Written by Jaqueline Wolven, Arkansas Women Bloggers Miss July 2013

I’ve been blogging for 7 years, a long time, and before that I had a short-lived zine (for those that aren’t GenX savvy, a zine is a photocopied magazine that you self produce, write and distribute nationwide). In all of these years of doing this I have really begun to think about why we are all putting ourselves out there on our blogs and what it could lead to.

This probably comes from the place in my heart where I believe that we are here on this planet to make connections. I don’t think we are supposed to be alone tapping away our lives online just to broadcast our lives into the unknown. No, we are supposed to connect. That might mean that we find folks who like the same things that we do, live in the same area (woo hoo, Arkansas Women Bloggers!), or are passionate about the same ideas, causes or concepts.

Sure, it is risky to come out from behind the screen and connect in real life, but it is when we push beyond our comfort zones that we start to grow. Sure, you might think that only your mom or your best friend reads your blog, and that might be true, but I bet there is people that are just like you and interested in. So, how do you find them?

Conferences: There are conferences of all sizes from the huge to the regional. There are conferences for crafters, DIY, tech geeks, moms and everything in between. Even if you are an introvert, sign up, connect online with others that are going (I bet there is a hashtag for the conference and you can search bloggers and Twitter users who are going), and go.

Find Your Tribe: I knew there were a lot of bloggers in our region (northwest Arkansas). I started a Facebook page and invited everyone who was in the area. I asked them to invite others who were in the area to the page. When there was a mass of people (we are 100 bloggers now) I set up an event at a local restaurant. It was a low-key event that I plan to replicate each month in a different city in our region. Folks came, they enjoyed it, they made some connections and like-minded friends were made.

Reach Out: If you are really brave or just a hopeless connector like me, when you are traveling to a region (or even in your own), let folks know you are coming and set up a meet up! They will come! Bloggers are a strong tribe of people who, in my experience, want to meet others who are on this strange ride of sharing our lives with the world.

When I started all those years ago I didn’t understand what was possible. I have met some of the most amazing people through putting myself out there, getting out from behind my Mac. My life is richer in ways I never thought possible all because I decided to put my story out there and then find a way to connect in real life.