I’m so excited to introduce myself and all that Family Tree Doula Services has to offer!
Growing up in a communal household, in rural West Virginia made me appreciate the healing powers of nature and community. Getting grounded in and building relationships with people, places and things that nurture us is key – especially during the postpartum period.
This came as a painful realization as well as with a sense of excitement and even relief. It brought a new sense of purpose and clarity. I have found interest and employment in a variety of things – from gardening to social work, mental health coaching, cooking, pottery, herbalism, social justice work, traveling and doing about anything involving moving my body outdoors. When the postpartum doula role came into my world, however, I could finally see all the previous pieces fitting together in the bigger picture. I am inspired when I work with new parents and families to realize their own capability as well as their interconnectedness and even vulnerability. I deeply enjoy both preparing a nutritious meal AND coming up with a system for helping a new Dad get through a grocery store run with infant in tow, or listening quietly to a difficult birth story or being a boisterous cheerleader for a new mom who is full of self-doubt.As the world changes at a rapid pace today I find the life experiences and grounding tools I have used for tending my own well-being becoming more and more helpful for new parents and families. And helping to build healthy, thriving families is how I see myself most fully being part of this world community.
- Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
- Because it will help you focus your own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
- Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
- What topics do you think you’ll write about?
- Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
- If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
Family Tree Doula 