Blissdom in the Raw

February 9, 2010

First, let me say, I am so grateful I got to go to Blissdom. I would absolutely recommend it to any blogger and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The whole experience was invaluable.

Funny, I went thinking I’d get one thing, but I took home something entirely different. It wasn’t bad, it was good…just a little unexpected. Here’s how it went down for me:

I arrived in Nashville on Thursday night. As I navigated my tired self and accompanying baggage to my room, I passed lots of women dressed up and on their way to the first official party of the weekend.

Queue my issues…

  • Oh shoot, why didn’t I think this through more thoroughly? Why did I wear these jeans? I should’ve worn my newer ones.
  • Man, why didn’t I remember I’d be making a first impression tonight instead of in the morning.
  • These socks looked so fun this morning, now I feel like a clown.

And I must confess, I fought my issues the whole weekend…

  • Who’s that? I wonder how many readers she has.
  • I wonder how much money she makes.
  • She’s so confident. Act confident, Aim!
  • I wish I had her nose.
  • I love her outfit. Why didn’t I think to bring some accessories!
  • Oh, oh, oh, there’s [celebrity blogger]! Will she notice me? How can I meet her? Gee, wouldn’t it be awesome if she mentioned me on her blog?
  • I’m met with blank stares whenever I tell someone the name of my blog…no one has a clue who I am.
  • What?!? Did she just say that 1000 pageviews a day is a major disappointment? Man, I’m ecstatic if I get 400 pageviews a day.

And I spent too much time at Compete comparing my blog to others’ and too much time trying to do the math to see how much *more* they make than I do. And believe me, it was always more. Way more. LOL!

Oh man, what can I say. I’m just sayin’ it like it is. :)

Someone (does anyone remember who??) Carmen at Mom to the Screaming Masses made the comment at one point that we need to stop comparing our insides to other’ outsides. How true is that?!

Anyway, I was ready for all the action Friday morning. The Opening Keynote was given by Kevin Carroll. He told the story of being abandoned by his parents by the time he was 7 and how he and his two brothers were taken in by their grandparents. He’s written a series of books about a Red Rubber Ball — an object of significance for him in an epiphany moment he had as a child.

I deeply appreciate his story. It’s encouraging to hear from someone who has overcome countless odds, “pulled himself up by his bootstraps,” and has committed his life to helping others find their own success.

So I wondered why, at the end of his address, as everyone else was giving him a standing ovation, I remained seated, feeling awkward yet unable to stand.

It was strange. I had come expecting to learn a ton, to figure out how to get this thing to actually pay and glean valuable morsels of blogging wisdom from those who had “made it.” This was supposed to pump me up, to inspire me. Instead, I felt defeated and deflated. I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I just didn’t think I was cut out for blogging.

Have you ever had a meal that left you saying, “You know, that was good….but…it seemed to be missing something.” That was me after the first session. Then it dawned on me.

The thing missing was acknowledgement of God’s grace and intervention. I’m not sure what Kevin Carroll‘s personal beliefs are. He’s worked unbelievably hard and he’s made great choices even when everyone would understand if he didn’t. But the bottom line is, all the internal fortitude he could muster wouldn’t get him anywhere on its own. It is important, absolutely, but he is where he is because God’s hand carried him there. Whether he recognizes that or not is immaterial, it’s simply the truth.

And it’s the truth for me too. I’ve gotten so caught up in how to make my blog better, how to be known, how to get readers, how to make money, that I’ve lost sight of the real reason I blog. I blog for none of those things. I blog simply because it seems to be the tool God has put in my hands at this moment for this season and because apparently it is what will best help me fulfill my tiny part of The Great Commission: making Him known and for His glory.

So while I have utmost respect for him and thoroughly enjoyed Kevin Carroll, for me, it’s not a red rubber ball that made the difference.

Christ did.

And that’s why I blog.

To be continued…

Shared at Walk with Him Wednesday and Musings of a Housewife.

Related posts:

  1. My lives intersected
  2. One effective way to increase your blog’s pageviews
  3. Blissdom in the Raw, Part 2
  4. Thoughts on Blissdom ’10 (so far)
  5. Great things for God

Category: Blogging & the Internet, My Deep Thoughts, My Issues, My Life

Comments

57 Responses to “Blissdom in the Raw”

  1. Jaynie
    February 9th, 2010 @ 5:30 pm

    Is it imperative to follow you on twitter or subscribe to your RSS feed to demonstrate my love for you? Or is stalking you IRL enough?

    Glad you got to get away.

  2. Jaynie
    February 9th, 2010 @ 5:32 pm

    P.S. I learned ‘IRL’ from you.

