> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://andys.blog/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Blog for You First
- URL: https://andys.blog/blog-for-you-first/
- Published: 2025-09-17T08:59:08.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-17T08:59:07.000Z
- Author: Andy Trattner

I've only ever blogged for myself. 

This was not intentional, it just happened. I needed to create something, to push out some words. You can feel the urgency in my [first post](https://andytrattner.com/thanks-seth?ref=andys.blog).

I felt motivated to publicly journal. I had deleted my Facebook account, and I wanted to follow my friends' thoughts as they journeyed through life after college. 

So I started my own little email newsletter, and it was messy. Barebones HTML, copy-pasted bcc's, and a google form. 

Over the past 6+ years, I've been surprised to see my subscriber count go up rather than down. I've never attempted to advertise my blog nor gain a following.

At this point, the email replies to each post are one of my greatest sources of joy. Sometimes they come in immediately, sometimes a couple years later. Regardless, I'm unspeakably grateful to continue this journey I started half a decade and a different lifetime ago.

I believe we honor ourselves and celebrate our [preciousness](https://andys.blog/precious/) by elevating our [speech](https://andytrattner.com/writing-magic?ref=andys.blog) into writing. We must suspend disappointment. We are forced to accept ourselves.

Recently I've enjoyed learning from [Phu](https://phu-website.web.app/?ref=andys.blog), [Anson](https://open.substack.com/pub/anson/p/recognizing-sparkly-people-without?r=yqlgv&utm%5Fcampaign=post&utm%5Fmedium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false), and [James](https://jameslin.bio/writing?ref=andys.blog). They're clearly just thinking out loud. But it's beautiful.

I've written other [posts](https://world.hey.com/tratt/advice-on-starting-a-blog-017e8b6a?ref=andys.blog) to encourage bloggers. Some have been more impactful than others, but that's not the point. It's simply an honor to have extended Burke's [parlor](https://kairos.technorhetoric.net/2.1/features/brent/burke.htm?ref=andys.blog). I love seeing people uncap their [pen](https://andytrattner.com/writing-in-pen?ref=andys.blog) to make an [attempt](https://medium.com/@kart.go/scoping-blog-posts-6f5034679997?ref=andys.blog).

Will today be yours?