When Is It About You?

(An earlier version of this was posted to my Tumblr )

I went from one blogging community where writing about one’s own experience was embraced, expected even, to another where it’s — I don’t want to say distasteful, but sometimes it’s better not to. The problem is that I had huge issues with the former, not being particularly skilled at “writing about me” to the point that I was told I didn’t resonate enough with readers, yet now, I find myself using my own experiences in impersonal posts more often than I ever did when I wrote a diary-type blog that I have to stop and remind myself “it’s all not about me.” 

"It's not about you" has become somewhat of buzzword in certain blogging circles. It's understandable when you have a commentariat in various stages of unpacking privilege -- when someone is talking about a form of discrimination you've never faced, it isn't about you. But I think it can be taken too far. There are times when I'm really unsure if I should be saying something or not -- and I take the "not" option. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing, but when you start to over-correct, or examine every word for bias, your writing can become stilted. I see this happening with my own writing,

(I guess, ideally, check your privilege as you write, but know you'll still make mistakes. Correct the mistakes, and learn from them, but don't stop writing because of them.)

As for inserting yourself into pieces that should be impersonal? When I write about music, I have to start with me and my reactions to it. Plain and simple. I'm a fan first and foremost -- which means I may never be taken seriously. I may not be taken seriously for a variety other reasons: I'm a woman, I'm middle-aged, I not a "professional" writer," etc. I have virtually no control over that, other than to put out the best possible content I can. If I'm in there, somewhere, that's okay, too.