Putting one's writing 'out there' for anyone to see is something that's a bit scary.  It leaves one open to criticism and judgement.  But, it's something anyone who creates anything, in any form, just has to come to terms with.  If we all sat around wondering if we were good enough to express our thoughts publicly, how would anything ever get done?  If we never take any risks, how do we grow and learn?  

Still, it's a scary thing to do.  But in any media, whether it's the internet, print media, TV or radio, there's such a lot of low quality content out there, that it's easy to think "I can do better than that".  And of course, that's the beauty of blogging - there is often no publisher to please, so the quality of the content gets better (well, it can potentially do so).

I was watching a re-run of Parkinson the other night, and was interested in Ben Elton's comments about personal privacy.  He'd written a new novel based on a TV show called the X-factor (I haven't seen it, but I gather is was a talent contest).  He was concerned about the desire for fame at any cost, particularly among young people.  Reference was made of course to Jerry Springer, and to a British politician who apparently damaged his career by expressing his opinions too freely.

Being about to embark on a blog, and feeling a bit nervous about it, this got me thinking about what and how much it is appropriate or wise to reveal about oneself in public.  We're always hearing about people being misquoted or quoted out of context in the media, and seeing people 'stick their foot in it' on TV and so forth, and being careful to avoid any potential future embarrassment would seem like a good idea.

On the other hand, the things people say and write that I find most interesting to hear or read myself, have a strong personal element to them.  Same with biographies - the more personal and revealing they are, the more interesting. 

The massive phenomenon that is MySpace brings up this issue also.  As a parent of a teenager, I read with interest the MySpace recommendations on safety.  Kids are warned not to say or display anything which might embarrass them in the future.

The other obvious thing that comes to mind is that I need to be considerate of people who know me or have known me personally, and how anything I say publicly can have an effect on them.  Do unto others and so on.

Writing as I tend to speak, in a fairly open and 'heart on sleeve' kind of way, might well expose my weaknesses, ignorance, prejudices, narcisism, discomforts and so on, but is that such a bad thing?  Any attempt at hiding my feelings is doomed to failure anyway; it's just not something I've ever successfully done.  And why not just be myself.  It's simpler and easier that way, and I feel it's giving something of myself and inviting others to also be more open. 

So, this blog will not be too guarded or contrived, but I will make the utmost effort to be considerate of others and to maintain a certain level of dignity.  

I hope that over time I will see my writing skills improve, and be able to look at my own earlier writing without cringing.

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