Walk the walk, talk the talk, but can you blog the blog?

My first week as a Creative Communications ("CreComm") student at Red River College was a hectic one. As true Communications specialists, our teachers described the results that CreComm will give us, and not too much about the process. At the end of our two years we'd have so much momentum from all of our relentless networking, we'd be able to produce our own radio and TV shows, have no trouble writing a 30 second radio-ad in only an hour and streeters wouldn't make us want to vomit (don't think that'll ever change). Sounds great, but it seemed a long way from where my abilities stood on that first day.

Among the many assignments that were thrown at me, we received the on-going task of maintaining a blog. Not only that, they wanted it to be interesting!

I wasn't very familiar with blogs, their uses and how they could be beneficial to this program. To me, the blog replaced Livejournal and online diaries of the like. It wasn't a way to get noticed for a job or market a brand, it was just a way to vent and talk about your life. Boy, was I wrong!
One Thursday in our seminar slot, a few famous bloggers, like Colin Fast, came to talk to us. I was very surprised that some blogs stood out from the rest and that you could actually establish yourself through this.

Blogging is a way for people to see how you write. It's a way for people to learn about you, your personality and the types of things that interest you. This is valuable to employers, especially in the Communications world. It's another way of social networking, like Facebook and Twitter. This just actually involves effort.

We are required to post one blog by 6pm Friday every week. Like true students, most of us put it off and post Thursday or Friday. None of us are opposed to writing earlier though if a moment of genius came to us. As for me, CreComm has slapped most of the creative right out of me, so I'm usually the Friday-at-noon poster. My blog doesn't really have a central focus; I don't really have one thing I can count on every week to give me enough substance to talk about it weekly. So far it's just a wish-wash of things I see.

My Favorites
Some of my fellow Section 2 classmates (insert applause here, because that's how we do) have really found their niche though. One that I most enjoy is Stacia Franz's blog about her terrors of customers while being a server at Earl's St.Vital. It is always thoughtfully written, quirky and hilarious. It has opened my eyes a lot, because I'm a non-tipper. Now I just feel guilty.

I also look forward to Kiran Dhillon's blog every week, because it always makes me smile and renews my faith in love and kind people. I really like the pick-me-up.

Blogging can also be pretty negative if you aren't careful what you say. Whatever you put out on the internet is there for anyone to see, take, and critisize. It can destroy you reputation and turn employers off, burn bridges and break ties. You have to be careful.

I love getting comments on my blogs, so don't hesitate to comment about anything! Happy blogging!