Photo courtesy of Bing images |
I am, first and foremost, a writer. I have done many different types of work in my adult life to pay the bills, but at my core, I identify myself as a writer. The process of blogging gave me a genre that celebrates writing in a very unique manner. I work as a freelance technical and creative writer, and social media management consultant, so writing is incorporated into my daily work life. Blogging straddles the two worlds of professional and personal writing for me. I manage social media and write blogs for a wide range of clientele, and I also write here at Healing Morning for purely personal satisfaction.
It is here at Healing Morning that I express my innermost thoughts, emotions, ponderings and dreams. Most writers have aspirations to become published authors, and I am no different in that regard. I am currently working on a manuscript that I have every intention of getting into published and promoted book form. Blogging has given me a worldwide audience and valuable feedback that I firmly believe makes me a stronger writer with every single article posted. Writers gain polish by doing more of the same...by simply writing, refining and writing some more.
There is equal satisfaction in growing readership and meeting fellow writers/bloggers from all over the world. I have developed incredibly strong, beautiful friendships with many bloggers here in the United States and across the world in myriad countries. The friendships blossom in the most lovely way as we all exchange stories, read one anothers' writing, post comments and genuinely appreciate the interaction that blogging gives us.
I have learned even more to trust my own instincts, and as a result, fairly early on in my blogging experience, I co-founded Authentic Blogger on Facebook. Authentic Blogger is one of my proudest accomplishments, as it provides a supportive community for fellow bloggers to post their work, grow their own readership and gain more exposure in the blog-o-sphere. Our group grows a bit more slowly than some blogging groups, but we like it that way - being authentic is the whole purpose and Mission Statement of the Authentic Blogging concept. Through this group, I have met more talented writers and have a rock solid relationship with my co-founder and business partner, Duane Scott. Like many other blogging friendships, this is one in particular that I am confident will be a lifelong relationship.
I hear that there are thousands of blogs started daily that become 'orphaned' in a short span of time, meaning that the people who created those blogs just abandon the effort and walk away. At this point in time, I do not see this ever happening for me with Healing Morning blog. It is an intrinsic part of who I am. The very title describes me in infinite detail. 'Healing' encompasses my very heart and love of a holistic approach to life and extending myself to others in a peaceful, loving, optimistic fashion. 'Morning' is a play on my name, Dawn.
The day that a girlfriend and I sat at a local Panera Bread and she showed me how to set up a blog shell, I never dreamed that I would be where I am today. The name, Healing Morning, came about in the most natural manner and I look back now and marvel a bit at how absolutely perfect the title remains. I will never change it. I am definitely a creature of habit, so I tend to hold on to certain things for recognition purposes on a public manner. This is vital in the world of blogging, I think, so Healing Morning will always be a strong identifying factor for who I am as a writer.
Where will this new year take me and Healing Morning? In the past year, it has introduced me to new people and experiences on a global level. I am proud to report that I am a contributing writer for Aromatique Essentials e-zine in Australia - this is the wonderful brainchild of my dear friend, Julie Nelson who is talented in all things aromatherapy related. I am also a contributing writer to the blogging website called Live and Inspire Magazine, based in Malaysia. I am a contributing blogger on Writers Rising blog, where I have been introduced to even more talented bloggers. Never could I have dreamed up such opportunties for my writing to span the world in this manner, and to be very well received. Any writer will tell you such experiences are deeply personally satisfying as well as just plain delightful! To know that people around the world are reading my writing and enjoying it enough to extend invitations to me to become a contributing writer for their projects is the highest compliment I can think of receiving.
