Love, babies, caramel, rusty cars, scary bears, scarier graveyards, skydiving, mom hair, Mongolia.
In case you missed it, I’ve been hosting a “Freshly Press Yourself” over the last week, a chance for bloggers to share their best posts and find new subscribers and friends. I read every one of your funny, inspiring, thought provoking, yummy posts and here’s what I learned:
Downton Abbey doesn’t have a “w” in it. And here I thought everyone was just being pretentious when they said, “DownTON.”
There are people in this world who will drive 1,500 miles for ice cream. I salute those people.
You can date, kiss and, one year later, comfort a crying man whose name you (still) do not know.
We should all catch the next plane to Zurich.
Grown ups think other grown ups wet the bed.
Sock divorce is on the rise.
Neil Young is not dead.
I’ve been following a fantastic blog called Broadside for several months now. It’s written by journalist Caitlin Kelly, whose candor, intelligence and breadth of knowledge continually impress me. This week she was Freshly Pressed for the sixth! time, and yesterday she wrote a post full of tips for those who are hoping the Freshly Pressed fairy will favor them.
Among many useful ideas–tag your posts, choose your tone, pick timely topics–she mentioned something that struck me as worth sharing here:
Mix the personal with the universal
Many people overlook, or don’t even realize, the importance of this potent little cocktail. But potent it is. It isn’t easy, but if you can find a way to relate your personal experiences to broader universal themes, you will probably have a succesful blog. As Caitlin so astutely notes: Too personal is confessional and tedious. Too universal is too vague and no one can relate to it.
What I love about the three “Freshly Press Yourself” bloggers I chose to feature today is that they all have strong, clear voices and they each attempt that potent little mix of the personal and universal. Take a read. I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do.
THE PRESSABLES…
Jane has a bit of southern sass. If you’re into that sort of thing (and, really, who isn’t?), you’re going to love her special blend of humor, poignancy and lemon pie. She really shines when it comes to the small, take your breath away details:
His mother and grandmother live together, mostly unhappily. I think they try to love one another, but years of scars and tears welt up all ugly and raw and keep them from seeing each other clearly. That’s mostly the nature of family. I just hug them both a ton, especially Grandma, and try to cover all those sorry disgraces with love.
If you like this one, you’ll also want to read The One About Being a Grown Up and The One About a Little Piece of Farmland. And then, you know, everything else she’s ever written…
I am a gal who loves honesty and Ashley is a gal who delivers plenty of it. She recently ran a half marathon (congrats!) and, in this post, she writes about the very real process of training: junk food, missed runs and tantrums frustration. But in the end, the training, the race, the huffing and puffing are about teaching herself an important lesson: she can do hard things.
And what she’s really saying is: we can all do hard things, if we’re willing to repeatedly push through our own discomfort to get at the prize.
Amber took a difficult story–the end of her marriage–and turned it into a fairytale. By stripping away most of the details, she invited us to see ourselves in her tale. What may have been too personal and painful to read in a traditional format was transformed into….Tada!….the universal.
Thanks to everyone who participated! I hope you gained something (new subscribers, new blogs to read). I had a lot of fun reading and commenting on your posts!
So, tell me, what draws you into a blog post? Is it the mix of personal and universal I described above? Or something else? A great title? Beautiful photos? A strong voice? What specific elements would make you want to “Freshly Press” a post?
Categories: Yummy Cake
Truth and Cake 
For me it is a mix of things that draws me into a blog post – a catchy title helps. I love when I find that writing flair that just grabs my attention and draws me in – want to read more even if they are writing the back off a soup can. I enjoy the personal aspect too – makes me think good someone else who is human trying to live a good life:) Great Post – thanks for sharing! Have a Great One:)
“I want to read more even if they are writing the back of a soup can”–Yes! This is exactly how I feel about my favorite writers and bloggers.
Congrats to the Pressables!
Thanks again for doing this, Rian. So much fun! :D
Thanks for participating! Your blog makes me SO hungry.
Thanks so much!
