Inside the Heart & Mind of Blogger Sunflower Ranch

By guest blogger Sunflower Ranch

I STARTED BLOGGING to redirect and sharpen my writing skills after a very long break to take care of my Dad after my Mom’s sudden death. Now he’s gone, too, and after a few months I began to blog. Though I’ve been blogging just a few months, I feel it has helped me tremendously. I’m still not up to going back to my unfinished creative projects—yet. But soon, I hope.

I’ve met an incredible amount of extremely talented and friendly people while blogging. Many are friends from OnlineAuction.com where I sell books and collectibles. They suggested I have a blog to help with my sales at OLA, and they’ve lent much support and encouragement from the very beginning.

I have also made many friends in the arts—writers, poets, painters, photographers, essayists—and political junkies of all stripes. Many are multitalented and belong in more than just one category.

These bloggers live all over the world, and yet, they are the kinds of friends I know would make wonderful next door neighbors.

I started blogging cold turkey—if that’s a phrase I can use. LOL So, I guess I’d have to say, everything so far has been a learning situation and as time goes by, I hope, an improvement.

Seriously, though, I feel I’ve grown as a person, having the wonderful opportunity to get to know so many interesting people. I’m a stay-at-home wife and caregiver, so it’s a little more difficult for us to maintain an active social life. I feel what I do on the blog is an extremely important part of my life. It’s widened my circle of friends in the loveliest way!

Blogging is a two way street—if you share your thoughts with others, they will share with you. If you visit their blogs, they will visit yours. Someone has to take the first step and I’ve been on both sides—and it’s fun. If I visit your blog and like what I see there—be it enthusiasm, raw talent, polished paragraphs, or cool pictures, I’ll read more of your blog, usually sign up as a follower, and put you on my blog list.

I feel a long blog list is good for two reasons: 1) I can easily check my favorites again, and 2) new readers to my blog will also have a chance to visit the blogs I find interesting and find some that resonate with them, too. Then maybe they will join that blog, share with their readers, and become followers. I guess I just love the interconnectedness of the blogosphere.

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Sunflower Ranch’s poetry, fiction, and non-fiction has been published in national magazines and on the ‘Net. For many years she designed, edited and published several innovative online literary magazines through Cayuse Press. She now is concentrating on blogging and screenwriting. She holds a degree from the University of Washington School of Drama and for many years was a popular director, actress and drama teacher in the Puget Sound area. Later this summer and early fall, she will be teaching “Blogging for Seniors” through Pierce County Libraries. She sells books, collectibles, and stuff for writers online at the Sunflower Ranch store. A wife and care-giver, she lives with her husband near scenic Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

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