THE CHATROOM | BEING BRAVE ONLINE.

I've always been a huge fan of Ashlee's work. Her writing is phenomenal, for lack of a better word and her photography is so crisp and bright and so real. She has a very real, honest, and open aspect to her work. And it's always such a breath of fresh air in a world full of cliches.

When I read her post on bravery, I knew it had to be a Chatroom post. It had to be shared, to be discussed, to be talked about.

As bloggers, we share a lot. Some would say we over-share and over-document our lives. But as artists and creatives, it's who we are. And it's who we were made to be.

So I'll let you take a moment to read her work for yourself (right here!).

Okay? Ready to discuss?

As for me, I'm not brave. I've never been. I'm a timid, worrywart. I don't talk about half the stuff I do online in real day-to-day conversations. But as the posts go on and as I get more feedback from and converse with fellow bloggers, I realize that my brave space is my blog.

That's where I find the freedom and the safety to post the scary stuff. To be honest about singleness, my faith, and my life as a twenty-something. It's where I find that I can be the person I was created to be.

But it wasn't always like that. And it isn't always like that. I was so scared to publish my first post on singleness. I had never shared my story before, let alone shared it on the internet for all eyes to see (or search and find). And it still scares me, to this day. I still hover over that orange Publish button on Blogger. I still take a moment and look through my words before I do it.

And if I think too much into it, I will save it in my drafts for later.

But my story needs to be told. I can't hold my passion, my dreams, my life and keep it to myself. My love for writing and storytelling and taking photos is something I know needs to be shared. Not for fame, but for connection. I want to connect and learn from others and I know that this is how I'll get my voice out there.

So yes, I'm still scared on the outside, I will always come across as a very quiet, introvert because that's who I am. But I will never lose this side of me, either. Pursuing new dreams and sharing life with you is a part of me. And it's a part of me I don't want to lose, even if it's scary.

So what does bravery look like to you? Do you consider yourself brave in terms of sharing your art and sharing your work? Does it differ from you in real life vs. on your blog?

p.s. I know we're all grown bloggers/readers here, but please be kind when commenting and responding. This new series was created to connect and reflect, not to bash!