Honored to be included, knowing how high your standards are! :-) I tend to follow blogs by women living outside their “normal” lives — often ex-pats like yourself, or travelers or people in transition. I am most hungry to hear from women who are brave, adventurous, funny and smart, and anyone who writes beautifully.
As someone with no kids, whose life is about 43% conventional, I’m always seeking fellow members of the tribe, as Michelle of The Green Study so aptly call it/us. I really love it when I find a blog I enjoy so much that that I want to take the writer out for a meal, as Michelle and I did recently on my visit to Minneapolis — and I look forward to with you on my next trip to YVR.
I wish I could *Like comments. If i could, I would *Like this one
I am also drawn to travelers, wanderers, out-of-the-box thinkers, which is probably one of the reasons I love your blog. You will never say the “expected” thing just to please your readers. And your interest in the world around you seems limitless. Looking forward to that meal, and the interesting conversation that’s sure to accompany it!
May I ask which blog Michelle writes? I’m a Minneapolis girl, and would love to connect with other Minneapolis bloggers!
Isn’t it funny how blogging seems to help make the world both smaller and larger? For me, it’s been a tool to discovering my “tribe” – I gave a talk recently about blogging and branding and was struck by the statistic that roughly 3 billion people in the world now use the Internet….somewhere in there is a tribe of people who think a little the way I do, are expats or brave or hilarious or personal or universal. Rian, thanks for helping me find more members of the tribe!
Thanks for the mention. It’s been great to be introduced to other people’s blogs.
Thanks for sharing your post–seriously, I’m still impressed by the lengths you’ll go to for a bowl of ice cream. A woman after my own heart!
Technically, it was a cone – which is better than a bowl. It’s more polite to eat the cone than it is to lick the bowl in public.
Ah, of course! Thanks for the clarification ;)
Great selection, Rian. I enjoyed all of them, especially the fairy tale from The Usual Bliss. Checking out new blogs was a lot of fun, just like last time. I have a few new followers and I’m also following a few new blogs- you’re great at bringing people together!
I also read the tips from Broadside and I agree with you: mixing the personal with the universal is very difficult to achieve, and I seek writers and bloggers who can do it. I think I tend to get more easily on the personal side. I’m always afraid to sound too preachy with the universal talk…
You totally rocked it, Cécile! The early bird catches the worm, and you caught it! Your post was great, and it definitely contained a nice mix of personal and universal. If I have to err on one side, I’ll always choose the personal, the detailed and the funny, all of which you do so well.
I’m seriously so excited it’s silly. Thanks for your support, Rian. This is a HUGE, huge encouragement :) My husband says he’s buying me any beer I want to celebrate! Haha
It’s all you Jane–you’re such a great writer and I look forward to following your blogging journey! Let me check my fridge–how does an abbey style brown ale sound? ;) Cheers!
I may have perma-grin all week. Thank you for including me in your selection, and for sharing your FP success with the blogging community! It’s an intense feeling to share a difficult part of my life publicly and have strangers relate to me. Sharing it is a part of the healing process, I think. Thanks for making that a tad easier. And now, to celebrate! :)
I am so glad you were picked! :) You have such a great blog.
I feel very honored. What fun!
I can imagine it was both tough and liberating to tell your story. Thanks so much for finding the words–you touched (and helped) many people in the process. And congrats on your recent wedding–you look so happy and beautiful in the photos. Here’s to the rest (I also think it’s going to get really good)!
The tough stuff does make the good stuff that much sweeter. And I can appreciate it more! Thank you!
Rian, you are awesome. :) This was a wonderful idea the first time and it’s awesome that you continuously strive to help others connect.
This is the greatest advice and I am really inspired! Thank you! x
Rian, Thank you for these great posts and for the link to mine.
Happy Holidays to you and your family.
Thanks for sharing your post, it was very spooky. Happy Holidays to you!
Some stellar picks! You are a wonderful and generous spirit Rian – not to mention a great writer! Looking forward to more as always.
Hi Carrin, thanks for participating! By the way, your hair looks great at any length! And I can relate–I’m a chop, grow, chopper myself ;)
Thanks so much for hosting this again, Rian! It’s been such a pleasure connecting with new bloggers, and seeing the enthusiasm we all have for each other. Whoopie!
