Why Blog? 7 (Unexpected) Benefits of Blogging

There are plenty of benefits of blogging whether for personal reasons, like showcasing your beloved brood of cats, or business purposes to drive traffic and increase sales. But none of those reasons are why I started.

Why do I blog?

Blogging naturally merged the two pursuits that I’ve always been passionate about. My love affair with writing began with keeping a journal (the OG analog blog) from the moment I learned how to form sentences. I wrote constantly – poems, short stories, fan fiction, original novellas, etc… I was equally obsessed with art, drawing around the clock and taking every art class available to me from photography to computer arts.

The reason I blog became even more clear to me during a 2 day trip to Hakone, a quiet onsen town in Japan. While browsing the varied collection of 300 works by Pablo Picasso at the Hakone Open-Air Museum, I came across a quote:

“For Picasso, painting was a way to express his own love and attest to his own existence.”

I felt like I was a tuning fork the way those words reverberated deep in my bones.

For me, the benefits of blogging extend far beyond merely serving as a creative outlet, a way to diversity income, or even because I love doing it. There is something deeply ingrained in me that feels compelled to share my enthusiasm. It’s not enough to experience joy or excitement — making those experiences tangible and sharing it is the full expression of living for me.

7 (Unexpected) Benefits of Blogging

Refine writing skills

While I’ve always had an affinity for writing, I ultimately became an art director/graphic designer but I never lost that love of storytelling. When I started blogging I realized how what an essential skill writing is in general, even in my visually-based career.

Writing is an integral element of communication, something we do all day. Mastering the ability to effectively and precisely articulate yourself will assist you in every facet of life, from emailing clients and texting friends to negotiating a raise.

One of the advantages of blogging has been refining my writing skills. You know what they say, “practice makes perfect,” and if not exactly perfect than pretty darn close.

Freedom of Self-Expression

Can you believe that before blogging became a “thing,” if we wanted get our ideas and words out there we needed to be published? And that was as likely as winning the lottery. Now, it’s as simple as clicking a button.

Most often, people start personal blogs as a creative outlet. As I’m in the business of being creative 24/7, that wasn’t exactly the case for me.

One of the greatest benefits of blogging for me has been the freedom to do and say exactly what I want, independent of a publisher, revisions from clients and the opinions of bosses and co-workers. If I’m frustrated that I can’t find an article detailing what it’s really like to get naked at a Japanese onsen, then I can write my own blog post.

Blogging allows you to be seen and heard exactly the way you want.

Sense of Progress

Are you someone who is constantly distracted by shiny things; the thrill of the new — ideas, projects, hobbies? Yea, me too. While it’s undeniably fun, it also makes it difficult to progress towards your goals.

When you decide to do something (even something as mundane as making the bed every morning) and you don’t do it, it’s like breaking a promise to yourself. Over time, the string of broken promises can erode the confidence you have in yourself as well as your ability to get shit done.

Producing a blog post every week can instill a sense of progress in you and fuel your motivation. Every time you press publish is a small win. It’s laying another brick to the foundation of your self-respect because you’re honouring your commitments.

proof of capability

Sandra Oh (national treasure that she is) said something about hosting the Golden Globes that really resonated with me:

“Honestly, I said yes even though it was so terrifying to me, really terrifying. I just could not let this opportunity pass me by, the life experience of being this scared of something.”

It was not just about the prestige of hosting or the historical moment of being the first person of Asian descent to host the Golden Globes. It was about doing the things that scares you because it scares you;

Before I started blogging, I was terrified. Terr-i-fied. I didn’t know anything about blogging. I didn’t know how to build a website, how I’d find the time to write a weekly blog post, how to implement SEO…heck, I didn’t even know if I’d like blogging. I was scared people wouldn’t read it. I was terrified that people WOULD read it and judge me. I was scared that I would fail.

Now, I consider it to be one of the most fulfilling pursuits of my life. Pushing past the fears that crowd your brain breaks down your self-imposed limitations and show you what you’re capable of.

Making Connections

Whenever I hesitate doing what I want for fear of being judged, I think of the quote “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, and be nothing.” I love me a good quote.

Not voicing your real opinions and hiding behind a false persona is a form of self-preservation. It may keep you safe but it also prevents people from getting to know the real you. It’s also low-key telling yourself that the real you isn’t worthy of being accepted.

It may not seem very scary to write a post like How I Got Bartered For 3,000 Camels (and a Shoe Store), but it is. Sharing my life, experiences and thoughts is allowing myself to be seen for who I really am. It makes me vulnerable to criticism and rejection but one of the benefits of blogging is that it also facilitates true connection, not only with my audience but a supportive community of fellow bloggers.

It is my FAVOURITE thing when someone sends an email or DM about how they ate their way through Hilo on the Big Island of Hawaii or loved my recommendations for where to eat in Porto. Not only is it heart-warming to share in mutual enthusiasm, but it makes me feel seen and heard.

Being More Present

Possessing a naturally distractible nature (Ooo! Squirrel!) and living in the constantly evolving digital age is not conducive to living IRL. Being constantly overloaded by an IG feed that refreshes more quickly than I can blink often puts me into a digital trance.

From the long list of the benefits of blogging, the most unexpected one has been that it’s led me to be more present. Far from hindering me from being in the moment, blogging has served as a compelling motivation to be more present, especially when I travel.

In order for me to accurately paint a picture of what it was really like to experience a hammam in Marrakech for the first time or to describe the breath-taking beauty of Kauai, I need to be acutely aware in those moments. What do I smell, hear, see, feel, think, etc… I need to recall it all to properly transport the reader. Blogging has made me travel more deeply.

Even if it goes poorly (like almost breaking my nose at the Benagil Caves), I know that at least I got a good story out of it.

Learning New things

As ~~nosy~~ curious as I am, I don’t often have the attention span to read in-depth articles, nor the patience for learning new things like board game rules. While I’m all for self-improvement, I need those pursuits of knowledge to have purpose. Blogging has provided that purpose for me.

Writing extensively on topics like the exhaustive 10-step Korean skincare routine, requires me to do my homework to provide readers with all of the information. In the process, I’ve learned SO many things that I’d otherwise has no reason to learn. For example, while doing research on sandwiches in Toronto, I learned that the food got its name from the Earl of Sandwich who wanted something easy to eat that didn’t interfere with his gambling!

Blogging has also given me the opportunity to refine skills I already had (like photography and design) and pick up new ones (SEO, digital marketing, web design) that I can apply in my current job.

It seems like it was just yesterday but it’s been almost 6 years and over 200 blog posts since I convinced myself to try blogging. I started this particular site a mere 2 years ago and despite how hard it feels some weeks to write a single word, I’m so grateful for it. I didn’t know how it’d turn out and I still don’t but I’m enjoying the ride. And to whoever is along for the journey: Thank you.

Check out more of my soppy reflections on lessons I’ve learned from blogging.

Keep your stalking game strong and follow me @teriaki if you aren’t already!