Your blog is a mirror, a beehive, a teacher
From the archives: Your Blog Will Change Your Life. Written in 2011. Still true now.
This piece emerged more than a decade ago—before Substack, before Soul Caller, before the Wild University. It was a whisper from the future, folded into the present. And now, as I am shifting the territory of my Substack world, I thought of it and went searching the archives of my old blog. It returns to me now, as true as ever, maybe more. What follows is the original post, gently edited:
Your blog is a mirror, a beehive, a teacher
(from amyoscar.com, 2011)Your blog isn’t just some neutral, formless page out in cyberspace. It’s a projection of your consciousness, an externalized, virtual room hung with mirrors—a world of light and shadow, conjured out of your own imagination.
As such—like all projections of the psyche—your blog will test every edge you’ve got. It will remind you how afraid you are to let people in. How shattered you are by criticism. How orgasmic you get when someone you admire offers praise.
Your blog will walk you straight up the plank of enlightenment and invite you to plunge in.
This is a good thing. Maybe the best thing that’s ever happened to you—
but only if you stay the course and open to the lessons your blog (or newsletter, or page, or podcast) will inevitably present.Your blog will change your life.
There’s a book in this. And one day, I may write it. But for now, I offer this list—bloggers love lists—as an invitation to consider what your blog might teach you.
Your blog is not about you. It’s about one reader—sitting at her desk, reading your words. Visualize her as you write. When your audience starts to form, listen to its responses. Most of this is intuitive. Be intuitive—about your audience and yourself.
When the post you zipped off generates more energy than the one you labored over—how do you feel? Delighted? Annoyed? Hemmed in?
Use that as guidance. Your audience is a community that will tell you why it’s forming. It’s like a beehive—buzzing with meaning. Tune into the energy of your tribe. Let them tell you who you are and what you have to teach.Blogging is a team sport. The most successful creators build alliances. They link, retweet, comment. They meet in real life and share the work of growing a world. Get to know other writers as people. Blogging has blessed me with some of the deepest and warmest friendships of my life.
Tell the truth. Even the messy parts. You don’t have to open a vein—but let people know you. Share your curiosity, your bewilderment, your questions. Ask your readers to share theirs. Then—honor them. Listen. As a blogger, you’re a teacher. Be willing to stand at the front of the room.
Write from fullness—even when you're writing from pain. Share your fascinations. Your heartbreak. Your wisdom. Empty your cups—and watch, amazed, as they refill. There will always be more. Mystics know this:
What you give away returns, multiplied. So …Give everything. Your stories, your shoes, your soul. If someone takes advantage, let them. Bless their path and keep giving. Their unfolding is part of yours.
Let the world have its way with you. This is a line from Mary Oliver. I made it a practice. Keep your heart open—even when it hurts. Use everything that happens as inspiration. It deepens your writing. It deepens your life.
Stop competing. Start connecting. Reach out to the people doing what you’re doing. There is more than enough. Every time you feel envy, remember: It’s guidance. It’s longing. Then—reach toward it. When you live in a world without enemies, the world changes.
Dream bigger. You don’t just want a business. You want to save the world. Say so. Your coaching practice is a platform for grace. Your cupcake business is a beacon of joy. Your surf shop teaches people to ride the waves—on water, and in life. Use your blog to zero in on your real mission. Ask: What am I always writing about?
Me? I thought I was writing about angels. But it turned out that I was writing about calling and the response that comes after we call (or pray or make a wish). And how we are called. And how we respond. I am fascinated with the reciprocity of our world. I call it the “Call and Response Universe.” It’s just who I am - and what I am already always thinking about.Don’t wait too long. Waiting kills inspiration. That idea that came in the shower? The one that made you laugh out loud? Do it. Now. Inspiration arrives when you can best use it. It’s perishable. Don’t let it rot.
Let your wild heart lead. Write the post that makes you tremble. Then press publish. Edges are the most powerful places in the world. This is even more true for me now. If it feels good-risky, I know I’m at the edge of emergent energy.
Let your slip show. Release the video where the lighting’s wrong but your soul is glowing. Share the idea before you’re fully ready. Don’t wait to lose weight. Being human lets people in. (It also let’s them in - invites them to respond and support you. See items #2, 3, 5 and 7.)
Be you, your way. Once you know what makes you you— take it all the way. If you're shy, be gloriously, outrageously shy. Make it part of the brand.
Back when this post was written, I cited Leo Babauta. He let his shyness lead, and built an empire: Zen Habits.
These days, I’d cite Jeannine Ouellette, at Writing in the Dark, a community of 18,000 writers with the most engaged Substack community I’ve seen.
How did she build it? By writing great content about a topic that REALLY helps people be better writers. Absolutely. But also, Jeannine responds to EVERY comment personally - often expansively - and each time she does, you can feel her cheering for you. She wants you to succeed and she lets you know it.
This wouldn’t work if she was pretending. She loves reading her students’ work and it shows. Which is why I’ll repeat the principle: Be you YOUR way.Honor your audience. Each reader is a mirror and a drop of liquid gold.
Each one: a diamond. A facet of the divine. Cultivate that brilliance. Reflect it back. Wave at your teachers, your coaches, your colleagues. Hi Jeannine! Hi Judith! Hi Lisa! Hi Diana!) Reach toward resonance. Mention them, comment on their posts. Also LINK to them, as I did here. :)Try to have fun. Why else play this game? Make your blog a place you love to return to. Then, your readers will want to come back, too.
Your blog is a room. A neighborhood. A world you’ve invented. Make it sacred. Make it yours. Make it real. When you do, your blog will help make YOU more real, too.
This is marvelous Amy. Thank you.
Amy, I remember in the early days how much I used to love my blog. This post is an invitation to fall in love with our Substack and gives us the opportunity to see all it's possibilities.