Who is listening?!

What do words mean when they are floating in an endless sea of information? Can one person really create change with their words? There are many questions I have from day to day about writing and how to be successful with writing. I write as much as I can these days and it feels like it is paying off, but at the same time I wonder who is listening.

The act of listening, does it apply to blogging? The people that follow a blog are as much listeners as they are readers. They are listening to the issues that the writer is facing. They are an extension of the support group that props up a writer. Every follow, every page view, every link that is followed means an enormous amount to the author but to the casual internet user these things mean nothing. It is so much easier to not click on a link, ignore a tweet, or Facebook post, or even just skim over a blog posting because there are many other things on the internet that are taking precedence. 

I wonder often who reads the words that I write and how much does it mean to the audience. Do I have to write something that is near and dear to the reader's heart or can I write something personal and important to me and still get an audience response. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get comments on a blog posting, or even how exciting it is to see how many people visited my blogs. I have a lot of respect for established authors, writers, journalists, and anyone else who puts their creative self out there for everyone to judge. The entertainment industry is a fickle one and it is very easy for someone to get lost in the blogosphere. 

I would have to say that someone out there is listening because I recently started writing for a new publication and the organization found me through my online social media presence. So it turns out that yes someone is reading my work and it is likely that someone out there reads and enjoys your work also. I believe that many bloggers feel there is a finish line in the writing world. That one day you will have reached the pinnacle of success and that is where you can enjoy your fame and fortune. Unfortunately this is untrue, it turns out that writing happens to be a full-time job and it requires talent as well as skill with marketing ones self.There isn't some magical place where a writer can stop working, there is actually just many levels at which a writer receives more notoriety and reward and with each new level the writer must work harder and become more proficient.

I am fortunate to have found my place in the world. I am a writer, a poet, a journalist. I put words together as an extension of my thoughts and being, these words are often judged for their value, and sometimes these words are just floating out in the endless realm of the internet waiting for life to be breathed into them by someone who reads them. I seek to connect with each and every person that reads my words and my hope is that they have value for both parties involved.