An Introduction

I have a confession to make: this isn’t my first blog. Far from it, in fact—if I count the one or two entry High School fad services like Xanga, my grand total would be six previous forays into the blogging world.

Welcome to number 7.

At time of writing, I’m serving as the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Omaha Fashion Magazine, and loving it. Despite the fact that newcomers into the print industry are seemingly like Greeks choosing to visit Pompeii in 79AD because it “looks pretty”, print publications have always been where my heart is, and it feels right to start my journalism career not only in a city that I love, but on a fashion/style magazine.

In addition to my job, I’m also 23 years old, and it’s almost like I can feel myself growing up. I never used to think about my age too much; birthdays were just a source of gifts, money and cake. But now it seems like I’ve actually got to start doing things—and writing about the world around me in this blog is one of those things. Those who know me know that I have a bit of vanity about me (those same people will laugh at me using such a small-in-stature quantifier, too), and my previous blogs seemed a bit immature because of that. Of course one is prone to write about the things that come across their mind—as I will do here—but the catch is not writing about that mind. Essentially, one should use their experiences, stories and knowledge as a frame and informant—not as content itself (unless it’s a really great experience, story or knowledge).

Finally, if there’s one thing that successful writers and teachers hammer home to aspiring writers the world over it’s this: you have to practice. I do what I can to hammer out some words every day—and usually I do. That effort is what assembles the odds-and-ends poems I piece together occasionally. But a thought that keeps coursing its way through my head is something my girlfriend told me her band teacher used to say:

Practice doesn’t make perfect. Perfect practice makes perfect.

For some, that might seem like common sense, but to me it was a bit of a revelation. Maybe simply tip-tapping a collection of words on this keyboard isn’t doing anything—but maybe a cogent collection of writings wherein  I have to make a point will do the trick.

I can already feel myself getting better.