Why Being On Vocal Is Brilliant

Introduction

This will contain a lot of things that I have said before about being on Vocal. I have been here four years, and while at times I have got very despondent about things and felt like walking out, I then sit down and take stock and see that the benefits are actually enormous for my mental health and wellbeing.

The music is Polly Jean Harvey's "The Community Of Hope" from "The Hope Six Demolition Project" and that is a perfect title for what I am going to say here.

Why Being On Vocal Is Brilliant

Many of the things we do are receptive rather than creative, such as reading, watching , listening, and even walking is often to take in the sights that we see.

Writing can be a creative pastime ( not filling in forms), such as telling stories, creating poems and articles about things. Vocal allows us to do this.

There are other platforms, but I have yet to see one that, for me, comes close to Vocal. I was a bit dubious when I joined. I had been running a blog for fifteen years, which I still maintain as a diary for my reading and a source for my odd Vocal publication.

I have said this before, the single act that made me believe I could write, and my writing had value, was when this amazing Vcal Creator tipped me twice, at a dollar a time, for two of my stories.

These were the stories

Hardly the most groundbreaking stories, but the second one is still pertinent today, and the fact that Les tipped me made me believe, and we have become very close friends since then.

This is a prime example of the community value of Vocal, lifting each other up and encouraging others, maybe giving a small tip to new Vocal creators to make them believe, like Les did for me, and I try to do for others.

Very recently, many people have told me that I have been there for them and helped them in their writing and other parts of their lives, and I can say that about others. Although they are old, I created these two stories about other creators who make our Vocal Community so excellent, chances are you may find yourself in one of these stories.

There are many Facebook Vocal Groups that help Vocal Creators. I help with the Vocal Social Society created by Les and Caroline, which you can visit and join here:

And I wrote this poem listing a few other excellent Vocal Facebook Groups:

Vocal allows me to publish whenever I want with very few limitations, and gives me a great and appreciative audience, and usually every comment is supportive, which makes me feel even better about my work.

I have had three nasty, spiteful comments on three of my stories. One I deleted, one the comment was deleted and one I shut down comments on because there were a few attacking the person that I interviewed.

Vocal (admittedly accidentally) enabled to to publish my first book, and I have eight self published with another four in the planning stages, but here is how that happened.

And Vocal allows to do this

Conclusion

I love being part of the Vocal Community and do not ever see myself leaving. I know it becomes too much for some, but it is wonderful when we see some return.

Thank you for reading this and all the support you give me, and also to Vocal for providing this platform (yes, I know we pay for it, and there are odd glitches) but I think it is a great way of getting your views out there and sharing you stories and poetry and more.

Thank you for being my friends and supporters.