Yet another completely unexpected and somewhat overwhelming opportunity that came from Healing Morning blog was my first radio interview on Starclear Radio. The focus of Starclear Radio is to shed light on all manner of spiritual experiences, and it gave me the chance to dip a toe into the larger media and publicity pool and realize this is something that I am capable of doing successfully. The interview went so well, in fact, that I was invited to return for a full hour long show in January 2011. The confidence of Starclear's co-founders, Jeffrey Seelman and Amy Lamb, in me was warming and encouraging. This again shows the incredible power that blogging and social media put into our hands. Without venturing forth into the world of blogging, I would never have crossed paths with Amy and Jeffrey. It did happen, though, and is another reason to celebrate this first year of blogging.
Photo courtesy of Bing images |
I look forward to another year with Healing Morning blog. More friendships, new experiences and new triumphs await. For now, I celebrate the past year and I thank each and every person who has taken time to visit my blog page, leave kind comments and clicked to follow my work. I invite you all to celebrate with me!
Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad I found your blog and have enjoyed reading your posts and peaking back through your year long journey, I am grateful to have found your blog and be invited into Authentic Bloggers being included in such great work. I can only hope that I will continue to grow as a person and a writer as I am sure that you will continue to insprire me in doing both! Many blessings to you on all of your endeavors and on a New Year of blogging!
Much Love,
Deanne
Deanne, thanks for the vote of confidence and support! I appreciate you taking time to read back through my archives; I do that myself on occasion and always enjoy it. I'm looking forward to this new year of blogging, and extend the same good wishes back to you.
ReplyDeleteNamaste',
Dawn
A Big Congratulations to ya! Keep up the wonderful work. love, janie
ReplyDeleteJanie, thank you dear heart! You've been with me from the very beginning, encouraging and supporting all my dreams. You have no idea how much that has meant in the past year. I look forward to endless years of friendship with you.
ReplyDeleteMuch love,
Dawn
Happy Anniversary, I had mine on Sept 6, it's amazing how fast it goes by, And how much we have learned from all this. You are an inspiration to all of us. Keep it up.
ReplyDeleteLove you, papa
Thank you Papa! I didn't realize you started your blog around the same time I did last year until you mentioned it here. Happy Anniversary back to you! It's interesting how a core group of us started blogging in the same general time frame and wound up finding one another. The resulting friendships have been such a blessing in my life. I choose to believe it was all meant to happen & I smile everytime you leave a comment for me. I love you beyond words! <3
ReplyDeleteDawnie
Congratulations of your satisfying blogging journey! May it bring success for many more Dawns-er-mornings. xx (Just in case you didn't catch this comment on Writer's Rising, I posted it here.)
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely thriving! How wonderful!!
Thank you so much, Cynthia! It's been a very rewarding year full of new friendships with fellow bloggers like you. :)
ReplyDeleteNamaste',
Dawn
Namaste Dawnie! Happy Blog-day to you little lady, it is hard to believe that we started so close together, grew together, and now look at us! I'm proud of you, proud to know you, and to have taken this journey with you side by side!
ReplyDelete<3
Namaste' in return, Lise! Happy Blog-day, indeed! I found it delightful and no big surprise that there was such serendipity with us both beginning our blog so close together on the calendar last year. It is my opinion this was one of those Life Contracts between a certain small group of us. I'm so happy we did connect, sweetie, because you enrich my life so much in more ways than you could ever imagine. Here's to many more years of this similar journey! I love you dearly. <3
ReplyDelete~ Dawn
I'm sorry I missed your blog's birthday! Many happy belated birthday wishes!
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that you started this after I started mine. Your blog just seems ageless, I guess.
I don't even remember how I found Authentic Blogger, but I'm glad I did. You've been a wonderful blogging companion. :)
Oh my goodness, Dave you're another one of us who started within a couple of days/weeks of one another last year! I am continuing to find this fascinating - there's a core group of us who all started at the same time, and we all found one another in the process. I think there's more to that effect than mere coincidence! Happy Blog-day back to you, my friend. Thank you for the "ageless" compliment about Healing Morning - that gave me a huge smile! I'm glad to count you as a friend too, sweetie. Here's to many more years of friendship, blogging and AB'ing!
ReplyDeleteDawn