Today marks one year from the first time I published something to this blog. And it started off much how this post did; with some wine-infused, late-night keyboard therapy. Thinking back to where Eclectic Avenue all began, I’m very impressed with what I’ve built in the past year. I haven’t put nearly as much into it as I picture I’m capable of. I’ve barley scratched the surface, and a year ago I had one lonely blog post published. A year ago I was sitting, staring at my computer screen and anticipating my final semester of college; wondering what in the world I’d be doing at this point. I couldn’t have predicted the way things turned out. I couldn’t have prepared myself in any other way. Instead, I took things in stride, wrote down what I could, and steered this ship in whatever way felt right at the time. I’ve made connections, I’ve put my name out there, I’ve gotten some pretty amazing recognition. I’ve bought not only one, but two domains and turned this blog into it’s own freestanding brand and publishing outlet. I've expanded my brand to include Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, and an email list. None of which I maintain very well, but they are great resources to me when it comes to sharing my content. I have some credibility under my belt, and I’m amazed at myself for my accomplishments, and publishing over 85 posts in just 12 months.
I have to reflect in order to truly appreciate the path I forged for myself. I know I’ve dropped the ball a little bit, and I know I could have published way more than I actually did. I’m still working to catch up from the past few months, but my life is completely different from January 2015. I now call myself a writer instead of a student. I have several side projects that I try and maintain. I have a vision for my future that was built off of this website, and I’m constantly becoming more confident in my ability to make an impact.
This is a congratulations to myself. I may not have impacted a lot of people, I may have published some things that only I enjoyed. But the fact that I’m loving my success as a blogger is a motivational catalyst that keeps edging me on. My biggest readers may very well be my close friends and family, and at times this may seem like a glorified diary. But I know I’ve worked through things in my life through this outlet, and I know that this is something I can’t deny about myself. I’m a communicator. No matter what I’m doing, I’ll always be trying to get my point across somewhere. Eclectic Avenue has been a place for that, it’s been a path that I’m paving for myself; carving out my many perspectives and experiences and hoping that someone can relate. Someone like you.
Thank you for being a reader, and for keeping an open mind. Thank you for allowing me to entertain, enlighten or inspire you. Thank you for being my audience, and for the interest in my writing and my life. Thank you for sharing this website with others, for encouraging the growing reach of my voice. Thank you for showing me that I am capable of more than I could imagine. If it wasn’t for you beautiful readers, this blog would not have the life you have breathed into it. Even if you are a casual visitor, a skimmer, a re-reader or a constructive critic, I know each of you out there is receiving some sort of message from me. To accomplish that is the best result a communicator could as for.
Looking towards the future, I see myself needing to dedicate the time this blog deserves. I want to expand on a few series I have, such as Explorations (my travel series) and Musical Commotion (all about the music!). I also want to incorporate more people into my writing. I want to have others publish their work here, and I want to focus on the accomplishments of others in order to further spread their impact. I want to continue to build on my brand, and I plan to organize this website in a way that encourages others to explore it further. I want to inspire others to find their own avenues, and jump into them without worry or doubt. Publishing my words feels just as good as it did a year ago, maybe even more so. I can feel my thoughts spreading, and I plan to keep that up. I don’t know where I’m leading you, but you can bet Eclectic Avenue is going somewhere exciting. I hope you’re ready to hear all about it.
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