    And, I may be one of ‘those friends’ who get a faraway look in their eyes when you talk blogging, although I try to act cool. I’ve myself have seen it plenty of times before when I begin talking about intestinal foreign bodies and ACTH stim tests.

  3. Jaynie
    February 9th, 2010 @ 5:34 pm

    Edit #3. “I have seen it…” Rats.

  4. Amy
    February 9th, 2010 @ 6:02 pm

    You learn IRL from me, I learn about doggy C-sections from you. Clearly the depth of your knowledge exceeds mine so you are absolutely allowed to get a faraway look when I blab about blogging. You keep me grounded.

  5. Amy
    February 9th, 2010 @ 6:03 pm

    You are hereby released from the requirement to follow or subscribe. You are not hereby released from having “coffee” with me sometime in the near future.

  6. Paula
    February 9th, 2010 @ 6:57 pm

    Well, *I* enjoy your blog and I’m glad you’re here.

    :o )

    I’ll go poke around on a few of your pages for a while and hike those pageviews up. lol
    .-= Paula´s last blog ..Friday’s Fave Five =-.

  7. Smockity Frocks
    February 9th, 2010 @ 7:54 pm

    YEA! {standing ovation}

    I am SO glad I got to spend such a good quantity of time talking with you. I left you thinking of more to discuss!

    You are an absolute treasure!

  8. Kelleigh @ Kelleigh Ratzlaff Designs
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:13 pm

    I wait with baited breath for your next post! Keep it real and keep on posting!!

  9. Amy
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:33 pm

    You’re so funny… :)

    Thanks for your encouragement.

  10. Amy
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:33 pm

    Oh man, I’ll do my best not to disappoint! :)

  11. Amy
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:34 pm

    The pleasure was all mine. It was GREAT. (Still kicking myself that I missed out on the ride there!)

  12. Lynn
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:41 pm

    I really enjoyed getting to know you at Blissdom. My favorite part of the whole weekend was the conversations that I had with everyone. And I am so glad that we had time to talk at the airport on the way home. When I was telling me husband about Kevin Carroll and his talk, I said something similar to what you said. His speech was great, he had a great story, but something was missing, he had no mention of Christ.

  13. Karin Katherine
    February 9th, 2010 @ 8:44 pm

    Wow, you really know how to upload a post after a Blogger Conference!
    Your words are true and strong. I cannot wait to see what God is going to do with you and your blogging over the next year.

    PS
    I leave for Israel in 2 weeks! I’m so excited. We’ll be gone for 10 days. Amazing.

  14. Tanis Miller, RNM
    February 9th, 2010 @ 9:08 pm

    Out of all the Blissdom recaps I’ve read (and wow, I’ve read a lot already) I think yours is the one that resonates the loudest for me.

    So thank you.

    And don’t worry, I wore tennis shoes the ENTIRE weekend and a track suit to the first party. I have long since stopped worrying about fashion over comfort. Wink.
    .-= Tanis Miller, RNM´s last blog ..Be Careful WHERE You Blow Your Horn =-.

  15. Muthering Heights
    February 9th, 2010 @ 9:12 pm

    I’m glad that I was able to meet you over the weekend!! I had many of the same feelings after my first conference. :)

    I heard though, that he is a believer. I can’t corroborate, but that’s what someone told me at Blissdom. :)

  16. Megan
    February 9th, 2010 @ 9:41 pm

    Where is the part where I (nervously…oh, so nervously) came up to you….introduced myself… and then made a comment about me being “height deficient” ???????

    You were gracious. I was nervous. So sorry.

    Can I be Forgiven?

  17. Amy
    February 10th, 2010 @ 5:49 am

    Lynn, you were great. Loved your organization and how you always knew what was happening next! Extra time with you at the airport was a special treat. Adding your feed to my reader now…and all that stuff you’ll be cooking that you can’t eat? Well, you just go ahead and send it my way. :)

  18. Amy
    February 10th, 2010 @ 6:03 am

    Oh my goodness, I never thought twice about it! No apology needed. I’m sure I was too busy trying to keep my own nerves from freaking completely out.

    To quote the great philosopher Horton, “A person is a person, no matter how small”…or in my case, “A person is a person, no matter how tall.” :)

  19. Amy
    February 10th, 2010 @ 6:07 am

    I must say, things drastically improved after that first session. Definitely hoping to go to Relevant. Many blessings on you guys as you plan!

  20. Amy
    February 10th, 2010 @ 6:24 am

    No, thank *you*. And you are clearly brilliant. I sported my Naturalizer shoes all weekend and survived pretty well. Can’t tell you, though, how many people complained to me about their aching feet by Saturday night. One even by Thursday night.