Thanks for jumping into the pool, Katie–your blog is off to such a fantastic start. Can’t wait to see where it takes you (or should I say, you take it)!
A blog has to connect to me on an emotional level and interest me. That can change on any given day and that’s what makes it a challenge. We have so much to choose from. I I think photos can be as powerful as words and it makes them more personal and intimate; like your’s share bits and pieces of who you are.
Connecting on an emotional level–I agree, Marsella. It’s sort of this intangible gut punch.
What draws me to a blog post? A connection to what’s written, but I follow a blog when I connect with the author. While I could state it’s pretty pictures, intellectualism peppered with humor and an authentic vulnerability inherent for a sustainable connection, I also feel it’s an intuitive resonance or a resounding internal “yes!” that keeps me reading once I’ve clicked into a post or follow a blog. I feel commonalities bring us together, but the differences allow for growth. I’m not out here looking for another me, there’s only one of us each, but the feeling as if I’m not alone with so many issues and circumstances that we all face. It’s not simply what you say, but how you convey, Rian. You have a strong voice that does balance the personal with universal in finding the in-between quite effortlessly (like the creative focal lengths but mastering all three). This is precisely what I struggle with for various reasons but the very reason why I’m here blogging and continuing despite many wrong turns that have turned me write ;)
“I feel commonalities bring us together, but the differences allow for growth.” I really like that sentiment, Kristy. Reading and commenting on blogs allows us to become more tolerant and accepting of others’ opinions. It opens us up. I read a few blogs that express viewpoints I don’t always agree with–but I learn so much from them. Thanks for your insightful comment.
Thanks so much for the encouragement Rian, and congrats to the pressables. You are correct a good blog is about getting that mix between personal and universal just right. As a reader I enjoy relating to others experiences. For me aswell the first paragraph needs to be catchy to draw me into reading further. xx
Ah, that ever important hook–yes, that’s a good one. Thanks for participating–your skydiving post was awesome. I still want to go one day, but the older I get the more chicken I become ;)
I’m a big fan of Amber’s blissful blog and excited to check out your other two picks! Really cool concept. It’s nice to see all the sharing and blog love :)
Thanks for stopping by, Tori! Your blog had me laughing out loud this morning :)
Congrats to the Pressables: those posts were really all great and how cool that we all got to read them, and others, and support and encourage one another.
(At the risk of sounding vague & pretentious) I think for me it is a combination of relate-ability and the exotic that draws me to other people’s blogs. I like to read about people who are living lives different to my own (in other countries, at different stages of their lives, from unusual backgrounds), who can capture my imagination and let me think about the world in a new way. Yet I also look for a shared component: through their attitude to problems, their experiences (location, shared hobbies), their personalities or sense of humour.
Beautiful photos make me more likely to *look* at a blog…but I don’t think I’m any more likely to subscribe to or follow them…
A blend of the exotic and the relatable–I like that, Claire. People who can teach you something but who also remind you of yourself a bit? Those elements definitely draw me into a blog. (And you never sound vague and pretentious. Just smart).
That’s good to know. :)
Well, Rian, I must say you have outdone yourself! Wonderful idea and wonderful execution of said idea.
You know what bothers me the most? My memory fragments sometimes. Not horribly seriously, but it does in small bits on things not life-threatening. This time? I cannot remember if I took advantage of your offer to add my post to your collection. If I didn’t, I want you to know that I am sorry about that. I didn’t want to try it twice (you mentioned not doing that) and, honestly, I have been busy enough that I did not check it out in time to try.
I wanted you to know that. I also want you to know how much I enjoy reading all your posts. Thanks for the chance. I may never get freshly pressed, but having blog friends like you makes up for that.
Scott
Don’t worry, it looks like we’re in the same boat! My memory slipped and I forgot to reply to your comment ;) You did participate, and I loved your post about your daughter’s wedding. I could really relate to it, as my parents were in a similar situation at my wedding. Thanks for always leaving the most thoughtful comments. I’m so appreciative of your continued interest and participation in the conversation here. Happy Holidays!
How inspiring and fresh!