Readers Respond: What Has WordPress.com Helped You Do or Achieve This Year?

Last month, we asked you to reflect: How has 2019 unfolded? Have I met my blogging goals? Are we on track to meet our business goals? We wanted to know what your site has helped you achieve this year. Over the past several weeks, we’ve received thoughtful responses here on Discover and across our social channels — here are highlights.

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Finding one’s place in the world

Thanks WordPress, for giving me a platform to stand on.

Hootiebirds Art Journal

It has allowed me to develop many friendships from around the world thus greatly enriching my life. I’m totally blind and live alone with just myself, my now aged retired guide dog, and a half-wild cat who comes to eat, get petted, then leave to traverse the world in the way only a tomcat can do, and I would be lost without the WordPress community and the work I do.

Thanks to WordPress I’ve overcome trials and celebrated triumphs. Faced fears and educated myself. By reading the blogs of others I’ve traveled to places and experienced things I would’ve never done otherwise.

WordPress is a door into the wonderful world and each time I log on I am given the pleasure of walking through.

Patty Fletcher, Campbell’s World

It has evolved into a hobby, which gives me a platform to express myself, a little corner for myself, in this big wide world.

Ushasita, Le coin des Bobby

Connecting with others

An aspiring novelist and short story writer, I started blogging thinking it’d grow my “platform” and maybe help me hone my essayist’s voice. What I didn’t expect was to gain a community of friends that spans the globe, true friends who don’t care about my brand, or even the words I put down on the page, so much as they care about me. “Literary citizenship” is a term that gets thrown around a lot. Rather than talk about it, I do it and love it — on my WordPress blog.

Rebecca Moon Ruark, Rust Belt Girl

This year my three WordPress partners Patti, Amy, Ann-Christine, and I shared responsibility for our weekly Lens-Artists Photography Challenge. We learned how difficult it is to manage a popular challenge that requires planning post subjects far in advance, responding to a large number of followers, recognizing interesting or unique posts, and delivering challenges on time each week. More importantly we formed a bond of friendship that crosses national boundaries, accommodates travel schedules, and relies on a shared commitment to delivering a quality product. We very much enjoy seeing how our followers respond to the challenges and are always amazed by their creativity. None of it would have been possible without WordPress, which worked beautifully for our teamed approach.

Tina Schell, Travels and Trifles

Only started my blog this week but I’m grateful I did. WordPress has given me a platform to respond to the most common questions I get from my clients as a personal trainer. This way I can answer them as simply as possible, and I don’t have to respond to each one individually saving me time. More importantly however, this way I can teach them the tools they need to make health and fitness a lifestyle rather than a short-term investment.

Greyscale Fitness

Getting inspired and staying motivated

I began traveling the moment I retired as a NYC special needs high school teacher in March 2017. Soon after, I created a WordPress blog to keep friends and family up to date on my whereabouts through a steady diet of words and images.

Surprisingly, I attracted a global following that fueled my desire to sharpen my writing and rekindle my passion as a photographer. I recently passed 2,000 WordPress followers who have challenged me to keep my content fresh and personal, and driven me to reaffirm my commitment to continue self-expression long after the last landscape has been posted.

Neal Lubetsky, Streaming Thru America

In the past few months since re-invigorating my blog, I feel like I’ve made a profound transition into someone who can call herself a writer without experiencing imposter syndrome.

Marsha, Marsha Ess

WordPress gave me an easy, unintimidating way to start my blog. I have long been thinking about doing so, but didn’t know where to start. A quick internet search for a platform and I was on my way! Hoping to touch hearts and really make people think through sharing my experiences.

Perspectives of the Heart

Having a site here on WordPress has given me a place to focus on consistency. More than just writing here every day, I am also consistently expressing my creativity. You wouldn’t believe how much more confident I have become with my writing now that I write every day. It is a beautiful thing.

Star Khalifah, Easy Light Sources

I started blogging again to empty out the nonsense in my head. Sometimes sounding things out on a blank page can be really helpful. WordPress has helped me start to make changes to my life.

Ennui and Waffles

Started my blog this year and set a goal of writing at least 50 entries for my first year. Mission accomplished! For the longest time, writing to me was a difficult approach, it was like a well-kept secret that made me feel so vulnerable and shy but at the same time potentially empowered. I finally decided to drop the “potentially” part of it and now I truly believe that I am part of this group of current voices that make a point every day. Never did I experience that what I had to say about some topic could make me feel so free as soon as I pressed that polarizing “publish” button.

El Eco Personal

This year, my blog saved my sanity.

Ana Daksina, Timeless Classics

Some responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

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