Livejournal: The Revival
I haven't posted regularly on LJ since 2011. Returned for a couple months in 2015, but other than that, I've treated this site like it doesn't exist.
Why?
Because everyone else has.
That's the real reason, as much as it pains me to admit it. I didn't want to stop posting. I sure as hell didn't want to replace LJ with Facebook or any other bullshit social media. I never intended to let that happen, but… well, that's the nature of change. It isn't always a conscious choice. Sometimes we don't even realize it's happening, and before we know it, everything's different. When that happens, I suppose we have two choices: go along with the status quo or try to get back what we've lost.
That's what this is really about, at least for me. Loss.
It's been almost a decade since LJ was a regular part of my life. Yes, I've found other outlets, but none of those inspire me quite the way LJ has. I can honestly say, without a shred of hyperbole, that the site changed my life. It's the reason I learned how to code/design websites, something I've made a living at for more than 16 years. That all started because I wanted to design my own journal layouts - would've never happened if Facebook existed back in 2003.
The same is true for graphic design. I didn't go into that thinking "I'm going to design merchandise graphics and custom logos" - I did it because I wanted to make pretty icons.
Writing? That started with LJ, too. It taught me how to be a better writer, even when I was just bitching about personal issues. I learned how to write regularly and at considerable length, which has helped me tremendously as a fiction writer.
All of these amount to the same thing: LJ is where I learned how to express myself. It was the factor that made my creativity blossom, and on a personal level, it taught me to open up and share what I was feeling.
Granted, some of that is embarrassing now, especially the histrionics of my early 20s. You know what, though? I don't regret it. Not a single word.
I suppose that's why I've chosen to return. LJ is part of who I am, no matter how long it's been since I've posted. It inspired so many good things in me, things I never thought I was capable of, especially on a creative level. On a personal one… I've never been able to express my feelings as freely as I do on here. There's a sense of security on this site that I just don't feel anywhere else…
It's like coming home.
Of course, homecomings are bittersweet when everyone else is gone. I suppose that's why I've stayed away as long as I have. But as time goes on… the more I start to resent social media… I realize I need an outlet like this. That's true regardless of who else is here.
That said, I'm hoping others will join me. I know I'm not the only one who misses this environment, who craves the slower, quieter, more immersive style of interaction/expression. I can't be the only one who despises the fast-paced content overload of Facebook and similar sites. I don't want mindless reposts and bite-size tidbits - I want substance.
Why?
Because everyone else has.
That's the real reason, as much as it pains me to admit it. I didn't want to stop posting. I sure as hell didn't want to replace LJ with Facebook or any other bullshit social media. I never intended to let that happen, but… well, that's the nature of change. It isn't always a conscious choice. Sometimes we don't even realize it's happening, and before we know it, everything's different. When that happens, I suppose we have two choices: go along with the status quo or try to get back what we've lost.
That's what this is really about, at least for me. Loss.
It's been almost a decade since LJ was a regular part of my life. Yes, I've found other outlets, but none of those inspire me quite the way LJ has. I can honestly say, without a shred of hyperbole, that the site changed my life. It's the reason I learned how to code/design websites, something I've made a living at for more than 16 years. That all started because I wanted to design my own journal layouts - would've never happened if Facebook existed back in 2003.
The same is true for graphic design. I didn't go into that thinking "I'm going to design merchandise graphics and custom logos" - I did it because I wanted to make pretty icons.
Writing? That started with LJ, too. It taught me how to be a better writer, even when I was just bitching about personal issues. I learned how to write regularly and at considerable length, which has helped me tremendously as a fiction writer.
All of these amount to the same thing: LJ is where I learned how to express myself. It was the factor that made my creativity blossom, and on a personal level, it taught me to open up and share what I was feeling.
Granted, some of that is embarrassing now, especially the histrionics of my early 20s. You know what, though? I don't regret it. Not a single word.
I suppose that's why I've chosen to return. LJ is part of who I am, no matter how long it's been since I've posted. It inspired so many good things in me, things I never thought I was capable of, especially on a creative level. On a personal one… I've never been able to express my feelings as freely as I do on here. There's a sense of security on this site that I just don't feel anywhere else…
It's like coming home.
Of course, homecomings are bittersweet when everyone else is gone. I suppose that's why I've stayed away as long as I have. But as time goes on… the more I start to resent social media… I realize I need an outlet like this. That's true regardless of who else is here.
That said, I'm hoping others will join me. I know I'm not the only one who misses this environment, who craves the slower, quieter, more immersive style of interaction/expression. I can't be the only one who despises the fast-paced content overload of Facebook and similar sites. I don't want mindless reposts and bite-size tidbits - I want substance.