Why I Blog

A version of this post originally appeared on my personal blog in July 2014.  I blog for lots of reasons, but these are the main ones...

Blogging connects me to a wide network of other awesome bloggers, and I love making new blogger friends. Link-ups are fantastic for this. So are Twitter chats, and we all know how much I love those. 
It helps me keep myself accountable for writing often and about various topics.
I learn something new from every blog and every individual post I read, and I love learning new things every day. My thirst for knowledge never goes dry.
It keeps my brain active. I'm always looking for something new to try, whether it's a new type of post, a new recipe, a craft, anything. 
I take recommendations from my favorite fellow bloggers. From books to foods to makeup to DIYs and home products, if one of my most trusted bloggers mentions it and says it's wonderful, I'm way more likely to give it a try myself. 
It fuels my creativity. I find new prompts and topics to write about daily. If I read a cool post from another blogger, I like to try it myself and put my own spin on it. My brain is a treasure trove of new blog prompts and ideas. 
I think about a lot of different things every day, and I like sharing what I think about. Maybe other people think about the same things and/or share my same viewpoints, or would like to offer a counterpoint. Either way, it keeps the conversation alive and going. Blogs are pretty. I love looking at different layouts and designs. 
Blogging is storytelling, and as a writer, that's what I do. I love telling stories and I love hearing and reading other people's stories.
In reading other people's blogs and writing my own posts, I learn more about myself, what I like, what I enjoy, and what I'm good at. 
Most importantly, I blog because it's just plain fun.  Why do YOU blog? And if you don't blog, why AREN'T you?