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Does creative blog
writing change our demurred perspective on the plight of those who struggle
everyday having gone through experiences in life that are mortifying or those
who lavish at the altar of abundance because life bestowed such prominence?
The world is without
doubt a global village. At the click of a button, you will be able to see
pictures (said to be worth a thousand words), watch videos and even read on
what’s trending all over the world. Amid the many pictures and videos, words
aid in giving life to otherwise undecipherable sounds, motion pictures or still
pictures that we see whenever we access the internet. And internet created
the blogs. I will not dwell on the genesis of the blogs. But the reality is
that as at now, blogs are a force to reckon with. They shape life in so many
aspects we cannot fail to ignore them.
This essay will gravitate on how creative blog writing is
redefining the narration of untold stories which are rarely captured by the
mainstream media. Blog posting has also aided in taking writing to the next
level. As such, it should be appreciated as an avenue of making would-be
professional writers in the near future or those who are yet to be discovered.
Blogging is changing the way people tell stories that would have
never been captured in black and white. Ideally, it's easy starting a blog, but
updating it continuously is a major setback among many bloggers. It is a
maelstrom that needs innate research since we are losing many writers due to
lack of intrinsic motivation. However, there are a number of creative blog
writers who capture us readers with fascinating stories you feel like you are
part of the story as opposed to making readers feel like passengers in
a bus. Their prose are ‘leavened with wit’, hold us captive and serenade us
with joy or invoke grief or remorse we sometimes are forced to act just by the
power of words we read.
Indeed creative blog writing has been instrumental in shaping
the perspective of many people who would have otherwise not acted because of
lack of information. The penetration of cheap Chinese smartphones has made it
easy to access information on the internet which has also been compounded by
the availability of subsidized data bundles in this age of technology. For
example, in Kenya, when a blog post goes viral, many people get to know about a
tragedy facing an individual or it aids
in creating awareness about stigmas which readers can react to. As such, such
posts trend on the social media with engaging hash tags that capture your
attention even if you never wanted to read. Therefore, creative blog writing
aids in bridging the hiatus that is existential in terms of being informed
since the mainstream media is limited to reported stories by journalists and
the editing process kills stories that may end up not evoking reaction by the
‘audience.’
There is a case in point where a blogger used her
platform to inform her readers of the rot in society especially about the
collapse of a bank that had accepted in deposits the savings of her family
lineage. When the bank was liquidated and because in the financial miasma, it
is the creditors whose dues are first settled, they are still waiting to be
indemnified. It was real eye opener because she was among those who had to
undergo the misery of having lost so much money when they had trusted in an
institution to deliver.
There is also a time a very influential blogger used his
platform in raising awareness on cancer. The end result was a certain cancer
patient got help in terms of finances to aid in his treatment at a hospital in
India. That’s killing two birds with one stone. Otherwise, no one would have
known that he was bravely battling with the disease and was not going to let
the growth let him succumb without using alternative avenues. Maybe, now he is
benign or on the onset.
The blogosphere in Kenya is still in its nascent stages. The
number of bloggers who take it seriously as a source of livelihood can be said
to be insignificant. Many creative bloggers are engaging in writing as a
pastime hoping that someday, they will be able to take their craft to the next
level. That means getting a wider audience, being able to cash in on
advertising revenue as a result of blog posting and having an influence in
general on their readers. Which is beneficial because you have a rote that as a
blogger should be fulfilled, failure of which, you may antagonize those
who wait with abated breath for a new post. The only stumbling block to going
mainstream in terms of blogging is the availability of finances for setting up
a professional blog and advertising the blog. Still many people are not aware
of avenues they can use to blog on the various platforms available.
However, there are instances in which some people have used such
platforms as blogs to perpetuate vices in society. While such engagements may
generate income to such bloggers, the net effect is that it eventually
contributes to the moral rot in society. Propagation of messages that tend to
incite readers negates the essence of an avenue that should be used for the
betterment of society. However, we cannot live in an ideal world. Had rather we foil their efforts when they go to the extreme end.However, as long as
people of various cultures and creeds congregate together, there is high
likelihood of finding those who will engage in truancy for the sake of it or as
a result of influence from movies or information available online.
With
all due respect, blogging is here to stay. It is slowly giving the traditional
media houses a run for their money.
P/S:
I originally wrote this essay as a requirement for submission in a certain
online class I was attending and thought it necessary to have it on my blog.
Hasta
La Vista Baby.
[Picture Source: My Own]
[Picture Source: My Own]