  21. Amy
    February 10th, 2010 @ 6:33 am

    I’m so glad we got to chat, if only briefly. I hope you have a great time in Israel! Have some falafel for me — man that stuff was good!

  22. Kelli @ 3 Boys and a Dog
    February 10th, 2010 @ 9:08 am

    Hey Amy! This is an “OH MY GOODNESS” post! You made my eyes well up and had me nodding my head. :-)

    Great, great, GREAT post!

    P.S. I wore a baseball cap on day 2, remember? Don’t worry about clothes. Granted, I had some super cute and snazzy clothes to wear that decided not to fit me. Uggh, weight gain. LOL!
    .-= Kelli @ 3 Boys and a Dog´s last blog ..6 Things That Should Be In Every Media Kit =-.

  23. chirky
    February 10th, 2010 @ 10:52 am

    You know, I saw you all weekend long and never introduced myself. I really wish I had. I’m also in DFW, and would love it if you’d come to one of our blogger meetups sometime. Email me if you’re interested. :)
    .-= chirky´s last blog ..Tickled Pink =-.

  24. Adventures In Babywearing
    February 10th, 2010 @ 5:38 pm

    This is a great post. Thank you for sharing it.

    Mom To The Screaming Masses @mttsm said that about the insides & outsides of others. Loved that quote. And I also heard that some people who got to speak privately with Kevin said he DID mention that Christ is Who and What healed him from his painful past.

    I loved Blissdom this year so much but definitely could have done without the couple encounters I had of others promoting themselves a bit too much or saying things that could really alienate others around them. I guess we see that anywhere and everywhere. And usually people say those things just to make themselves feel better and you (or us) feel a little “less than.”

    I’m eager to read your next recap… :)
    Steph
    .-= Adventures In Babywearing´s last blog ..Blissdom, backwards. With a baby on my back. =-.

  25. lynn @ maven of savin
    February 10th, 2010 @ 6:23 pm

    Amy – I was not at Blissdom, but have met you through #savvyblogging and there is no need for comparisons. The help and inspiration you have given people cannot be measured by money or stats! I am a “liitle fish” in the great big blogging ocean, and get caught up in the “am I good enough” tidal wave. But as long as I am helping people – no matter how few, I am happy. Just need to remind ourselves every once in a while. Blog because YOU love it and blog because we love you.

    thank you for all your help and support on #savvyblogging
    .-= lynn @ maven of savin´s last blog ..FREE GE Reveal Light Bulbs ? | Target =-.

  26. Carrie
    February 11th, 2010 @ 1:59 am

    As a rookie blogger, blogging is intimidating—and all the moreso when people start talking about how to make it bigger and better, how to properly monetize, etc.

    I began to get sucked into all the advice and fret over the future of my own little blog (and I do mean little). But then I remembered my original purpose—-it wasn’t to make money. It wasn’t to number the people (ha! Just a little Bible humor). It wasn’t to see how many followers I could get. And it certainly wasn’t to compare myself to others and then feel like steamy crap because I wasn’t up to snuff.

    It was to minister.

    Okay, so I may only minister to twelve people. It’s okay. It is my hope and prayer that those twelve will be touched and reach out and minister to others.

    Chin up, Amy.

  27. Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy
    February 11th, 2010 @ 12:28 pm

    That’s beautiful Amy! And so so true. I loved Kevin and his opening pep talk was one of my favorite parts of Blissdom but I felt the same thing. It wasn’t the ball. It was God. Thanks, you said it so eloquently.

    And thank you for baring your heart. I was also feeling very defeated by the end of the first day. Like there was just no way my little blog could become a big blog or make a difference. But my friend Kimberly from Raising Olives put it in perspective for me when she said “I’m a little fish in a very big pond and that’s good for me to know.” We need to know where we are now in order to set goals for the future.

    It was a pleasure to get to know you IRL. You are such a wonderful person with a great big heart!
    .-= Cheryl@SomewhatCrunchy´s last blog ..Soles4Souls, Musicians’ Village and Harry Connick Jr. =-.

  28. Betsy
    February 11th, 2010 @ 4:50 pm

    Wait… You’re not a celebrity blogger?? :) I think you’re great, and have enjoyed reading your thoughts since I stumbled upon you as a fellow pastor’s wife (well, formerly for you). Thanks for what you do, (and, you are certainly waaaay beyond me and my measly ___ page views!).
    .-= Betsy´s last blog ..stir =-.

  29. Priscilla-wheelchair Mommy
    February 11th, 2010 @ 6:53 pm

    Beautiful, honest post. Love it.

