Everyone needs an outlet from life. It's great, it's exciting, but sometimes life can get a little overwhelming or stressful, and we need something to do to unwind or escape. Some people read, some play videogames and some exercise. What calms and comforts one person may stress another out, and that is why there is such a wide variety of hobbies. Writing is one of those hobbies, and it is a great outlet; it lets you explore topics that you find interesting or that you have yet to explore. You can say what you want about whatever you want (most of the time). However, if you write for someone, you are always at their mercy no matter how mundane your topic. This is why I would like to encourage everyone who enjoys writing to get their own blog up and running.

I have a Wordpress blog that I pretty much abandoned when I began writing for the Odyssey. I will be picking that backup. Anyway...

Having a blog gives you freedom. You can write about any topic you want! If you are a Beanie Baby connoisseur, write about them. Post pictures to go along with it. Share your passions with the world.

You don't have to worry about others changing your writing. You write, edit, and publish your own work. There is no one who is going to change your titles, phrases, or headings because they "aren't catchy enough." The focus isn't on others (see below).

There is no minimum or maximum word count or times you must share it to be able to keep writing. If you want to post two paragraphs, GO FOR IT. If you don't want to share your post on Facebook or Twitter, YOU DON'T HAVE TO.

You don't have to have a schedule. If you want to write every two weeks, you can. If you want to write every other day, you can. If you are going on a trip, and you won't have the internet, you don't have to write while you're gone. Share your experience when you get back!

The focus is on you. Not to share share share share share share share on different platforms share share. It is about writing. Plain and simple. The joy of putting pen to paper (well, finger to key), and getting your thoughts out there.

You get to connect with new people. I love people. A bonus: you connect with people who are interested in the same things as you and who value what you have to say enough to read your posts.

One day, you could make money. A lot of the bigger name blogs online make a small (sometimes even a large) ,amount of money. If you write about things that many other people want to read about, more people will read your blog. The more traffic your writing gets, you could end up with the opportunity to advertise products and get endorsements from companies. But that's way down the road. For now, just read my other article to see how easy it is to start your own blog.

So here I go to dust off my old blog and write freely. Wish me luck :)

The other post should be titled "A Guide To Starting Your Own Blog" if they don't change it. But I will put "Part 2" in the description so there is minimal confusion.