From Austin Kleon:

The way I show up for myself, the way I discover who I really am, is to make an appointment every day to show up to the page. If I show up to the page, I show up to myself.

Two years of blogging! A small part of many years of creating and making, and it's certainly worth marking the occasion.

Last year I shared my Lessons From a Year of Blogging. I'd largely echo those points this year. I still enjoy the clarity of thought that comes from writing and making, the ability to carry a long term conversation while leaving a trail, and having a stage to perform on.

One other thing I've come to appreciate with blogging as a medium is this:

It's Malleable

I took a moment to look back at what I've made this year. For context: This started largely as a text blog, mostly developer logs. Out of the soil, buds of more literary posts on what I was reading began to sprout. Soon after that, I started sharing art and music.

I've since traded words for color and sound! Lately I only write for my tech posts. And the switch is intentional — I want to get more miles out of music and drawing, and there are only so many hours in the day.

When I started, a was wringing my hands trying to decide what one thing I would blog about. What a relief that it doesn't have to be one niche!

What I admire in the blogs I read is the spectrum of humanity that shines through. There's no predefined formula, and no algorithm to juice if you don't want to. So I end up seeing people as polyhedrons through the diversity they share and make.

On top of that, tomorrow I could decide that I'm all in on fly fishing. There's no barrier to me making this blog all about that for a couple of years. And I would revel in being able to look back fondly on the different phases and eras.

Starting out, I was worried about the idea that, if no one read what I wrote, I'd be doing all this for nothing. Turns out the rewards that come from a creative act alone absolutely eclipse any hit to the ego I would take if a post gets overlooked!

Elizabeth Gilbert in Big Magic:

You might end up dancing with royalty. Or you might just end up having to dance alone in the corner of the castle with your big, ungainly red foam claws waving in the empty air. that's fine, too. Sometimes it's like that. What you absolutely must not do is turn around and walk out. Otherwise, you will miss the party, and that would be a pity, because - please believe me - we did not come all this great distance, and make all this great effort, only to miss the party at the last moment.

And, of course, even if my inbox doesn't get flooded with mail on the eureka moment someone had reading a tech blog post, writing publicly is still a phenomenal tool for clarifying thinking in that craft.

I'm thinking much about the question offered through James Hollis' work: "What is seeking expression through me?" The wonderful thing about a personal blog is an opportunity to flexibly celebrate that expression.

The generous part of that showing up is that, by doing so, we then bring our fullest selves to the people we serve.

So start with where ever you are! Bring all parts of yourself along for the ride. You may find, as I have, it's an excellent way to explore the answers to that question.