Why Blog? Ten Years Later.
Can you believe that I have been blogging for ten years?
A Brief History
During the summer of 2012 I lived with my Assyrian grandmother in Florida while waiting for my big girl job to start that August. I did not have access to reliable internet or a computer. My college laptop decided to die on me about a month before graduation (talk about convenient timing).
But I do remember one particular phone call with my mom that summer. She mentioned that she stumbled upon this new support group on Facebook for people living with adrenal insufficiency. It was the first time she had seen anything like it, and she wanted to tell me about it. For the majority of our journey up until that point, it felt like she and I were two people stranded on a remote island. We had each other to lean on but no other support. We never connected to a larger community.
I was intrigued by this discovery. There were others who shared a similar journey as me? And I could potentially communicate with them? I thanked my mom for informing me and told her I would revisit the possibility once I gained more reliable access to technology.
The Catalyst
August of 2012, I moved from Tampa to Dallas to start that big girl job in engineering. A few months later, I built my desktop and decided to revisit that online Facebook support group. I timidly requested to join. Upon the acceptance of my request, I remember feeling both this sense of joy and relief. I was no longer isolated. There was a community. I belonged to a tribe.
Then I had a thought.
Could I share my story? Would people want to read it? Could I write it down and publish it online? I wanted to claim a little corner of the internet that could serve as an encouraging retreat to others. I knew what it felt like to be both overwhelmed and isolated. If I could lesson that discomfort for others, I would.
So I created a free blog on blogger, published my first post, and shared it with that Facebook support group.
The blog was titled “Living with Addison’s Disease.”
The Rebrand
Since that time a decade ago, both the world and myself have evolved quite a bit. My blog has gone through several redesigns and one rebranding as I realized that my story is so much more than just living with adrenal insufficiency.
I am Clearly Alive.
When I started sharing my stories online, I also had no idea that this Clearly Alive Family would walk alongside me through many significant moments. There have been really scary times, such as my divorce or the nightmare crisis. There have also been really big victories, like my half marathons or the release of the Theoretical Steroid Curve Plotter.
Am I the Dinosaur now?
The online world of social media has changed drastically over the last decade. While I was once very active in online support groups and even credit Facebook with the catalyst for this blog, I’ve withdrawn from pretty much all of them. You might still catch me on Reddit. But as for Facebook, I’ve pulled completely out. It was a critical lifeline for me at one point, but I also feel like it has served its useful purpose.
Also, written blogs in this style have waned in popularity. To remain a relevant “social media influencer,” I must scream my message on either TikTok or Instagram Reels, participating in all the latest viral trends. That does not appeal to me. I am now the dinosaur in the room being rapidly left behind as technology and social media have moved on.
But that will not stop me from sharing my story. I want this corner of the internet to remain an encouraging place of refuge for those who feel alone and isolated. We are meant to be a part of a community.
Thank you for being a part of this Clearly Alive Community over the last ten years.
I am not sure what the next decade will look like. But I do promise you that I will continue to be Clearly Alive.
I challenge y’all to do the same.
Bonus: Let Us Revisit the Evolution of Clearly Alive Art
Have you ever played around with the Wayback Machine? It is fun.
The Early Days: clearlyaliveart.com
At one point, I actually had an online gallery of some of my artwork. You can view the archived link here. When I migrated everything to my own website, I was very thankful that I could reclaim this clearlyaliveart domain.
2012: The First Blog Post
I was so proud that I could use that Travel Template powered by Blogger. You can view the archived link here.
2013: A Rapid Redesign
It did not take me much time before I redid my blog to be more bright and colorful. I wanted it to portray living. You can view the archived link here.
2014: The Official Rebrand
In 2014, I commissioned a graphic designer to help me rebrand from “Living with Addison’s Disease” to “Clearly Alive: Living with Adrenal Insufficiency.” I have been using that butterfly logo ever since. You can view the archived link here.
2018 to Current: Goodbye Blogger
No need to visit the archive for this one. You can just read the post for yourself here. As an additional bonus, check out the YouTube video I released on the fifth anniversary of this blog.
