I used to be under the impression that you had to be an "industry professional" to write a blog. But I've been working in the same field for 12 years and I still don't feel qualified to write things for other people to read. Don't you need a journalism degree or something for that?

Turns out, no, you don't. You don't need a degree, or a certificate, or even an audience! You just need a desire to write a blog.

How do I find a unique topic to blog about?

Until recently, whenever I'd have an idea for a blog, I'd run a Google search to see what else people had written about it. I would immediately get discouraged by the vast number of articles out there that already covered the same topic, and end up not writing anything at all.

Why should I write another, just for it to get lost in the noise of the many articles that are already ranking highly in search results? What makes me think that I have something to say that all these other people haven't said already? How can I find something totally new to write about—that hasn't been done before?

You don't.

Whatever it is you want to write about, someone's covered it. Probably over and over again. Who cares?! Because you didn't write those articles, none of them will have your unique voice or insight. That's what will make your blog different from all the rest.

Ok but for real, what do I write about?

Did you just learn how to use CSS Flexbox? Write about CSS Flexbox!

Have you just banged your head against a wall for two days straight trying to understand arrow functions? Write about your frustrations, what you did to take breaks and refresh your mind, and how you ultimately got the concept to "click" for you.

Are you just starting to code and have no technical knowledge whatsoever? Write about how you've optimized your space for learning, or tell a story about where you are in your life and why you decided to start learning something new.

Did you happen upon this blog as a non-developer? Write about your favorite travel destination, or the best barbecue restaurant in your town, or a foolproof method you've found to distract your dog while you trim his nails.

You don't always have to teach something. Often, just sharing your personal experiences can help inspire others, or give them something they can relate to. No one's story is the same as yours.

How often should I blog?

Whenever you feel like it!

Sure, it would be great to keep a weekly or monthly schedule and stick to it, but I find that people tend to abandon their goals altogether when they miss a milestone once or twice. Like it's not worth continuing because they didn't put a star on the chart for that week—and who wants to look at an incomplete star chart?

Sometimes I'll go months without writing a blog, and then the muse will hit me and I'll knock out three in a week. Should I not post those blogs because it's been months since I posted my last one? Of course not. Consistent blogs are great, but inconsistent blogs are better than no blogs at all.

Remember, you should write blogs first for yourself—to learn and grow and solidify your understanding of a topic—and second for your audience. That's not to say that you shouldn't consider your audience at all while writing a blog, but it's more important for you to take something away from your own blog than it is for you to entertain all the internet strangers.