Why I Blog

My blogger friend, Manila Fashion Observer (MFO) blogged about the perils of paying bloggers to write good reviews about products and services. And today this article on Inquirer (read article for full story) comes out eliciting good and not-so-good reactions on Twitter - Blogging used as a money-making tool. 

It's hard to judge the article and the characters involved and the veracity of the facts. But personally I have this to say on why I blog:

I started blogging seven years (YES! SEVEN YEARS!) ago because I really love to write and writing in my journal wasn't enough anymore. I was in grad school and needed a "creative outlet", which led me to blogging. After all, we had internet access 24/7 in school and I was staying in the dorm. My blogs, if you care to visit my archives, were more personal back then. My take on relationships, personal experiences and basically, LIFE, was my usual topic. Although I did occasionally touch on fashion and beauty too.

It was only three or maybe two years ago that I decided to focus my blogs on fashion, beauty and entertainment. Maybe it was age, but I didn't want to put too much personal stuff anymore online. Or I guess certain life-changing events prompted me to lie-low on topics about ME.

Nevertheless, the whole time I blogged, I was not paid anything. Although I contributed an article in another blog and got paid for it, but on my own, I never received anything - money, products or services. Meaning, all that you see here is free marketing and promotion.

I blog because I enjoy sharing my discoveries. My audience is meager compared to others, and they're probably mostly my friends, but I feel fulfilled when a reader thanks me for recommending something because of what I wrote. Most of the time I blog for myself, not thinking whether someone would actually read it or not. And I'm not famous, never been featured in any magazine or broadsheet. Not that I crave for recognition. This is just something I do because I can.

I am a blogger. I am no journalist. I hope that this won't be taken away from me. Or from us who just blog because... well, just because we like doing it.