Well hello there. Long time no chat. I’ve been busy having my picture taken with quilted toilet paper backgrounds.

The BlogHer whirlwind ended yesterday. It was two days of waking up earlier than I go to work, listening to sessions all day and then going out for long dinners with friends every night. Worth it, but exhausting.

I went into BlogHer being not completely sure of what to expect, other than massive amounts of swag and lots of people. Not being sure of what to expect–and researching the conference–has worked out just fine for other conferences I’ve gone to, but for BlogHer, you really need some kind of strategy. Ridiculous, I know.

Before BlogHer, I wish I’d realized you need to sign up for parties on EventBrite. I realized this on the “I’m Going to BlogHer” Facebook group a few days ago, but all of the parties were full. Really, this didn’t end up being a make-or-break thing–and I really enjoyed catching up with people I knew instead–but I wish I’d realized that earlier. I also wish I’d known about the Writing Lab beforehand, although I’m grateful to Caitlin for telling me about it.

As a social media professional working at a PR firm with a journalism background, I have a good background in most of the things discussed at blogging conferences, so it’s sometimes difficult for me to find sessions where I can learn something truly new.

I found myself gravitating to the writing-focused sessions: how to turn blog posts into publishable essays; the Writing Lab. I didn’t learn any new tactics or strategies in these sessions, but I learned about myself in these sessions. I reawakened my love for writing. Although my job has me coming up with social media strategy (and content) for brands, I still identify myself as a writer.

A theme in a lot of the panels was “if you don’t take yourself seriously, nobody else will.” Just because my day job isn’t being a journalist doesn’t mean I can’t still call myself a writer. A triple negative in a sentence might mean that, though.

The “this is what I did today, and it was awesome” posts aren’t fulfilling for me to write any more. (Although, were they ever?) I blog a little less these days not just because I’m busier, but because I want to make sure now that when I blog, I have something to say–that I’m not just throwing some more content into the Internet abyss just for the sake of it.

So what does this mean? Maybe not much for this blog, other than trying to take myself a little more seriously as a writer. But as a person? Never.

I want to slow down a bit and carve out some more time for myself for writing. And it’s time to get over the fear of rejection and finish my damn book proposal.

As for BlogHer, is there anything you especially do or don’t want to hear about? This won’t be the last post.

What have you learned about yourself lately? I have also learned that I’m ridiculously clumsy and that I can’t dart across the street as the walking man is turning from blinking to solid red without falling.