First post: Just write to write better, right?

The first word, initial brushstroke or preliminary attempt will always feel daunting to some extent. For me, now is no exception to that rule – I feel nervousness and the anxiety as I write this first blog post. You will have undoubtedly felt that way too when you have embarked on a new endeavour.

But we only grow when we step outside our comfort zones and this hinges on taking a first step: be that as we ride a bike for the first time, start a new job or contemplate how to start a blog.

And for me this is not entirely new ground.

I built a blog before. I researched how to build a website and I worked hard on it – but ultimately I let it fall by the wayside. I stopped posting and let my domain registration expire, so tripleahistory.com silently fell into the abyss of neglect in the great internet graveyard in the cloud.

I create content for a living and have done for five years: in my last job I worked as a commercial content manager and now as the archive editor for a newspaper publisher and media company.

But what sets this blog apart from my previous failure and what I do to make a living?

Intentionality

I like to think it’s the ‘whys’ that are different here.

In my job the whys tap into pursuits I hold dear like telling stories and engaging with the past, but they still arise from economic necessity and within the parameters of my employer’s agenda.

Now I have reflected on the motivation behind my failed first website I realise that it was intellectually-driven rather than creative. Because I didn't fully buy into the quasi-academic ambitions the website represented it became nebulous and lacked direction so I believe that is why I never fully committed to it.

Reflect, learn, adapt

Here, with this website, the whys are broader and simpler. It is a place for me to create, share and learn along the way.

The end goals are loose: to become a better writer and content creator, share my experiences and process and add value to you, the reader, as I go. As with many things in life though, it is the journey that matters more.

This blog is for me to write about what I'm interested in which includes:

· Public history

· The media

· Personal development

· Creativity

It’s a place I can be playful with words and posts because ultimately I believe that only by creating and putting things out there will you get better at it, however you choose to contribute or whatever medium you express yourself in.

More on the 'why'

The inspiration for this blog arose from Austin Kleon's fantastic Show Your Work!, the second book in his Steal Like an Artist trilogy. Two of the key takeaways from this middle child in the series are that creatives who share their process might connect with like-minded people and they will hone their own skills in the process.

And also the 'who'

For more on my background and who I am - head on over to the About Me page.

Thank you

If you stumbled here through the labyrinthine World Wide Web somehow – welcome to my blog and thanks for stopping by.

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