I remember a casual conversation with my Mother when I was a teen. I was just sort of thinking out loud and said, "I think I'd like to be a comedian when I grow up." She said in a very flat, firm voice "But you're not funny." I'm reminded of that conversation every week when I write this blog.
It was a year and a half ago when I wrote my first one. Todays entry is #150. One very good piece of advice I received then was that people would rather read funny blogs. That's the way to get the most readers. I think it's true, but I'm just not that funny. Mom said so.
Whenever I hit these little milestones I tend to reflect. I started off with all of these lofty ideals and stuff I wanted to get off of my chest. But those blogs got very preachy very quickly. "This world would be a better place if people would just do as I say..." kind of stuff. I say this is the 150th entry but in truth there are probably a dozen or so others that were deleted. Blogs so bad that I drove a wooden stake through their heart, gave them a necklace of garlic and dropped them into a hole. I may not be funny but I do endeavor to be interesting.
I usually publish twice every week on Monday and Thursday, although I've missed a couple here and there. I'm not sure why I chose those days. I probably read somewhere that those were good days to publish. I certainly had some topics that I wanted to touch on when I began but I quickly went through those and found myself looking for new topics. The low hanging fruit doesn't last very long.
I'm a small town guy so my perspective on art is different that the big city folks. I see it through the eyes of my neighbors. The subject matter tends to be a little more gentle and it's tone is a little softer. I'll let smarter people explain why, but it's something I've noticed.
Art is not all Picasso, Beethoven, or Hemingway. There are the lesser known painters, musicians, and authors that live on your street, and they're really good too. The art that hangs in my home is the work of friends. I have many CDs in my collection that are my friends work, and I'm constantly surprised by the number of published authors I graduated High School with. The delightful part is that it's all good. I enjoy reading their books, listening to their music, and will often just stare at their painting. So this blog is evolving into advocacy for the hometown artists.
I said in my first entry that I didn't know where this was going to go. I still don't. The blog is taking on a life of its own and I think the smart thing to do is to let it. I have always thought of myself as a musician and teacher. But after 150 blog entries I guess I can start thinking of myself as a writer too. I guess I can be anything I want and it's never too late to start. Mom told me that too.
p.s. Tomorrow is the 4th of July and my mother's birthday. Happy birthday Mom.