AWBU 2011 Changed My Life by Heidi Clark

Written by Heidi Clark of The Busy Nothings

Do you ever look back at a time or event and see now that it was life changing? Perhaps you understood a little bit of that at the time, but the true depth of it escaped you for a bit longer.
I look back at Arkansas Women Bloggers Unplugged last June as one of those moments. I was like a geeky fan at a celebrity event, except everyone there, however polished and with however many blog numbers, was that same geeky person inside. It was like a family reunion with people I *wanted* to be with- no matter what we looked like or blogged about.

What this weekend was to me was more than just a weekend vacation from my kids. It was more than a scenic drive into the middle of nowhere. That weekend changed my life- I awoke, was reborn or whatever cliche, cheesy phrase will fit here. I felt alive again!

I could write a blog post on my top reasons you should attend #AWBU and it would be a great blog post, however I feel this post should all be about how that weekend affected ME personally, because, I’m a blogger and well, that’s what I do best…

4 ways AWBU changed my life:

1. I finally understood what all an online community was about . People who understood me, knew more than me and wanted to share their information with me. I felt my heart pounding when the reality that these people were for REAL sunk in. I felt home.
2.  I’d experienced blogger cliques before. I was nervous going to the AWBU weekend, but I figured that at a minimum I’d at least learn something. I think every meal I sat with someone different and people eagerly engaged in conversation with me. It wasn’t networking, it was friend making.
3. I hadn’t realized how depressed I had been. That I felt guilty feeling unfulfilled staying at home with my 2 kids. My husband had lost his job the month before and I was still trying to deal with that on top of everything else. Being with people who were honest and transparent about their struggles was refreshing in a way that I never knew I was missing so much. Just not feeling alone is healing in of itself.

4. I learned to believe in myself for the first time in my life. I never took my writing seriously and then in the middle of a session, in front of a group, Beth Stephens told me that she thought I was a very gifted writer. In that moment, a part of me that I had repressed for years came alive again. I wasn’t pretending to be a writer, I WAS a writer.

The truth is that AWBU changed my life. I now have a very challenging and fulfilling job at at a company that was a sponsor at AWBU actually- and I can honestly say everything started that weekend. I’m sad to be missing this year’s AWBU  but I’m there in spirit and hope that some new blogger has the same experience that I did. Welcome!

There is still time to register for AWBU 2012.  You can find more information here.

19 comments

  1. Sherryk says:

    This was so great; inspiring and encouraging, it really makes me want to go to the conference as well! Great job Heidi

  2. Laurie says:

    Thanks for sharing this with us Heidi. I’m going to be a first-timer this month and I’m looking forward to making a plan to be a “serious” writer, not just a “ho-hum” writer. 🙂

    • Heidi Clark says:

      The INSANITY continues a year later! Shannon, thanks so much for always being go kind and supportive. You should be a blogger mentor and charge big bucks- seriously! You are a part of my story and helped me grow as a writer as well. 🙂

  5. Shasta Walton says:

    Great post! I understand that depressing feeling all too well! It feels great knowing that I can do what I love and support my family. I also dealt with not giving myself enough credit when it came to my abilities, and I finally realized that if I don’t do it, no one will. I’m glad you were able to experience the conference first hand, and that it made such an impact on your life!

  6. Beth says:

    Heidi, this is so great!

    I think this sort of post is what it is all about – it gave me chills. Just yesterday I was talking with someone about why I’m involved with Arkansas Women Bloggers – for me, it boils down to helping women find their voices and tell their stories.

    I’m touched to even be a tiny part of your journey. You ARE an exceptional writer, and I’m expecting great things from you! Look forward to seeing you this week!

    • Heidi Clark says:

      Beth, some how I missed your comment until now! Thank you so much for affirming me- I never knew how insecure I was and you guys were amazing. I hope others understand that these smaller conference are so much better than the huge ones just for this- the realness and genuine connection. I may have made good contacts at BlogHer, but the value of the people I met there greatly exceeds anything. Thanks again and I look forward to Friday!

  8. Amanda says:

    Love the transparency of this post, thank you for being willing to share it with us!! Love how you nailed it that we are all alike inside, despite how “blog numbers.” Such a great thing to remember despite how insufficient we may feel when we fall into the comparison trap.

    Sad that I won’t meet you in person this month!
    Amanda

  9. Robyn Wright says:

    Awesome!!!! Just so you know too, YOU impacted me tremendously that weekend also! To be able to connect with another in person that understood what we go thru with our kids, to just have that nodding head to agree – it was what I needed 🙂

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