I love a good Friday when threads begin to get pulled together. But this Friday is a little different and I am guessing the new moon is working its magic on me. I have been debating with a number of you where this blog might take me - apart from to the end of the year! I probably have too many ideas so I have been using some of you lovely people to help see the wood for the trees. There is no doubt that this blog has already done its job by getting me to write something every day and it has delievered much more than that by attracting writing commissions. I am fortunate that the other writing that is coming in is drawing on the blog and so this has helped to create a shape to where I might go next. I don't really want to accept writing work just for the sake of it and my 'chats' with some of you have served to confirm this in my mind. I am committed to this blog and all the people who read it. I know a lot of you read it daily and that is beyond my expectations.
The sensible advice that seems to be working its way around my mind is to use this blog as a platform to organise the topics that I feel I have something to say about. This is easier said than done because I have lots to say about lots of things. My beloved late father was always trying to get me to focus and I am sure he is screaming at me now. So, I will focus on the topics that arise naturally from what is, essentially, a journal of 2013. Despite being only about a third of the way through the year certain topics are beginning to surface. I also think I would be foolish to turn my back on such loyal readers so this is another starting point for me. I do have a couple of books I want to write but first I want to acknowledge and extend my web presence with a site that reflects the emerging topics and the interests of my readers.
My current challenge is to organise my thoughts and reflections thus far and decide on the topics that I want to be at the start of this new website. There are some obvious topics such as home schooling, smallholding, sustainability, arts and crafts and spirituality. I was amazed at how quickly I got to that list. The plan, therefore, is to build a new website that is organised around these topics and then extend as necessary. The aim is for this site to be as interactive as possible and to be a real force for good. I also want this new site to include as many of my regular readers as possible. That might involve chatting on a dedicated forum, submissions that promote community based work that you are involved in or even guest writing submissions. I am thinking, at this stage, that there should be a members and a non members area so that the site can serve the two different levels of engagement.
At some stage I will attach a couple of revenue streams to this new site just to allow me to concentrate on it but they will be in keeping with the philosophy underpinning the site. That brings me neatly to the underpinning philosophy. I have been able to give this some considerable thought and many thanks to those of you who I have tested it out on. The philosophy of the new website will be recognised as being a virtual space where positivity is celebrated and shared. The focus will be areas of everyday life that generate this positivity and spill over into community based projects with charitable foci. My 'force for the good.' As the guardian of the site it will be my job to ensure that positivity flows through every aspect as it is presented in the virtual world. I intend to take my role very seriously indeed. I also intend to start as I go on by inviting a young person to join me on setting up the site and launching it.
I have lost count of the number of names I have considered for this new site and then it came to me all of a sudden. I don't want anything that will tie me down to a particular theme as I can see that the site will need to grow organically. When I started this blog I thought I would get a few people reading it from time to time. I now know, from my analytics, that I have over 100 regular readers every day. The direction of this blog has become a dialogue between me and you lot! That being the case this blog couldn't exist as it does without the involvement of all of us. We are becoming quite the little virtual club and I am especially thrilled to be a member. This blog might have begun as one random woman (of a certain age) writing thoughts about her day but the projects that have developed from it have been supported beyond any sensible expectations. I now talk about the blog as having a life of its own and that is how it should be. It was one soul that has become many hearts.
'One soul many hearts' has been born. Fabulous! I love it and I hope you do too. I have bought the domain but that is it so far. I am leaving it alone for now so that I can concentrate on the launch of the Butterfly Tree fundraising campaign and the studio opening. Then I will return to it with a clearer mind and a strong intent to make this work. I really hope as many of you as want to get involved. I will be setting up a space where people can offer ideas and contributions in due course but for now you can leave comments or email me anytime.
I did do normal things today as well. Home school was a delight with Max and George as we created spring pastel abstracts and got lost for a while. Harry is on a job trial but I am not saying anymore until he is further down the line with that. Just keep everything crossed! I had a lovely girly lunch with my mother, sister and niece and I managed to stock up one of the shops I sell through on the island. We are not blessed with sunshine on the island so that usually means my friends on the south coast are hogging it all. Island living means it is important to check the weather forecast for your day of travel as the ferry won't sail in high winds. I need to get off this island on Monday and, yes, the winds are high. I am off to spend the week with my gorgeous Molly in Lincoln but will blog daily as usual.
A good Friday indeed and wishing you all a very good weekend. I have just seen that Molly is online so she hasn't fallen down some deep dark cave on her field trip. Good.
Until tomorrow. xx
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