My blog, NatashaMusing turned one last week. Well, I bet most of you know so, as I spoke about it “a lot” on social media. *Grin”. I couldn’t contain my excitement you see, so I engaged in a bit of a hullabaloo. After all it was my first Blogiversary. I invited a bunch of amazing bloggers to contribute posts on my favourite genres: Fiction, Musing and Travel. They put together some very interesting and exclusive pieces as part of the celebrations. Thank you so very much dear Esha, Varad, Geriant, Gayatri for taking time amidst your busy schedules and commitments, to write for NatashaMusing. It’s was a pleasure hosting you. 

Yes, it’s been “one” wondrous journey indeed. Literally! After shunning the idea of writing and sharing my life’s anecdotes and thoughts publicly for a very long time, I finally took the plunge on 6 December, 2016. Thereafter, there was no looking back. I met so many wonderful people and writers through this vast medium. A medium that transports one to a place that every person can identify with. The writings shared by bloggers is a reflection of our lives or those around us, in some way or the other. These writings speak to us in volumes. Sometimes they communicate to us, just what we need to hear, at that moment or point of time. Sometimes they leave us pondering. And sometimes they just teach us a lesson or two. 

Thanks to my blogging journey I wrote my first book, Travel Epiphanies,  in April 2017, which was a compilation of my twenty-six, A-Z Challenge posts. This was a long cherished dream come true. My book has apparently done well, though I haven’t really put in much time and energy to market it. Guess it doesn’t come naturally to me. But I think I really should now. 

At a recent bloggers meet Sid said, “Your blog is a legacy that you leave behind, for your family and friends.” Who is Sid, you may ask? Sid Balachandran is our seasoned blogger and Stay At Home Dad, and blogs at I Wrote Those.  These wise words were spoken at the Indiblogger meet, at the Valley of Words (VOW) 2017 in Dehradoon, last month. This outstanding line will stay etched in my mind forever. Sid said these lines with much conviction and clarity in his keynote address. And not surprisingly he won an Indiblogger award too. 

This year, saw me attend two very enriching Blogger meet ups. One was a workshop on Blogging, Writing and Creativity organised by Blog Chatter. This two day event proved to be of great learning value and we returned home with a bag full of memories and lessons in writing. You can read about it here.

While I was busy writing on my blog ever other day, (yes, it’s become part of my routine now), little did I know that next on my agenda would be the Indiblogger meet, in Dehradoon. Organised as part of Valley of Words 2017, I met so many wonderful bloggers who I had read  and  interacted with online. It was an experience of it’s kind. Here‘s where you can read more about this three-day, adventure trip to Doon. 

For the uninitiated, Indiblogger, Blogadda and Blog Chatter are three big writing communities in India.

A year of blogging also meant a journey into various writing challenges. Two with my favourite writing group, Write Tribe and one with the spiffy, Blog-a-Rhythm. Yes I became a BAR member too recently with Blog-A-Rhythm, after my application got accepted. That has been an exciting experience too. Currently we are all busy Secret Santa-ing with BAR. So much fun and in tune with the spirit of the season.

Blogging has also helped me realise my undying love for fiction. I have throughly enjoyed writing flash fiction in the last couple of months. So much, so that I’m addicted to it. When I don’t write, I get major withdrawal symptoms. You can read some of the stories here.

Blogging also turned me into a designer of sorts. I have learnt to design Instagram, Twitter and Facebook publicity posts. Something that I could never imagine I could or would do. Well, never say never!  Thanks to wonderful apps like Canva, it seems like a breeze now. 

I won all the WOW (Write Over The Weekend) writing prompts, I have written for Blogadda, so far. 

In the months and years to come I hope to grow from strength to strength. I don’t think I will monetise my blog by writing about different brands. I’d rather put content that speaks to me, and my readers. I’m done with my Advertising and PR days. If I really like a place or a product genuinely, I might write about them. But it wouldn’t be for the sake of some kind of publicity. This apart if there are other ways of monetising my blog, I’m open to the idea.

Meanwhile, I’m very happy to use NatashaMusing as my little haven of words, a place where I can put my thoughts into expressions and a place where my readers will stop by for some solace, relaxation.and soul food.

As I wrap up this post, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to all my readers for the unlimited love, support and kind words that you pour out. They are the wind beneath my wings.

I leave you with this awe-inspiring piece by Robert Frost, that echoes my feelings in more ways than one. 

 

 

 

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Linking up with the lovely Corinne for #MondayMusings and Mackenzie for #mg.