There is this great encourager in the blogosphere named Lisa-Jo Baker. On Fridays she writes, unedited for 5 minutes and invites others to join her in the quest to write without fear of anything…just write. Most weeks I play along.
If you have never participated, give it a try. The rules are simple. Check them out and get the button code here.
Today’s prompt: WELCOME
She welcomed me to the party and she didn’t even realize it! It was when she said “we don’t need another Ann Voskamp.” that I realized she wanted me to write with my voice.
in my words. Without worrying if I was good enough or wise enough or loud enough.
Just write. My words. My voice.
She said it in a workshop at the Relevant (now Allume) Conference last year. And when she said it I felt like I belonged.
I felt welcomed into the blogging world.
I didn’t have to fit into the skin of another.
I needed only to wear my own skin. And wear it proudly.
I wanted so badly to walk up to her right then and give her a hug.
Her with her lovely voice and South African accent.
Her that writes of a lovely daughter and two boys…and a husband named Pete.
It was her that welcomed me in a way that I desperately needed at that time.
And she hosts this party every week. Lisa-Jo Baker changed the way I looked at my writing.
Changed the way I viewed my blog.
Changed a lot of things one year ago at that conference.
I can’t wait to see what happens this year!
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