  30. Rachel
    February 11th, 2010 @ 7:06 pm

    Fantastic post.

    I love the comments that you inspire, too.

    Steph’s may be my favorite. You were a shining light at Blissdom and I enjoyed that you were always smiling and looking peaceful and joyous whenever I saw you.

  31. Carmen
    February 12th, 2010 @ 8:52 am

    That was me who said “Stop comparing your insides to everyone else’s outsides.” I’m really glad that it resonated with you!
    .-= Carmen´s last blog ..Love is What Happens When You Are Living Your Life =-.

  32. Frelle
    February 12th, 2010 @ 10:33 am

    What a beautiful, vulnerable, and heartfelt post, Amy. I am so blessed to have met you and had you as my roommate for this conference. The things you’ve posted resonate strongly for me as well. I thought about Kevin’s story the same way you did.

    Blissdom was my second conference, and I agree with others that have said that they felt much the same way at/after their first conference regarding “me and my tiny blog no one knows about”. My intent was/is not to build readership and become a blogging rockstar on my blog. I write my blog to process things, to practice writing several times a week, and as a way to be creative. Nearly a year later, no one knows about my blog. I don’t promote it at all. I was so glad to have started up SpecialMomTalk recently, giving me a focus on special needs and connecting with other SN parents, and to promote the need that SN parents have to connect with others in similar situations. I was uncomfortable with the idea of self-promotion. At both the typeamomcon and at blissdom, people have found me recognizable because I am a twitter addict, and I am still fairly sheepish about that. Even if I am tweeting about God directly, it’s just another way that I feel badly for talking so much. I envy your ability to be silent and reflective, I need way more of that in my life.

    I love that your blog’s focus is to bring God glory. You have an ethereal sweetness about you, a manner of grace. It is easy for me to see in person, and think that it should be easy for others to see in your words. I pray that you are tender toward the leadings of His spirit for your blog and outreach, and that He leads those to your words who most need the encouragement and blessing.

    I will be thinking about your post a lot, and I will be linking to it in my recap, too. A lot of people need to see what you’ve written. Thank you!
    .-= Frelle´s last blog ..Initial Impressions of Blissdom 10 =-.

  33. Amy
    February 12th, 2010 @ 10:41 am

    Wow. Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement. I’m so glad I’m in good company. I must say, meeting those of you who were at Blissdom and putting “people to avatars” was the greatest part of the whole weekend.

  34. Indy
    February 12th, 2010 @ 6:42 pm

    Amy, I nominated you for an award on my blog…congratulations!

  35. Amy
    February 14th, 2010 @ 1:22 pm

    I’d love to! Let me know: amy at withpurpose dot com

  36. Amy
    February 14th, 2010 @ 1:23 pm

    Aw thanks. Going to check it out now…

  37. Anna Christensen
    February 14th, 2010 @ 2:05 pm

    I found you through a “learn-to-blog” link and your blog is one of the few (like out of two) that after visiting just once, I knew that I would come back regularly. So…just wanted to let you know.

    And say thank you for the awesome post. What a good reminder!

  38. Blissdom in the Raw, Part 2
    February 15th, 2010 @ 7:28 am

    [...] New here? Welcome! This blog might look a little different than "normal," but believe me, there's a ton of great info here. Here's how to get the most out of withpurpose.com. Don't forget to subscribe to my RSS feed so you can keep up with all the latest tips & resources!(Part 1) [...]

  39. Miranda @ Keeper of the Cheerios
    February 15th, 2010 @ 3:06 pm

    I love this post! I think I felt pretty much the same way and thought the same things at one point or another while at Blissdom.

  40. Lisa B @ simply His
    February 15th, 2010 @ 9:15 pm

    I sooo don’t know how I missed seeing this when you posted! I was most eager to hear your stories from BlissDom. This was very interesting what you said about Kevin and I think that’s what has been missing for me at the conferences I’ve been to — what if you just want to blog to bring glory to God and not to advertise or earn money or stress about stats? What if you could just be happy with 1 or 10 readers and know that God’s working through your words to them? Shouldn’t that be enough?

    Absolutely love your thinking here and can’t wait to read the rest — though I *really* need to get off the computer now and go spend some time with hubby :) I’ll read more first thing in the morning!
    .-= Lisa B @ simply His´s last blog ..Well, surprise, surprise, surprise =-.

  41. Amy
    February 15th, 2010 @ 9:54 pm

    Thank you Anna.

