The personal is political. – Carol Hanisch
By writing and blogging, we take our personal stories and make them public, showing the world that our stories are important and worth sharing. By doing this we create a dialogue about our needs, wants, desires and in that dialogue we are creating a movement to have those needs, wants and desires met. As minorities, our voices are often, both intentionally and unintentionally, quaffed, our opinions overlooked, our needs denied. By telling our stories we are saying we are worth listening to, we are here and we aren’t going to be silenced.
Often times, however, our voices feel lost in the overwhelming roar of modern life, media and politics. Often times we lose track of how important our voices are. We compare ourselves to louder, more politically powerful voices, and feel small and insignificant.
For that reason, we here at QueerieBradshaw.com are starting a campaign – to be rolled out at BlogHer 12 where we will be attending and Lauren will be speaking – called “I’m a Big Deal,” in which we encourage bloggers and writers to not compare themselves to sites with more traffic and writers with larger audiences, but instead to see themselves as influential and important in their own way.
From Lauren: The goal is to keep bloggers and writers from feeling alone and insignificant like I often do when I compare myself to others. The idea is that the personal is political and everyone, especially minorities, should feel empowered to tell, and keep telling, their stories. At BlogHer my assistant editor Jessenia and I will pass out stickers to bloggers we meet that say “I’m a Big Deal” and then post links to bloggers we meet on our site and use our online voice and presence to help amplify others’ voices.
So if you’re a blogger or a writer or someone who tells their story in any way, we think you’re a Big Deal. No matter the size of your readership or the amount you write, we think it’s awesome you share your story.
If you’re at BlogHer 12, come find us and we’ll give you a sticker. Couldn’t make it to BlogHer? Use the #BigDealCampaign hash tag on Twitter and/or email us at info@queeriebradshaw.com and we’ll mail you a sticker. Either way, leave a comment here with a link to your blog so we can read your story!










ditto! RT @juliedutch: I love this idea… || The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/ULTxcGzm via @QueerieBradshaw
RT @juliedutch: I love this idea… can’t wait for it to launch @ #BlogHer12! || The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/iunpZfyM via @QueerieBradshaw
Psyched to meet the ladies from @QueerieBradshaw at #blogher12 , & love this. The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/uvJ6bIEk
Okay, so I’m loving this! The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/LuFtxh1l
Love the idea and campaign and want to meet the ladies of @QueerieBradshaw at #blogher12 The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/Woqyp8rM
Love this idea…The “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/sL62HyNo #BlogHer12
Anyone else get up some days and think “why do a bother blogging?” or “what’s the point?” #blogher12 http://t.co/fmzU56qN
Love this! Must get that sticker! RT @QueerieBradshaw: Anyone…think “why do I bother…” #blogher12 http://t.co/x0CUjXKy
@DeadCowGirl have you see my #BigDealCampaign for #BlogHer12? Sometimes simply writing is enough. http://t.co/fmzU56qN
@QueerieBradshaw yes I have. And I will hunt you down for a sticker. Sometimes. It has been good therapy. It’s a longer discussion.
Love this post! I am attending BlogHer12, so I will definitely look for you guys. As someone who has been blogging since 2008 but is still rather small, so this post really resonated with me.
“Small” is relative, if you blog you’re big to us! So come find us and we’ll give you a sticker!
Love this! My blog is http://blog.teaganshepard.com Hope to find some new blogs to follow, as well!
Yay! Thanks for leaving your blog, I’ll check it out right now.
Stuff We Love: All Writers and Bloggers aka the “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign: http://t.co/vWjSphvy
@queeriebradshaw blog or no blog, I’m a fucking big deal.
Yes! #BlogHerTop5 RT @QueerieBradshaw: Do you write or blog? Join the “I’m a Big Deal” Campaign! #BlogHer12 http://t.co/3sv0C8MA
[...] “Big Deal” Campaign [...]
Heck yea! Find me ASAP at #BlogHer12! Maybe Thursday night?
Yes! I’ll be around, so let’s find each other. I’ll give you a whole stack of stickers, so you can even give some away to people you think are awesome.
[...] you’re a nervous newbie at BlogHer, check out our Big Deal Campaign to help make you feel like the awesome person you [...]
[...] “Big Deal” Campaign [...]
[...] “Big Deal” Campaign [...]
I’m SO late to this party but I’m still happy I stumbled through the door. Thank you for this, these words and this reminder
I’ve spent the last two days trying to convince & remind my other friends who write of these very sentiments. So many of them got caught up in the VOTY hoopla and started thinking their writing was shit-angered me. Disheartening. I’m definitely forwarding this post to them.
Fashionably late!
We’re vamping up for 2013, so you’re just in time for that. Welcome, and I’m so glad you’re recognizing that you and your friends are Big Deals!