The Blogging Art

By

Mical Abulatsia Imbukwa

A blog is a flexible platform for sharing and communication. You’ve probably seen blogs that are someone’s personal diary telling you everything they do or think on a daily basis, but blogging is about a lot more than that.  It is about generating communities of practice sharing news, resources and stories. It is about building strong networks and championing causes. And it is about creating the space for innovation, exchange of ideas, and new connections that all spill over into our day-to-day work and make youth work better.

Blogging has become a trend in society today and it has a real role to play in lifelong learning and professional development. Among the youth specifically, matters pertaining development in popular culture and media culture are the most crucial. In this regard, having a comprehensive understanding of what’s trending with the youth can help tremendously in creating writing programs and outreach services and in developing a cross-media library collection. Bloggers who yearn to go miles further therefore have to keep up with trends because the youth are the voice for change and development.

Since we are in the digital age, new media is taking over from traditional media at an elevated speed. People now want to access everything online. We get news online, entertainment online and we even shop online. Passionate and innovative Kenyans are therefore not leaving anything to chance. They view blogging as a chance to grow them and are therefore not letting anything slide. Some of the now renowned bloggers just started doing it as a hobby due to their passion in writing. Some after presenting their online writing projects in school decided to maintain the blogs since they saw a future in blogging. This blogging business is a serious one because when done professionally, there are editors involved. Just to keep you abreast with some of the Kenyan bloggers who are really doing great in this industry.

1

.      Bikozulu

He was crowned the blogger of the year 2014-2015. In his writing, he focuses on life and people – men and women, things that define people, short stories and travel. His writing is just out of this world. He can describe just a common bottle and you think he is talking of a totally different thing; something from mass perhaps? He is a youth blogger who is definitely going places.

2. 

     William Makunga

1^st runners up blogger of the year 2014-2015. His writing is more or less similar to Bikozulus’. He knows how to play around with words and come up with really wonderful pieces of writing. He is also a great poet. What a passion he has! Did you know he left law studies in his third year just to pursue his passion in writing? Now you know. Will he be crowned blogger of the year 2015-2016?

3.   

   Nanciemwai

She is a renowned Kenyan creative fashion designer, who showcases fashion in different styles, from African designs to international designs on her blog. She has a youthful appeal and the youth who are fashion survey should given her a follow so as to remain on the know.

4.  

    Muthuamatheka blog

This is a photography blog where the creative Kenyan photographer – Mutua inspires people with his latest photography shots of beautiful Nairobi and Africa. He is definitely a blogger to emulate in matters photography.

These are just but a few of the bloggers. We have hundreds established and hundreds still trying to establish their brands. Blogging is here and the youth are making a living out of it. The youth who have a writing passion and are still stuck between a rock and a hard place because they don’t know where to take their articles for publishing, are therefore advised to start their own blogs and become their own publishers. It is usually easy out here when you have something to show than when you are waiting to start something on the job. The passionate youth should establish a brand and start blogging frequently to accumulate views and hence welcoming advertisers on their blog.