  42. Amy
    February 15th, 2010 @ 10:02 pm

    Lisa, I like you. I’ve never met you and I’ve already learned a bunch from you (ex. surcie!). :) I so hope we get to meet IRL soon. ::coughRelevantcough::

  43. Kristi
    February 15th, 2010 @ 10:05 pm

    Thank you for sharing your heart and these recaps of blissdom. What insight and discernment you have!! Blessings to you sweet child of the King!

  44. Mandy
    February 15th, 2010 @ 11:43 pm

    Amy, I’m so glad we were able to meet at Blissdom! And this post is truly awesome! I was very inspired by Kevin’s story in the keynote, but mostly because it reminded me exactly what my “red rubber ball” or my passion truly is… to share what the Lord has done in and through our family. Blissdom was a turning point in my writing/blogging, and it sounds like it might have been for you too! Keep up the great work!! :) God bless!
    .-= Mandy´s last blog ..Box Tops for Education =-.

  45. Kelly @ Wisdom Begun
    February 15th, 2010 @ 11:53 pm

    Yes yes yes! I could have written this post, though it would have been nowhere near as eloquent as you put it.
    I am so glad to have met you and even to have gotten to fly home with you (even if we didn’t get to sit together!) I am really hoping to get to know some of my Texas blogging buddies a bit better of the next year or two.

  46. Jamie
    February 16th, 2010 @ 12:35 am

    Amy, I didn’t get to go to Blissdom, sadly, but I have been so fortunate to get to know you on Twitter and I haven’t been disappointed, yet! I love that you have a heart for God and you write about it so freely. It’s so inspiring!

    You are sooooo unbelievably smart and you have helped me so much to work on moving my blog to wordpress.

    I’m so glad I found #savvyblogging and all of the help that is there. You are my “go-to” person!

    Hopefully, I will get the chance to go to Relevant and I will definitely be looking for you!
    .-= Jamie´s last blog ..Painting MORE Furniture =-.

  47. Amy
    February 16th, 2010 @ 10:18 pm

    That’s awesome. :)

  48. Amy
    February 16th, 2010 @ 10:19 pm

    Thanks Kelly. Yes, we definitely have to hook up!

  49. Amy
    February 16th, 2010 @ 10:22 pm

    It’s been so fun, our conversations on Twitter. I’m so glad I can help you some. I’ll look forward to meeting you at Relevant!

  50. Tara @ Deal Seeking Mom
    February 19th, 2010 @ 3:59 pm

    Thanks for putting this all into perspective, Amy. I was moved my Kevin Carroll’s story, but I guess I never thought about it in that light, so I have some additional internalizing to do.

    I’m so glad to have had the opportunity to meet you, and I thoroughly enjoyed the brief time we had to chat in line for Savvy Blogging. You have an amazing story!
    .-= Tara @ Deal Seeking Mom´s last blog ..Meijer Super Saturday Sale, 2/20/10 =-.

  51. Alicia
    February 20th, 2010 @ 10:17 am

    I stumbled upon this post via twitter because I was looking for your website design info but I just had to comment and say thank you for being so open and honest about the conference. I didn’t get to go to this one but look forward to going to BlogHer and Relevant 10 and I know the temptation will be there for me to “compete” with other bloggers in my head (and I am sure they will always win). Thanks for the reminder of Who I am doing this all for :)
    .-= Alicia´s last blog ..Friday Follow =-.

  52. Amy
    February 22nd, 2010 @ 12:45 pm

    I think it’s something we all struggle with. :) Thanks for stoppin’ by.

  53. Amy
    February 22nd, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

    Hey Tara, thanks for stopping by! I find it so challenging keeping things in focus sometimes. I’m always glad to know there are others who are chewing on the same stuff. :)

    I also enjoyed our short chat. Hopefully next time it’ll be longer! I’d enjoy that.

  54. Shannon
    February 22nd, 2010 @ 10:05 pm

    decided to jump on over and check you out after talking to you this morning. What a great post! Just wanted you to know that we are sisters in Christ and it was interesting to hear your comments on the speaker. I wasn’t there. But a good friend of mine was….and she kind of had the same reaction as you and told me about it. I’m sure we will be chatting more soon!

  55. Amy
    February 23rd, 2010 @ 10:16 am

    Glad you stopped by Shannon…and that my out-of-the-blue Skype call didn’t raise any stalker red flags for you. lol! :) I’m looking forward to “hanging out” with you.

    [And for those of you who don't know Shannon, she is of Eightcrazy Design fame. Go check out her work!]

  56. Michelle
    March 2nd, 2010 @ 9:32 pm

    Wonderful. Thank you!

  57. Blogging Business Cards: My Tips
    July 8th, 2010 @ 2:31 pm

    [...] I went to Blissdom back in February, I made my decision to go at the very last minute and so I showed up sans business [...]