Exploring blogs & newsletter from other writers

“Inspiration is typically elusive, then doggedly aggressive at the most inopportune moments.” – Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

I’ve signed up for the People and Blog Newsletter for a while, possibly from Designer Daily Report, where I found the concept of interviewing people and their blogs quite interesting since blogs don’t get much media coverage or popularity compared to short videos from TikTok. As I’m sitting in a dark, dimly lit coffee shop on a rainy day, my Bluetooth earbuds were commandeered by my wife for her meeting. Unable to distract myself with YouTube videos playing in the background, I decided to open the latest newsletter and actually read it.

I read issue 105th, interviewing Courtney. Reading about his background as a software developer turned consultant for a big tech company, documenting his life and thoughts on his blog in a journal format with weekly “weeknotes” as he calls it, resonated with me. In the newsletter interview, he shared what his blog is about and how it came to be. I find myself relating quite a bit to Courtney and his blog—genuine emotions, the “mayhem” of his writing and creative process. I can feel a bit of “impostor syndrome” in his writing, along with a tinge of existential crisis translated into creative writing on his blog.

“…In truth, most of what I write first comes to me as a spasm of thought, all too frequently foisted upon me in the shower or whenever I’m trapped alone with myself. Next, the words spill out; a first draft forms, and I’ll sit with those for a time. Long ago, I used to write in a physical journal, but these days it’s all digital. I tried Obsidian briefly and found it created needless friction, so I switched back to the standard Notes app on my iPhone.

Once the initial burst is done, I’ll transfer the rough draft to Google Docs for review and editing. I’ll find a nice, quiet space and repeatedly reread my stream of consciousness. A critical component of this is reading aloud; it’s how I judge tone, flow, and overall word choice. Punctuation is secondary; I work through the rhythm in my voice. As ridiculous as that might sound, this is an intensely iterative process, even for the shortest of entries. I’ll reread something I’ve written dozens of times, often to myself while walking our dog. Countless errors will still make it past publishing, but I’ll keep rereading for a few days after to root most of those out…”
– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

I need to read and learn more from other people’s blogs to build up my own. Is it for monetary gain? Is it for archiving my life and leaving a bit of myself for my future self or others to look back on? For now, this blog is a vessel for me to learn and explore myself, to condense what I learn and experience besides my journal. I need to broaden my view and read more blogs from different people.

People and Blog Newsletter: https://peopleandblogs.com/
P&B: Courtney :https://manuelmoreale.com/pb-courtney

“…there’s more than just blogs and digital gardens on the indie web. Honestly, don’t even worry about boxing yourself into any particular framing. If you’re looking to create something, labels can become unnecessary barriers to your creativity. Build a website and let what you express carry itself. Your voice, whatever its form, is what makes you unique. The value lies in what you’re sharing and the connections you build. True worth isn’t in your metrics or throwaway affirmations. Reclaim the word content…”

– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

“Inspiration is typically elusive, then doggedly aggressive at the most inopportune moments.” – Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

“…In truth, most of what I write first comes to me as a spasm of thought, all too frequently foisted upon me in the shower or whenever I’m trapped alone with myself. Next, the words spill out; a first draft forms, and I’ll sit with those for a time. Long ago, I used to write in a physical journal, but these days it’s all digital. I tried Obsidian briefly and found it created needless friction, so I switched back to the standard Notes app on my iPhone.

Once the initial burst is done, I’ll transfer the rough draft to Google Docs for review and editing. I’ll find a nice, quiet space and repeatedly reread my stream of consciousness. A critical component of this is reading aloud; it’s how I judge tone, flow, and overall word choice. Punctuation is secondary; I work through the rhythm in my voice. As ridiculous as that might sound, this is an intensely iterative process, even for the shortest of entries. I’ll reread something I’ve written dozens of times, often to myself while walking our dog. Countless errors will still make it past publishing, but I’ll keep rereading for a few days after to root most of those out…”
– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

People and Blog Newsletter: https://peopleandblogs.com/
P&B: Courtney :https://manuelmoreale.com/pb-courtney

“…there’s more than just blogs and digital gardens on the indie web. Honestly, don’t even worry about boxing yourself into any particular framing. If you’re looking to create something, labels can become unnecessary barriers to your creativity. Build a website and let what you express carry itself. Your voice, whatever its form, is what makes you unique. The value lies in what you’re sharing and the connections you build. True worth isn’t in your metrics or throwaway affirmations. Reclaim the word content…”

– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

“Inspiration is typically elusive, then doggedly aggressive at the most inopportune moments.” – Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

“…In truth, most of what I write first comes to me as a spasm of thought, all too frequently foisted upon me in the shower or whenever I’m trapped alone with myself. Next, the words spill out; a first draft forms, and I’ll sit with those for a time. Long ago, I used to write in a physical journal, but these days it’s all digital. I tried Obsidian briefly and found it created needless friction, so I switched back to the standard Notes app on my iPhone.

Once the initial burst is done, I’ll transfer the rough draft to Google Docs for review and editing. I’ll find a nice, quiet space and repeatedly reread my stream of consciousness. A critical component of this is reading aloud; it’s how I judge tone, flow, and overall word choice. Punctuation is secondary; I work through the rhythm in my voice. As ridiculous as that might sound, this is an intensely iterative process, even for the shortest of entries. I’ll reread something I’ve written dozens of times, often to myself while walking our dog. Countless errors will still make it past publishing, but I’ll keep rereading for a few days after to root most of those out…”
– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

People and Blog Newsletter: https://peopleandblogs.com/
P&B: Courtney :https://manuelmoreale.com/pb-courtney

“…there’s more than just blogs and digital gardens on the indie web. Honestly, don’t even worry about boxing yourself into any particular framing. If you’re looking to create something, labels can become unnecessary barriers to your creativity. Build a website and let what you express carry itself. Your voice, whatever its form, is what makes you unique. The value lies in what you’re sharing and the connections you build. True worth isn’t in your metrics or throwaway affirmations. Reclaim the word content…”

– Courtney in People and Blogs’s Interview #105

binh

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