A few months ago, one of my coworkers looked me up and down and said, “You have a different look every day, don’t you?”

He wasn’t trying to be mean, but I don’t think he necessarily meant it as a good thing, either.

Some days I come in wearing frilly skirts and lipgloss; other days, I wear all black with cameo jewelry. That particular day I was in glasses and a beanie and looked like either a hipster or a homeless person (there’s a fine line, sometimes).

I have a lot of interests, and I have a hard time narrowing them down. And that’s why this blog is always so random, from the photos I use to the content itself. In the blogging mentorship program I took part in, I learned that the #1 thing you’re supposed to do in blogging is create a BRAND. Are you a travel blogger? A bookish blogger? Beauty blogger, fitness blogger, online dating blogger, spiritual blogger?

The answer is YES, and since I’ve been putting my website on resumes and queries, I thought I should take a minute to explain why I allow my blog to be so eclectic, despite knowing that consistency would help my blog grow.

Blogging is a hobby for me right now. Ultimately what I want is to write about my books (I’ve got LOADS of posts squirreled away about that), but until they’re published, I’m using this blog to dip my toes in the terrifying waters of vulnerability.

That’s the start of any good writing, isn’t it? I’ve found that I appreciate the content creators who allow themselves to be PEOPLE above being a brand. Jenna Marbles, for instance, is known for keeping her channel real, refusing television offers and extensive production crews and ad deals that aren’t right for her, and as a result she has the freedom to post a wider variety of content. I just watched her make a sandbox playground and bake a miniature carrot cake for her hamster. A weird video idea? Yes. One that media specialists would have guessed could rack up 3 million views? No. But it did, and it brought me to tears. There’s just something valuable about the connections we make to other people—even people we meet in the digital world.

As the author of a book that focuses heavily on hiding and on being real vs. being fake, I feel obligated to be real with my readers, and I feel like I can’t do that by writing 5 Steps to a Cleaner House and stuff like that because I’m just not a professional blogger at heart. (I much prefer writing novels!)

On the other hand, I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoy talking about life with you all. I meet new people and exchange stories and am mutually encouraged and challenged in ways that never could happen without blogging.

All that to say, thanks to my readers for bearing with me. I’m truly thankful to all of you for giving me the opportunity to explore the blogging world and to practice sharing my thoughts with the world. I don’t quite feel like throwing up every time I hit the ‘publish’ button anymore (I think that’s a huge accomplishment), and I hope you’ve been enjoying at least *some* of the various topics I write about, ha.

What I’m Listening to: Say Something by Justin Timberlake