Another beginning blogger

I recently followed a tweet by @courosa, retweeted by Dean Shareski, to check out a post by Aimee Cronan, who wrote about the challenges of getting started blogging, of self-esteem, of putting her neck out in a potentially hostile blogosphere. I couldn't agree more with what she had to say. And I started replying to her... and I kept on typing - more than I really had intended to. (Especially since I have work I *should* be doing.... Perhaps that is a reason in itself!)

It may be a little hokey. (I have self-esteem issues about my writing, too!) But I thought I would post my reply to her here, as well, in the hopes that it would help me find my way with this and perhaps draw some people to check out her original post.
———
I certainly sympathize. I struggle, too, particularly at the early phase - or what I am told is the early phase - when I don't have much readership. It's so easy for people who come in as speakers and talk about these technologies to say how wonderful they are. When a Will Richardson or an Alan November demos how he can ask a question on a blog and within seconds one of his regular readers will answer, it is hard not to feel disenheartened when I write a big, long post, and all I get are cricket noises.
Who, then, is my audience? Is this some sort of ego-trip? Is it worth my time to post again? Is the silence because I am more boring than I realize or because nobody found me? All too often, life gets in the way, and it is weeks or months pass by before I decide I "should" post again. And, starting over, I get the same thing again.
So I have to return to who my audience is. To some extent, I guess I get to decide that myself. I'll invent an audience and speak to them. Ill be as personal as I feel comfortable being, and push myself to be more when I feel up to it. And I'll do what I can to help that audience find me, via twitter or other people's comments (!) And if (when?) nothing happens, I guess I'll keep picking another audience until I find my tungsten and the light goes on and stays for a while.
So, who is my audience? Do they care what I have to say? If not, heck with 'em. I'll make up another one and try a different voice. Will they hate be and flame me with abuse? I doubt I'll be that controversial, but the "delete comment" button is easy enough. (Perhaps you'll use it on this one....)
So, let's be each other's audience today.