Daily Passion Prompt | BulgingButtons

December 14, 2013
by BulgingButtons 21 Comments

Six Months of Blogging

I had no idea when I started what this blog would look like or feel like or how its very existence would impact my life. I just knew that I needed to make some positive changes in my life, and I felt that by documenting what I was doing through a blog I would be more accountable. I knew it wasn’t going to make me fit and fabulous, and in the back of my mind I figured that I might put up a few posts, get busy with life, and move on. I’m happy to report that hasn’t happened.

Before BulgingButtons was born I was involved in a writing project. We had the assignment of writing ourselves a letter. The letters were collected and I quickly forgot about mine. That is, until yesterday, when it arrived in my mailbox. I didn’t even recognize my own handwriting on the envelope. It wasn’t until I opened the letter that it clicked. Right there, in the letter, I outlined my idea about this blog. These were my thoughts before I had even the vaguest idea of how to create a blog.

I want to create a blog with a fabulous name that will inspire a sense of hope and use humor but will also show a serious side of how my weight affects me. I don’t want it to be the typical blog about how great veggies and exercise are, but more essays on what my life experience has been like and will be continue to be like, whether I get healthy or not.

That was my jumping off point, and a good place for me to start. It was only a start, though. A start of something much greater than I ever expected. Here are some of the things that blogging has accomplished for me:

1. I have gotten in a groove with my writing. I write far more, and, dare I say it? Yes, I dare. I write better because I’ve gotten into an almost daily habit.

2. I have written a novel. WTF?! I NEVER would have expected that, and it wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t been blogging. Sure, it’s still a rough draft, but c’mon, it’s a novel.

3. I have joined an international community of bloggers and have learned so much from them about so many topics, not the least of which is writing. So many intelligent, compassionate, interesting, and kind people are bloggers, and I’m humbled to be a part of their community.

4. My blog has been visited nearly 8,000 times, has 365 followers at last count (one for every day of the year!), and has been seen on every continent (minus Antarctica) in countries I didn’t know existed (New Caledonia, anyone?). How amazing is that?

5. I’ve received awards from other bloggers, which confirms that some of those people who are visiting are actually not only reading the content, but like it! Actually, the likes and comments give that feedback too, and for those who take the time to weigh in (pun, get it?) I thank you. Even if you don’t agree with me, I appreciate hearing from you. This is a nice blog with nice readers, we don’t get ugly here. I’m proud of that.

6. I’ve branched out to include all sorts of different posts, depending on what’s on my mind at the moment. A blog is a great ADD outlet (which I don’t think I have, but who knows?). I have written to many prompts, I’ve interviewed my dog, I’ve played with photo collages, I’ve flashed back to my youth, I’ve listed things that make me happy, and I’ve shared many essays on health, fashion, exercise, and life in general. And all along the way you’ve given me support and encouragement.

What I have not accomplished through this blog:

Getting fit. Dammit.

1. I still dislike exercise.

2. I still procrastinate.

3. I still overeat.

4. I still eat the wrong things.

5. UGH

Ah well, I’m not a quitter. I’m going to keep on keeping on, and I’m going to keep on blogging. Maybe 2014 will bring some unexpected surprises. 2013 certainly did. Thanks for reading, you have made my year.

November 5, 2013
by BulgingButtons 4 Comments

Giving the People What They Want – Whatever That Might Be

Dear Readers,

My hope is to share with you content that you enjoy reading. I’m trying to do that in a way that is interesting and engaging. I’ve been looking at the blog stats and have come to the somewhat painful realization that my college statistics course was zero preparation for distilling the information I’m currently facing. Actually, that’s not quite it. It’s not the realization that’s painful, it was the statistics course and its accompanying MINITAB computer labs that were painful. In graduate school someone gave me the sage advice to take my statistics class pass/fail. Remembering back to my undergrad experience, I took that advice. Mercifully, I passed.

As interesting as all that may be, it’s just back story. Something I am told time and again to avoid in my writing. I guess old habits die hard. Here’s the crux of the situation: I want to know what you, the reader, want to see on BulgingButtons. From the start it’s been a cute little self-absorbed blog about my life as a fat girl. It’s branched out from there to include my life in general, including some thoughts on parenting my dear son, with bits about my teaching career, a little about my long neglected quilt projects, and a fair amount about the wonderful world of words, aka writing.

I sometimes write about health related topics, or the world of fat girl fashion. I also write about my food obsession, both positive and negative, and about my ongoing efforts to get my fat behind in gear, i.e. exercise. Some days this is more challenging than others. Oh, and challenges. I have the ongoing 47 for 47 challenge, and the NaNoWriMo and NaBloPoMo challenges for the month of November have kept me quite busy as well. I also did a series of Daily Passions Prompts, and I have regularly written to the WordPress Daily prompts.

I suppose I’m not looking for a new direction exactly, because I really like sharing my thoughts in all different directions, but I do wonder what aspects of the blog appeal to you most, and what parts are your least favorite (or just not interesting to you). I imagine the quilters have all left the building, as my poor neglected projects page hasn’t had any action (much like my poor neglected quilt projects). And anyone seeking recipes has probably moved on, because I haven’t shared any. But I know that lots of you have chosen to stick around. I’d love to know why.

I’m ready for the feedback, bring it on! What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of BulgingButtons, and what would you like to see more and less of here?

Thanks in advance for your well thought out and detailed comments! (See what I did there? Clever, no?)

With love and orange-filled Oreos (hey, I have to get rid of them somehow!),

October 9, 2013
by BulgingButtons 5 Comments

Daily Passion Prompt 27: Living Off My Hobby

If you trusted that you could live off your favorite hobby, what would it be?

If I could be guaranteed to make a living from my favorite hobby, I would be one happy camper! I would write to my heart’s content, blathering on about this topic or that. I would explore various themes and compose poetry and children’s books.

I would examine my diverse interests and expand my knowledge of them, then I would write about what I’ve learned. In fact, I already do these things, but certainly not to the extent that I would like, after all, a full time career is fairly time consuming.

I imagine working on a collection of short stories, possibly doing some memoir writing, and of course developing at least one beloved (and incidentally extremely marketable) children’s book character. Marmalade the Marmot, anyone? No? Sherice the shrew? Or perhaps Ibsen the Ibis? There must be a story (or better yet, a series of stories), for these wonderful potential characters, although I’ve been told to avoid alliterative names. I guess Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Elmer the Elephant got lucky.

Long story short I would write, write, write. In fact, this writing thing really has become much more than a hobby. It’s a passion that is beginning to take on a life of its own, and I’m loving every minute of the ride it’s taking me on.