Blog of the Week: Since You Asked
March 4, 2012
Congratulations to Since You Asked: the SocialMoms Blog of the Week!
Dawn Sticklen, author of Since You Asked, writes about ways to make your community a better place in hopes that we can all, one person at a time, make the world a better place. I interviewed Dawn about her inspiration behind the site …
SM: What was your inspiration for starting Since You Asked?
Initially I thought I’d use my blog as a platform for spouting off my opinions about various parenting issues. Unfortunately, I found myself to be quite boring in this capacity, so didn’t really write too many posts (you can all thank me later). This all changed when the tornado hit our city on May 22, 2011. Gradually I found myself wanting to talk about what was going on in Joplin. Sometimes I wrote a post about a need we had while other times I wanted to write about all the amazing things people were doing to help those in our community who were suffering and/or overwhelmed. Through my blog I began to realize the value of artistic expression and have developed a much greater (if not finer – I’m sure my taste in music is somewhat questionable) sense of appreciation for all things considered art.
SM: What has most surprised you about running the site?
Well, sometimes I still can’t believe people like what I write. Isn’t that a writer’s greatest fear – that people will think his or her writing sucks? So, I still frequently have moments where I say, “They like me, doggone it, people like me!”
SM: What are you most passionate about?
That’s a hard one, ‘cause, believe me, I’m passionate about a LOT of things (remember, this blog began as a way for me to express my many opinions!) Mostly, though, I am most passionate about teaching our children to pursue their interests and God-given talents to the best of their abilities. I firmly believe that if we encourage children to pursue the things they enjoy instead of trying to fit them into some pre-fabricated mold, they – and the world – will be much more successful and happy.
SM: What is the most popular section of your site?
Naturally, everything about my blog is popular. OK, not really. By far the most popular posts I write are those that tell a story about someone who is doing something amazing in the world. You know, your typical hero-next-door stuff. I think with all the negative stuff out there, people want to know there are still regular people doing extraordinary things. It makes you have faith in the human race.
SM: What is your favorite part of blogging?
See #4. Seriously, I love telling my readers about wonderful, amazing, caring, smart, motivated people who are sincere and trust-worthy. I love it, and that’s why I do it.
