try to balance out my posts by sprinkling in a mixture of recipes, spiritual musings, quotes, funny pictures, political pieces, posts about my real trying times, and posts that are more lighthearted. I know that most successful blogs have a more narrow focus, but one I want to be sure people know is that mental illness is just one part of me. I am a whole person with a lot to share. I refuse to be confined to one label. I am a very open person and I want to share the whole me with the world, not just a part of me. I also strive to be real on this blog. Sometimes when I share a new positive thought or coping skill, I am afraid that I sound too positive and perhaps fake. I want people to know that living in recovery is hard, really hard, but oh, so worth it. I do not ever want it to appear that I am not acknowledging how hard it is, because I know for me that I can get very turned off if I think that someone is making light of a very difficult experience. It can be hard trying to balance the seriousness of how hard life can be with the lightness of optimism and hope, but there it is. Eventually, when I write a post, I have to stop thinking about what the reader will think and just send my ideas out into the internet. I am a fast typist and it generally does not take me long to write the post once I get started, but I do spend a considerable amount of time editing. Posts with pictures take the longest, especially ones with recipes, because I am usually not just sharing a recipe, but also some insights that I gathered while cooking, so I have to write, arrange the pictures, add links....which is why there are not as many recipe entries as I would like. Writing takes the shortest amount of time for me and many days I am short on time or I am not feeling well, so the writing is all I do. I consider it a treat when I have the energy to do a post where there are recipes or tons of pictures. I hope you do too!

 I love writing this blog. It's a great creative outlet and I really feel like I am making a difference in the world. This blog gives me a meaning and a purpose as it is a means to spread hope for recovery, which I believe is my mission in life.

Here are my additional links:

 Shades of Grey – How to Have Sex with an Asexual Person

Always be aware that consenting to sexual activity is a process of continual negotiation, and anything they tell you they think will be fine can change. You need to respect that and be ready to stop.

The f word blog – “I Don’t Remember Raping Her”

A medical condition or disorder does not exclude personal responsibility.