Kristin writes at Halfway to Normal. Visit her site and subscribe to her RSS to continue participating in our group!
Hi everyone.
From the moment I first heard about Chuck’s project, I thought “Blogs with great content and no readers? That’s me!” (At least the “no readers” part.) I never thought I’d actually be featured, though, so this is a huge honor (one that also seems to be triggering some insomnia, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for meeting so many new people and hearing your thoughts).
1. Who are you?
I live in what meteorologists like to refer to as East-Central Illinois. Roughly, that translates to “a couple hours south of Chicago in the middle of a cornfield.” It’s a university town, which is fun, but I have nothing to do with the university. This inevitably leads to people asking me how I ended up here, which is a messy, complicated story.
I have been making a living as a copywriter for 15 years, first in design and branding firms, and then as a freelancer since 2002. My clients are based in Chicago, St. Louis, Grand Rapids and New York (that’s right—lots of different places, but not the one I live in). A few times a year I also teach copywriting seminars for Media Bistro in Chicago. http://www.mediabistro.com/courses/cache/crs4472.asp Although I specialize in branding, I am loathe to brand myself. Funny how that works.
My husband Jason and I got married in 2007. His daughter and my two girls—ages 12, 10 and 8—look as biologically related as any three sisters could. It’s at once amazing and creepy. Jason and I are a great match for many reasons, but one of my favorites is that we both love to cook and invite people over.
2. How would you describe your blog?
My blog is a collection of stories and observations from a life that hasn’t turned out like I thought it would. I didn’t expect to go through a divorce when my girls were three and five. I didn’t expect to end up stuck in a small town in Illinois. I didn’t expect to really like my ex-husband’s new wife, or to be good friends with my new husband’s ex-wife. I didn’t expect to be seriously questioning my faith upon discovering that a lot of Christians suck, nor did I expect to embrace it again in completely new ways.
That’s where the name Halfway to Normal comes in. There’s a town called Normal, Illinois, about an hour West of here, and the whole concept has become a metaphor for me. Every day I learn more about being comfortable and content with who I am in this less than “normal” state. My hope is that anyone who relates to that struggle will enjoy my blog.
3. Why do you blog?
I blog because I have been compelled to write for as long as I can remember, and because I have stories to tell—the kind of stories I wish someone was telling me as I muddle along through life.
Writing keeps me thinking; blogging has the added benefit of satisfying the extrovert in me. Just think—by becoming a part of the conversation, you’re all helping to relieve my husband, family and friends from some of their duties.
Finally, I blog because life is messy and complicated, and a blog is a great format for sorting it out together.
4. What blogs do you love?
This is, for some reason, a scary question for me. (That probably explains why I still don’t have a blog roll on Halfway to Normal.) Besides the fact that it always feels political, and I know I’m going to mess it up somehow, I also know there are so many great blogs out there that I have yet to discover.
So I’ll start my list with all the blogs I haven’t yet discovered, but will some day surely love. And then I’ll add these:
BERNTHIS.COM makes me laugh.
Blue Duck Copy’s blog makes me feel less alone in the world.
Brazen Careerist gets me all worked up.
Levite Chronicles inspires me as a writer, thinker and observer.
Magpie Girl feels like a long-lost friend.
Oktober5 demonstrates how work, parenting, humor and everything else comes together.
The Fluent Self manages somehow to be both practical and engaging.
Tumbling Blocks is written by a crafty friend who knows how to cheer me with her photos and entertaining stories.
Writer Dad gives me doses of beautiful prose and storytelling.
Stuff Christians Like demonstrates good humor in a population segment that’s often far too serious.
5. What’s something interesting about you that has nothing to do with blogging?
I don’t come from a family of writers, I come from a family of musicians. Which is why I chose writing at an early age. I still love music, though. My husband and I go to lots of live shows, and from time to time I even “rock out” on my viola with local bands. (I’m even going to be on a couple of Cds in 2009.)
6. Which 5 of your posts would you recommend for new readers to start with?
* A turning point with a street address
* Life imitates craft, in six stages
Alternates:
* Striving to be less intentional in 2009
* Yes, even “real” writers say it wrong
My stories might be mine, but ultimately I hope my blog is about all of you. Let’s be honest—you aren’t reading my blog because you really want to know everything about me. How dull. No, you’re hoping you might find out something about yourself. Reading personal narratives is like going to the therapist, but it’s free, and you don’t have to worry about parking. Reading your comments and feedback will be therapy for me. If it goes according to plan, we’ll all be better off in the end.
Between 30-50 people visit my blog daily, about a dozen of whom I’m related to or otherwise know me in real life. When I get more than four comments on a post I’m ecstatic. You can imagine how being a part of Chuck’s great experiment for the next couple of weeks is going to feel.
