Why I Started a Blog

You have to follow your own voice. You have to be yourself when you write. In effect, you have to announce “This is me, this is what I stand for, this is what you get when you read me. I’m doing the best I can-buy me or not-but this is who I am as a writer.” David Morrell

In The Begining

I initially launched Platinum Boomer in 2013. Primarily, I was captivated with the blogosphere and the concept of reaching multiple readers, literally around the world, which was, and still is, a wonder to me. Secondarily, I felt I had an; be it amateur, ability to write and a voice – that wanted to be heard. I wanted to discuss ageism, invisibility, and diminishing verbiage used to describe women as we age. I also felt there is a fair number of women buying into the concept that after a certain age, a woman must adjust to a perceived notion of how she should look, dress and behave…BS! I wanted to reach out to women and remind them; they are fabulous@anyage. And have earned the title: I am who I am.

Case in Point…Dr. Jill Biden, our magnificent First Lady. Dr. Biden was belittled and harassed about her fish-net stockings! I would have worn every piece she wore that day, including the
fish-nets and the booties, and I’m five years older than she. I would assume Dr. Biden has been stylish her entire adult life. Women, like Dr. Biden, do not stop being stylish at a certain age. A stylish woman may not follow fashion trends, but they always stay true to their own aesthetic. Personal style is about developing a sense of self rather than simply absorbing trends.

When I began the blog, I called on a friend that is a published writer, webmaster, and blogger. Amy E. knew me well enough to know my direction. She did all the setup, we selected a simple theme, and I was off and writing. I did know enough to know that even on a limited basis, I would have to allocate time to think, research, write and interact with readers. I didn’t know how the blog would pull me in and how much joy I would be rewarded with. I was hooked. I signed up with Holly Becker | Blogging Your Way and found an incredible, helpful international community to guide me through the unknown blogosphere. What I did not have was time. There was not enough of me to go around. In a creative job I loved, my twelve-hour days, along with international and domestic travel, had me nearing capacity before the blog. So, regrettably, I bowed out of the blogosphere after a dozen or so posts. I knew I would retire within the next four to five years, and I held on tight to the concept of Platinum Boomer and blogging.

New Year : New Look

The swoosh of life brought me to January 2020. I called the familiar, multi-talented Amy E. in Los Angeles and kicked around the idea of re-launching Platinum Boomer. It was a go!

This time around, I wanted to be involved on all levels, from concept to release. What a learning curve. With Amy in LosAngeles and me in Cuenca, Ecuador, we were Zooming before
we had to!

My homework consisted of researching and reading. I searched out other popular blogs in the over 50ish nitch. And found a very diverse assortment of blogs—the majority on fashion and design. My personal style had changed dramatically with our move to Cuenca, Ecuador. I was still interested in fashion and design, but I wanted a broader reach and settled on Lifestyle. The competition in this category and age group is intense and not surprising. Lifestyle covers a lot of facets of our lives. Although it was crowded, I was confident there was room for one more voice, so off I went to my next homework assignment.

Themes…I was shocked how many themes are available, some free, others reasonable, others expensive. A theme is the look of your blog. It’s basically a template. I settled on Solo Pine, a
young husband and wife design team associated with WordPress. All of their themes had a sophisticated look and layout that I felt would appeal to my readers. Plus, they were accommodating, changing a few things within the theme that I wanted to personalize. The advantage and limits on a theme are you can put your own stamp on it, but it is a templet with a few non-adjustable elements. You can also hire a web designer and work with them to your specifications.

Lifestyle is the perfect category for Platinum Boomer. Like my readers, I have a wide range of interests I can explore every week and share with my readers.

I’ve had two big surprises since the relaunch. My previously unknown love of research and my fascination with the tech side of the blog. Yes, Google is now my best friend. And, yes, it is
all in how you ask the question. It’s fascinating to learn about new methods, trends, and exploration. The tech side was scary. I am not a tech novice. I had run two businesses for the last 25 years on computers. But it’s a little different when dealing with widgets, plugins, formatting, blocks, images, and the ‘black hole of the internet.’ For the first months of posting, I cannot remember all the SOS, MAYDAY, MAYDAY, messages I sent to Amy E!

Expression and Passion

Platinum Boomer has given me the platform to voice my ideas and thoughts on a specific topic – boomers. The array of information and advancements to help maintain our vitality is almost overwhelming. When you wade through it, you’ll find the gems. Those gems are what I want to bring to my readers. What’s new in health, travel, entertainment, design, and fashion,
all geared to a healthy, active lifestyle. If we so choose, we can also enhance our looks. And, deciding on a cosmetic treatment does not mean that we deny our age. We wish to look our best. And why not?

Another plus of blogging are the women behind the blogs. Women power the majority of the blogs I follow, and I am so impressed with the caliber of these women and the relationship they share with their readers. Some have a small team to assist them, especially those covering fashion. There are multiple outfits, photos, and the copy to support it all. Others are producing online magazines, and some are one-woman shows, like me! I draw inspiration from my fellow bloggers with each blog post I read.

The numbers supporting bloggers are impressive…There are more than 500 million existing blogs. Approxmently 5.8 million new blog posts are created every day. 77% of internet users read a blog. A blog featured on a company website can increase traffic to the site by over 400%. Only 5% of independent bloggers earn a full-time income. The increase of Influencers has also spurred the growth of blogging. And the numbers are not decreasing per OpinionMonster.com https://optinmonster.com/blogging-statistics/

Twitter and social media. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest. Are mandatory to increase traffic to a blog. I’m still figuring it all out, which takes me to yet another learning curve. Expanding the size of these social media audiences is fundamental to the increase of the blog audience and to maintain an online presence. This is an area where I could use a team. Even a team of one! Someone who knows more about social media than I do. If you know someone, let me know, we can work remotely!

One of the many rewards of writing a blog is the chance to connect and network with like-minded women. The blog is the perfect vehicle to increase the awareness of the ageism that is still very prevalent and help us begin a self-examination of the verbiage we use and how we can further educate ourselves and help educate those around us.

Know Your Value https://www.nbcnews.com/know-your-value. This is a site that celebrates women and all our accomplishments. It also highlights women in a wide age range who are currently making a difference on multiple levels.

With the blog’s relaunch, I now have the opportunity to write daily—what a joy it is. I have never kept a consistent journal, but I have always been drawn to writing and storytelling. The old saying is ‘the more you write, the better writer you become.’ It’s true. One of the things I miss most with the virus is the writing workshops here in Cuenca that I attended weekly. The feedback on stories is irreplaceable. Writing for the blog is writing in a bubble until I publish it. Then it becomes a product of the internet, and all are welcome to comment. When I write, I’m thinking about my readers. It’s your comments that encourage me to continue.

I have always been a women’s woman.’ As I matured, my circle of friends increased, and I was and still am in awe of the caliber of these women that I call my friends. And the women I’ve met since our move to Cuenca are astonishing. Their varied and successful backgrounds and why they chose to move here. Some with husbands, others with wives, life partners, and others
on their own. And now, all the new women I’m meeting through the blog. It is all so rewarding. My passion is writing and learning about life and all the incredible men and women that flow through our lifetime. I want to record it all – with the written word. And, I hope that the words I use will touch you in some way.

It’s because of you that I started a blog…Gracias.