A Blog about Searching for a Blog (Atlanta Edition)

A report from Communications Intern, Kathryn A.:

My initial reaction to the task of finding blogs about dance in Atlanta was one uncertainty and mixed understanding. So of course, the first stop was Google. In the search bar I typed "Atlanta dance blogs" and like most things typed in Google my results seemed to be endless. I soon realized, however, my seemingly infinite findings would only lead to a handful of pertaining and suitable sites that I would only discover after pouring over waves of words and pictures with a fine tooth comb.

The qualities necessary for a blog to make the cut were:

• Dance or Arts related  
• Based in the Atlanta or Decatur area 
• Updated on a regular basis  
• Having an overall professional and respectful feel 

Over the couple weeks I browsed through blogs, these requirements expanded and became flexible. Finding a blog that solely focused on the dance scene in Atlanta turned out to be a harder task than my initial findings led me to believe. Once I weeded out the websites of actual dance companies and studios in the area, I began reading through content and discovering the vast and diverse blog world that I barely knew existed. Although not all pertaining to dance in obvious ways, the blogs I did find all shared the compelling quality of grasping the reader and further prompting them to go out and do or go out and see through the vividly honest posts.

Some of the treasure I found:

• Drive a Faster Car-Culture and Entertainment blog for Atlanta,Decatur,and Athens
• The Leila Blog-Local Blogger of Art and Music
• AsianCajuns-Local Life and Style Blogger
• Furious Dreams-Artist and Art Blogger
• Brown Girl Next Door- Local Life and Style Blogger

PERSONAL LESSON: In the form and fashion of most of the blogs I read, I will take this moment to add some of my personal views and experiences. Blogs to me were scary, foreign concepts that I hardly understood or cared to understand. My deep trust issues with technology as a starting platform, I just did not see the reason or want for people to share their thoughts in a stream to the entire cyber world. Weren’t social networking sites enough? Who had time to write these things? And even better who would read them?

Well here I am, a good amount of blog banter passed over by my retinas, to say I am now a blog appreciator and follower. I realized in my findings that yes, blogs were random people just sharing their opinion but those distinct opinions are what made reading through them so fascinating. All of these people have a passion, whether it be dance, visual art, fashion, food, traveling, etc., and being so overwhelmed with that passion they make an outlet to let it pour out to any person interested. It is inspiring in a way. Reading through them, you wish you had something you felt so strongly about that you had to share it with the world. Also, you may have a passion ignited within you, you are unaware you possessed. Either way, what I had before dismissed as a time-wasting and absurd practice I now recognize as a unique and valuable method of communication.