Blogging, objectivity and honesty

I've been avoiding starting my own blog for years, for multiple reasons. Whenever I imagined starting my own blog, I always saw this entry as the first and last. So far, half of that equation has been disproved.

Blogging terrifies me. The idea of writing to a nameless, faceless and countless audience nearly horrifies me. I majored in English, with a focus on writing, and print journalism while I was in college, so my writing experience is extremely well-rounded. I've written pages on pages in workshops, classes, newsrooms, magazines/journals, various employers and of course in my own journals. I've always directed my writing at professors, classmates, colleagues, experts or myself. A blog is the only setting where it seems absolutely impossible to identify an audience, or determine whether there is one at all.

Without a direct audience, it has been impossible for me to pick a theme, and I am clinging to the notion that a specific theme is not necessary. The only other blog I ever wrote thealtproject.blogspot.com, was hyper-focused on a specific task in a specific time frame. Here, I'm not exactly sure what will bloom from Rose Wood Prose. Without a particular audience to point to (other than Chris Matarazzo, at the  moment, who has been an unknowing guide to me for years), the only real theme I can note is the writing itself.

This is my attempt to share my humanity and humility, as well as my passion for the written (typed) word. I spent so many years in formal settings, with specific requirements, word counts and agendas that have shaped me into the writer I am today. I’ve been taught to write about writing in order to learn how to write objectively. I embraced the idea of arguing both sides so thoroughly that my biggest challenge is writing any type of opinion piece because I just end up arguing with myself. Most of my journalism colleagues have thrown the concept of objectivity right out the window. Many consider true objectivity to be fiction in itself.

I enjoy the thought of objectivity and the idea that people may still value arguments free of opinion. However, an honest opinion is hard to find and a well-researched one even harder. So, as a disclaimer, because I have no idea who may be reading this now or in the future, I believe every word I say, and I apologize if you are offended, but do not apologize for saying it. There. Phew.

As noble as a completely objective writer may seem, I'm tired of trying to be objective. Here, I will just be honest.