When I started this blog several years ago, I never would have imagined all of the kind words I’ve received from people around the world. I’ve always been a writer for fun, but I never thought the words I write could actually affect people’s lives. I guess in a lot of ways, the pen really is mightier than the sword.
I’m at a bit of a crossroads, though. I really want to expand this little website into a full-blown lifestyle blog, but most lifestyle blogs have some kind of theme. I don’t exactly have a theme, unless you count “mostly coherent ramblings of an aspiring rock star and future music therapist” as a theme. I’m not a mom (yet), so I can’t exactly be a mommy blogger. I don’t have enough money or free time to be a travel blogger. I’m not nearly cool enough to have a fashion blog (or maybe I am?! I did run the fashion column for my college paper!). And I have the culinary expertise of a chicken, so foodie blog is out.
Still, I want there to be some sort of direction for my blog, so I came up a few more ideas for weekly or biweekly columns. I already have Dear Cadence and the Venona series going, but I want to get to a point where I’m posting a little something almost every day. Let me know in the comments if you’d be interested in any of these. I’d love to try my hand at different kinds of content, like:
Music Reviews No One Asked For
I write pretty extensively about music on here already, since it’s one of my biggest passions. Music critic almost seems like too perfect of a job title for me. My problem is that I don’t like good music. Like, my childhood favorite band was Bon Jovi, who I still listen to regularly and unironically. And my present day tastes aren’t much better. You won’t find anyone else bopping to all two albums from Lindsay freaking Lohan’s short-lived music career in the year of our Lord 2023, but here we are. Still, I think it would be fun to analyze and dissect the songs I listen to every day, especially as someone who is a trained musician and would-be music therapist, but even more so as a person whose taste in music generally sucks.
Jessa Reviews Beauty Crap
Basically what it says on the tin. I get a product, I tell you if I like it or not. Not that I have any significant pull or insight when it comes to this stuff, except that I’m a lifelong makeup and beauty product enthusiast, but it would be fun.
Fiction Fridays
Believe it or not, I have more story ideas than just Venona! Venona’s kind of my baby, but I have a lot of stories floating around in my noggin I’d like to get out there someday. I think I’ll do a dump of whatever I’m writing currently every Friday, just because I like alliteration and “Fiction Fridays” sounds cool as heck. I’d like to explore more short story writing anyways, and this blog would be the perfect outlet for that.
Sunday Morning Coffee
I’ve dabbled in spiritual stuff on here before, but I know it’s not everyone’s thing. So I was thinking of starting a weekly devotional thing where I just pick a verse in the Bible and talk about my perspective on it as a queer, progressive Christian. I realize I have a pretty unique experience as part of that niche demographic, so I’m excited to share my views on things with the world.
Video Content
This is the one I’m most nervous about, yet also excited for, if I can pull it off. I know videos get more attention in general than writing, so Id like to branch out into making video versions of my regular blogs. I’m nervous because visual content opens you up to a lot more criticism — YouTube commenters are mean sometimes — but I need to accept that not everyone is going to like what I put out into the world. But in order to make the greatest impact, you have to put yourself out there, and that means being vulnerable. And I think I’m ready for that.
So what do you think, reader of this blog? Which columns would you like to see regularly featured on this website? Let me know in the comments!
JESSA JOYCE 