Why Blog? Why Now?

“Start a blog” has been on my to-do list for quite some time, but the desire to blog has finally overwhelmed the intertia of procrastination.

Why blog? The first reason – listed first not because it is necessarily the biggest driver but because it is a prerequisite – is that I like writing. I find great satisfaction in communicating by the written word. I take pride in the simplest email composition, and enjoy the clarity of thought and understanding that results. Instead of only writing about pre-determined topics for client deliverables, email recipients, or the occasional journal article, why not write about any topics of interest for an audience that is defined by niche yet theoretically global?

Most importantly, though, I feel compelled to contribute to the universe of knowledge in a way that helps others. I am by no means unique in this regard; the reason the web is so rich is that people have a universal desire to make such contributions. The proliferation of reviews on Apple’s iTunes or Amazon.com are but two examples of this phenomenon, which has given these companies a huge, free workforce of prolific writers. Like everyone, I have searched the web countless times for some obscure piece of information or answer to a question, or for inspiration, and to my surprise found exactly what I was looking for – and usually much more. Sometimes the information obtained is not really “new,” but it is framed in a particularly useful way, given timely new context, or simply provides needed confirmation that at least one other person on the planet agrees with me. These benefits exist only because others took the time to share their knowledge, ideas, thoughts or feelings. Do we not all at some point have an obligation to also contribute, as opposed to just being net consumers of information and knowledge produced by others?

I have always enjoyed reading and listening to intellectual, insightful analysis by thought leaders on various topics, both within and outside of my field. But it is far more satisfying to actually play the game on the field than to be in the stands. As noted above, writing clarifies thought; it promotes a new and deeper understanding of the subject matter. Passing new information along in a blog post requires first that the information be fully processed and understood before insights can be distilled and written about. As a proponent of lifelong learning, what better vehicle than a blog to express my passion for new knowledge, ideas or information, and my equal enthusiasm for the process by which they are created?

One challenge to overcome between the earliest desire to blog and today’s first post was to define my audience and what I would blog about. My work as a partner in a CPA firm serves numerous types of clients, in various industries and stages of life, and I am passionate about all of them. But I am also interested in the issues of the accounting and consulting business itself, and the changes and innovations occurring in our industry. It took awhile to synthesize my various interests and passions into a cohesive theme with a defined audience, which I hope I have achieved. Please see my “About” page to learn about the intent behind the Virtual Lucidity blog.

One question I am sure to get is, why not include this blog on your firm’s website? There are several reasons, including the convenience of using and accessing my own blogging platform, but I have always noticed that many (though not all) accountants and attorneys similarly set up blogs separate from their firm’s websites. For an attorney’s perspective, here is an interesting blog post on the topic by Sam Glover at lawyerist.com.

I hope you will follow and enjoy this new blog!