Where's the Handbook?!
/People often ask me how Belong came to be. What inspired me to start a magazine? Though it's more complicated than just one reason, I will say this:
Belong came out of a desire to help women connect in life-giving ways--on screen and off.
I spent five years on the internet trying to find my place in the online space of creatives and bloggers. With a full-time job in healthcare management, I was desperate for community to meet my creative inclinations.
I quickly found out that this was not an easy task. Just being present on the internet doesn't make you friends. Just posting on a blog doesn't create community. Just as in real life, you have to be relationally present and active in order to be part of a fulfilling community.
I got it. I had to reach out and do something. But how was I supposed to know where to go? The internet is so big!
How do you find your place and your people?
Where's the handbook?!
So many people are already connected, and it felt hard to break in. Relationships and communities were already formed, and I felt like a third wheel. But I wanted that for me too. I wanted to find where I belong.
Hence, the magazine. It services several purposes, but at the heart is the desire for women to connect with one another in meaningful ways. Through tips, stories and examples of real-life community, I hope that it inspires and encourages women to reach out and create they space they are seeking.
We are so fortunate to live in a world that allows us to connect with people all over the world.
