I started my own blog in my freshman year of high school, and I still post on it occasionally to this day. It started out as a vehicle to express my obsession with the Beatles, but now it's evolved into a more general blog about music I like, which still includes the Beatles, of course (check out Beatle Me Do if you're interested!). I've always been really proud of my blog and felt that it was a rewarding way for me to express myself. Even as busy college students, we could all use a little more time to write what we feel, and why not channel that into a blog?

1. It's a great way to creatively challenge yourself to come up with ideas 

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These articles that I write every week also allow me to flex this creative muscle, but before I started writing Odyssey articles, blogging was one of the main ways that I regularly challenged my brain to constantly generate new, interesting ideas for posts. Sometimes it's like pulling teeth to come up with a post topic, other times I have too many options in my head, but every time I blog I feel like I intellectually challenged myself.

2. You have the opportunity to connect with people that you never would have otherwise interacted with

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Though my blog (admittedly) doesn't get tons of traffic, probably because I don't have time to post on it that often, I always love when people comment about how much they liked a post or how it inspired them. One of my favorite blog stories is that a girl from Australia discovered my blog a few years ago, started commenting, and then apparently started her own Beatles blog because of mine! It's stories like this that remind me how small the world is now, and also how anything we post online can be seen by literally anyone, anywhere in the world.

3. Whenever you have a lot of pent-up emotions, you can productively channel that into blogging

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I often feel that my most honest and insightful blog posts come from moments in which I was feeling a very strong emotion. Whether that emotion is frustration, inspiration, confusion, or anything else, it's much easier to write on a "full emotional tank," as I say, than on an empty one. And it's much more productive to channel these often confusing emotions into writing than to take them out on a loved one.

4. You can discover other cool blogs about subjects that interest you

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Through the people that comment on my blog, I've learned a lot about other cool music and movie topics that I wouldn't have otherwise known about. I've also started looking to blogs for information about other, non music-related topics, like personal finance, simply because I know how contagious the blogging bug can be. Though blogs don't have to be anything more than someone's unfounded opinion, many blogs provide thorough, well-cited information about their subjects.

5. It's a great excuse to learn a lot more about a topic you enjoy

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When I started this blog, I (foolishly and incorrectly) thought I knew everything there was to know about the Beatles. I quickly found out that, as a 14 year old girl, I had only scratched the surface of how the Beatles have impacted music and the world in general. I've read several more Beatles books and been to several Beatles and music-related lectures since I started this blog, and it seems that the world of Beatles knowledge just keeps expanding with time.

6. Blogging is a perfect way to procrastinate while still feeling like you're being productive

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I sometimes have a bad habit of working on something that I know isn't due imminently, but that I feel like doing more than the work that's actually due the next day. Especially in high school, but even sometimes in college, blogging has filled those hours in which I ended up being half-productive by posting but avoiding my Econ reading. It's a nice feeling to know that you're using your free hours to create something, until you realize that they're only free because you have a math test tomorrow that you haven't started studying for yet.

7. You could become a little more tech-savvy and discover all the ins and outs of running your own site

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Though I still have a LOOOOONG way to go before I actually use Wordpress to its full potential with regards to my blog, I am proud of myself whenever I figure out how to add a new widget to the blog sidebar or edit how the tags are displayed on the screen. Website-builders like Wordpress are very simple to use for those that are totally not tech people and have no idea how to build and upkeep a website, but have a fun concept that they want to share with the world.

8. You'll automatically have an interesting hobby to talk about in applications or interviews

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Since I don't post on it a ton anymore, sometimes I hesitate whether I should talk about my blog when asked about my interests and hobbies. Usually though, I mention it, because it's something I love doing and that I have fun stories about. Finding that small side hobby that you devote time and energy to may seem unimportant, but it could also be the only thing that someone remembers about you after you have a conversation.

9. I said it in the title, blogging is FUN!

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No matter what mood I'm in, blogging always puts a smile on my face. Whether my post gets 20 views or 200 views, I'm always glad that I decided to post whatever Beatles or music-related thing was on my mind that day. I enjoy the rush of excitement whenever I hit that "publish" button, and also the satisfaction of reading back over my old posts and re-learning something that I'd forgotten.

My blog is obviously for other people to read, but it's also a fun way that I've documented my music tastes over the years. I'd like to think that my writing style is somewhat more sophisticated now than it was several years ago, but I also feel that in many ways I haven't changed that much. I'm still a girl who enjoys telling the world how much I love the Beatles and music in general, and I hope that blogging provides that same fulfillment for all who do it.