I stumbled upon Garr Reynold’s blog Presentation Zen just now; it looks like a fun blog about “professional presentation design”, which I’m realizing is something I’m interested in. There’s a link in particular to designeducation.ca…tons and tons of resources all in one place. Sweet!

As I browsed the site, I was struck by how clearly put his many points were, such a difference from the rather overblown way I tend to lay things out here. Reynold’s personal website is also remarkable in presentation: engaging without being in your face, and very relaxed. Apparently he designed and created the site entirely himself too…very impressive.

In the introduction to his site, he talks about how personal websites are very much mandatory in today’s world. The following words in particular resonated with me:

The key — perhaps the main key — is finding what is different about yourself and letting the world know about your difference and what you can contribute. A website is one way you can communicate your difference, grow your network, and make connections across this planet.

I have been wondering what the heck has been going on with my blog, because I had started to feel the empowering aspects of it. I didn’t quite believe it was true, so it is reassuring to see that someone else feels the same way. Self-described “Poster Child of Occupational Change” Jory Des Jardins also writes about the this idea from her own perspective, listing the benefits that have, for reasons that are eerily familiar and mysterious, befallen her as well. Here they are, shamelessly lifted from her original post:

• Blogging helped her identify others in “hybridized spaces” and to build her own hybridized space.
• Bloggers are connectors and opportunity makers.

• Blogging gets you seen quickly for who you are.

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p>There is a wealth of from-the-heart (but not too much from the heart) storytelling backing each of her observations.

In hindsight, I needed to read both of these posts to really get a handle on it: first Jory’s post to provide the backstory of her emergent occupational planning experience, then Garr’s post to lay a nice clean template on top of it.