Our first guest speaker of the semester is Jill Salahub, author of the blog A Thousand Shades of Gray, among other things. Her professional bio reads as follows
Jill Salahub is an Introvert, INFJ, Highly Sensitive Person, Scorpio, and Four on the Enneagram – in other words, a passionate mess. She’s a wholehearted practitioner of writing, yoga, meditation, and dog (she’s been rescued by three, so far). Her superpowers are generosity and gentleness, and she loves to laugh. Her mission is to ease suffering, in herself and the world. Jill writes about the tenderness and the terror, the beauty and the brutality of life, and of her efforts to keep her heart open through it all on her blog, A Thousand Shades of Gray.
but her ethos, her appeal as a writer and a human being, are so much more than that. To learn more about Jill and prepare for her visit, please read the following pages on her site. Follow up that reading with any of her blog posts or other writing that you find personally compelling.
- About the Author
- About this Blog
- Elsewhere (other places where Jill has published)
- Regular Features
- Please review (but do not read the whole thing unless you are so moved) The Self-Compassion Saturday E-Book, a book that is the end result of a series of blog posts in which Jill interviewed other writers and artists on the topic of self-compassion.
After reading, leave a brief, but informed question that you would like her to answer during her visit. For example, “You write about a wide range of topics from yoga to dogs to disordered eating. What quality unifies your writing and makes it distinctive from other writing on these topics?”
You will earn 10 points for leaving a question by noon Thursday and 10 additional points for being present (mentally and physically) for her talk on Friday.
Writing in the Arts and Humanities 
In your blog, you wrote: “I’ve always known that creative people who don’t create will self-destruct instead–all that pent up desire turning putrid and poisonous.” How do you suggest individuals go about expressing their creativity when they lack inspiration? As a follow-up question, if an in individual has pent up creativity that turns putrid and poisonous, how do you suggest he/she/ze finds the motivation to remedy that creativity?
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In your post from “Days of Rest” this week you wrote “I remind myself that there are three stages to knowing: first you know something intellectually, then you feel it, and then, finally, you embody it.” I’ve been struggling to remind myself of this same thing as I try to improve some of my habits and actions. Do you have any recommendations, outside of reminding yourself that change can be slow, which could help in the process of getting from the “knowing intellectually” to the “feeling it” stage?
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I really love the way the writing in Jill’s blog is formatted. It is very raw and personal and it allows the reader to connect with her very quickly and without any question. It seems to be an every day blog for Jill to say the things she learns or what is on her mind, partly for herself, and to share her journey with her subscribers.
Question for Jill: How have you been able to create a large following by being so personal in your posts? Have you found a way to create a good amount of ethos on the subjects you write about while writing in this style? Also (and just because), what motivated you to write in your blog daily and do you think it has been successful for you? Anything else you have learned that might help us keep up with our blogs?
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On your ‘about blog’ page, you state :”Through my “life-rehab,” I am breaking bad habits and establishing practices that will support me as I walk this path.” As growing students and young adults, do you have any suggestions that could be useful for us about not creating bad habits for life long benefits?
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“‘Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.'” This quote intrigues me because I seem to straddle the chasm between fears. My fear is that I’m inadequate – though I know there are moments when I affect others. I can’t say that I expect to ease the suffering of others, but I hope to. Has blogging given you a better sense of your power?
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In your blog you share a lot of personal experiences and struggles, including your ongoing journey toward self-acceptance, the pain of losing two of your dogs, etc. Were you ever hesitant to be so forthright and honest with strangers on the Internet? If so, how did you get past that? Also, do you think that readers gain more from hearing about your own experiences? Do you think this adds to your credibility, in a way?
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I found it really interesting that your blog was laid out with “Regular Features,” do you find this to be a good way to set up a blog? Does it help keep you writing regularly, and do you ever feel like you need to force a topic you want to write about to fit the specific layout for the day?
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Your blog has a lot of great tips about cultivating self-acceptance and finding balance in your life, despite any flaws you may have. Do you think showcasing your life for anyone to view has empowered you, overall? What would you recommend people do to let go of their inhibitions?
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Do you ever hit a writer’s block? Your blog is extensive and cover and eclectic range of topics, but how do you always find something to write about?
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I really like the style Jill uses to write her blog. How have you attracted such a large audience? Do you think it is your content, writing style, layout, etc? Any suggestions on how to gather a wider audience?
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