But I can share two examples from my own life that may give shape to some of the unknown territory (and the accompanying fears) at either end of the spectrum.

I’ve been blogging on and off since 2006, and was heavily involved in online forums – using my full name and identity – years before that.

At one extreme, I have indiscriminately shared very personal, very revealing details about my personal life without batting an eye, just because it felt right. At other times, I have, in retrospect, “over-revealed,” and I always felt physically sick (jittery, anxious, fearful) afterwards. After those episodes, I made myself a deal. If I ever felt those feelings as I was writing, before I hit publish or send, I would wait. And after waiting, I’ve usually made the decision not to publish, or have radically changed the writing I was going to share, and published it in a much-revised format. For me, the physical and emotional feelings are always reliable indicators that I am about to go too far, too fast, too soon.

On the other hand, there have been times – and quite a few of them recently, as I have begun to share for the first time that I have experienced abuse in my past – when, although I was afraid of hitting publish, I had a very deep knowing that the writing was true, and wanted to be shared with the world. As a creator and artist (I’m a writer and visual artist), I understand one of my core functions to be expression of my soul through words and images. To cut myself off from my art forms is like asking a dancer never to dance again, or a singer never to sing. When the writing flows out in a certain way, I have learned to trust it, and to allow it.

And after I have published such things, I have held my breath for a moment. Did I do the right thing? Really? Am I sure? And every time, people close to me, people whom I trust, have reached out to me without invitation and told me how deeply the work has affected them, and how appreciative they are that I have shared it. So there are gifts to the artistic process, and they are rich gifts.

I also understand the fear that comes from living on the fringes of society’s norms. Revealing oneself means possibly leaving oneself open to great censure and disapproval – maybe even being cast out from a community or tribe that disapproves of your life choices and life essence. Again, my experience is that the people who matter most will show up on your doorstep with open arms and loving hearts.

I’ve only been reading your blog for a few months, but I’ve had enough of a taste of your work to understand how sensitive you are with your animals. They trust you.

Learn to trust yourself, and you will know when, and how much, and when not to.

Namaste…

No one can tell you what to write in your own posts. Your writings are beautiful every day, and if you do not want to share anything that feels deeply personal to you in them, you should follow your heart. Just because we (the collective audience) are following your writings does not mean that you owe us ANYTHING of the most personal parts of yourself. If you feel the need to stretch yourself further than you might, then so be it. But you should never write anything that you feel opens the door too wide, just because it might be expected of you from someone else.

Just letting you know one reader’s thoughts on this. Your blog is amazing just as is.