I was at a blogging conference this past weekend here in San Jose (which is where my Curvy Girl retail store is located) called Blogher. ( #blogher or their other hashtag #blogher14 )
One of the speakers, The Blogess, said something that hit me right between the eyes. She was telling a story about how she wrote something on her blog that she thought was pretty impactful – but then when the comments started coming in from many of her followers – she suddenly realized how important and necessary the “engagement” and the “dialogue” is.
I have often had this thought, but it never really crystalized in my brain in this way. I mean, people tell me all the time that I am their voice. Or they thank me for being a voice for Curvy women. But, honestly, the magic happens when each of you share your pictures on our page. The magic happens when you comment with your resources or support. The magic happens when you share your pain and your celebrations.
One thing I learned about social media about 4 years ago, before I even opened up my store – is that you NEVER know how you might touch. And, sometimes the people you help are the super quiet people. The people who never like, share or comment. They are out there reading every thing and soaking it in. And, so, when I feel nervous to share something or anxious to write about something awkward or potentially uncomfortable, I hear those people in my brain and they push me in their anonymous way to go ahead and blurt out my crazy shit and just go with it.
I know that if it’s happening to me or has happened to me, it’s likely happened to lots of you. It is NOT easy being a woman in this day and age. The media basically is enganged in a war on our bodies. I guarantee that every woman on this planet feels like crap about her body on occasion and I personally completely relate to the other curvy women out there. (And I mean women who are a size 0 and women who are a size 26. The media is very invested in making us feel like are not perfect as we are because they want to sell us all of those products that make us feel/look for beautiful…or so they think.)
So, I guess my message is that I hope that when you are feeling nervous about liking, sharing, commenting or leaving a blog comment – you remember that really YOU are what makes the magic happen. I just get the fire started. You all fan the flame.
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