Recently I’ve had difficulty picking topics to blog about. This lead me to question my reasons for blogging. And the purpose of a blog.

Expression. I guess we all need to express ourselves somehow. Call it a need for validation, attention or connection. Call it to way to announce that you exist. Blogging is one of the many ways of scratching this itch.

Reflection. Back when I was in school, I noticed that writing essays made my opinions and convictions stronger and more self-consistent. Reflection keeps me honest, lets me call myself on my bullshit. (Although one should always give themselves room to change. Insisting of self-consistency can lead to inertia.)

Exercise. Writing keeps you sharp. Also much like physical exercise, there is a element of satisfaction after you are done.

Exposure. Blogging can be a way for other people to get to know you personally or professionally. Could lead to new opportunities. Could help you seal the deal on available opportunities.

These are all reasons for me to blog. But except for exposure all these can be (mostly) achieved by a diary. I have been content to treat my blog as a diary for the most part so that I could warm up to writing without overthinking it. I feel it is kinda of a waste to continue to do so for long.

What I need to consider is why people to read blogs. Or consume any other media for that matter.

Knowledge. This is the reason I follow most of the blogs on feedly list. It is great way of self-improvement, staying up-to-date on the state of the art and discovering useful tools.

Entertainment. Seems self-explanatory. I should note that it doesn’t hurt when a blog post is fun as well as educational.

Connection. This is the receiving end of expression. Whether the content is fun or informational, being empathic and relatable goes a long way.

Basically I’ll try to write things that are worth reading. Currently my website is basically just a Jekyll blog and I am planning on making a website to replace it. While Jekyll is perfectly fine and lightweight for blogging, I am interested in acquiring proper web development skills. Documenting my efforts from the design stage could provide me with a regular source of content worth writing and reading.