The minute someone says pick three (or two or four) people who made a difference to your life, my mind goes completely B.L.A.N.K.
Not because no one did, but because too many did.
I suffer from a problem of plenty. I have a whole tribe looking out for me and my brain responds to this abundance by shutting down.
But blogging is about doing things your way, right? And so, Instead of picking three people, I’m picking three groups people who have been solid supports on my creative journey.
Family (specifically the sister)
It might sound like a cliche but family does come first, specifically my sister.
To give you a sense of the situation: We have four Whatsapp groups with just the two of us (Recipes, TV/Film recommendations, Workout tracker and Shopping). That is, apart from the main chat group for daily Wordle and Connections updates and other sundry news of international importance like .
When this realisation dawned on me, obviously I reached out for my phone rightaway.
‘I think it is a bit much,’ I said, ‘this sort of unhealthy co-dependence.’
‘That’s just how it should be,’ said she in that way of hers that encourages no argument.
We’re wildly different and we annoy each other all the time. But she’s invaluable when it comes to bouncing off ideas and vetting my writing. What else are siblings for, after all!
Book clubs and book-loving friends
Last year I promised I’d get out more and this year I actually did; maybe not as often as I ambitiously planned, but enough to call it progress. Meeting like-minded people in real life and talking books is really one of the best experiences. No algorithms, no pretense, no performance – just a shared enthusiasm and appreciation for the written word. That’s the best way to open your mind to different points of view, bringing depth of thought to your writing. A word of praise from them is more real than what one gets online. I’m ever so glad I have found these spaces. They truly are my happy place.
Blogging communities
Finally, a heartfelt shoutout to the blogging communities that make the Internet surprisingly humane.
The wonderful people at Blogchatter make me feel like a valuable member of the creative community. Their prompts nudge me on even when I am a chronic procrastinator when it comes to writing. Being part of The Blogchatter Book of Food has been a definite high point of my year.
Another favourite ‘hang-out’ is Ritu’s group of book bloggers where we come together to read, write and share book-related posts. It feels more like a reading room than an online platform and pushes me to think differently.
If I’ve learnt anything it is this that creativity might be a solo act but it doesn’t happen in isolation – it requires an ensemble cast. I really have too many people to thank and that’s a very nice problem to have.
*******
This is Chapter 4: Supporting cast appreciation post.
Read other chapters here:
Chapter 1: The Title of my year
Chapter 2 : The Plot Twist of 2025
Chapter 3: Creator Bingo
Chapter 5: Vision Board for 2026
This post is part of the #BlogchatterWrapParty.
I share your thoughts about your sister. I have the same relationship with my sister. She is my sounding board, friend, mentor and guide. After mum’s passing, she has sort of slipped into that role for me and my younger brother.
I do miss the blogging communities of yore. The kind we had sans prompts where we wrote regularly and engaged freely. Indiblogger was a favorite and our very own FB community too. Well, I am glad that we are still in touch and still writing.
Rachna Parmar recently put up this amazing post…Living Away from Home
Sisters are so special. As are brothers, I suppose :-). I hope we continue to keep in touch Rachna through our online spaces.
YaY!!!!! I am in your post!!
You are unavoidable.