Ckonfab by Shantanu

I met Shantanu through mutual blogging friends, Megha I believe. He always leaves supportive messages and posts prolifically. His poetry is gifted and as he travels extensively there are often interesting stories with his own photos.

 

Please give a brief personal background and talk about your hobbies/interests?
My name is Shantanu Baruah born in India but now settled in the US. I have lived in four countries, travel for work and made friends across the globe. I can speak four languages, besides English three Indian languages – Hindi, Assamese, and Bengali. I am a writer driven by passion, a healthcare leader by profession, and a poet with a creative bend of mind.  Besides writing, I love to code, travel, mountain biking and sing. Writing is my passion. My work has appeared in Indian Periodical, NUHA Foundation, and Little Rose Magazine. Click the link on my name to read more.

I am loving my new home and I know I am going to stay here for long.

When, where and why did you start blogging?
I started my blog as an initiative to get some followers who will like my kind of writing. My sole objective was to garner some audience for my yet to be published book. However, in the process, my blog has become my passion. It is nothing but a phenomenal journey so far. I have learned a lot from my fellow bloggers, made some great friends and am having loads of fun. I am in the 4th and last edit of my book called The Last Scintilla and hopefully, with the grace of God, I will publish it soon.

 

What blogging tips or advice would you give someone just starting?
My advice is based on my learning. So here are two tips for my a new fellow blogger

• Write from you your heart, write for yourself and write for the liberation of your thoughts. Never write thinking about the end audience. WordPress community is large and for sure you will find your clan who will like your kind of writing. So, don’t fret, be patient, open your heart, clear your mind, and enjoy your journey
• Always be kind to others. If you don’t like a post, best is to ignore. Don’t leave your harsh comment on a fellow blogger’s post. You may not know but for some their blog is all they have.

What do you most enjoy about blogging and what have you learned?
Writing for me is a liberation of mind. The best part of blogging is when I relay any passionate message to a wide diverse audience and see many people in the blogosphere thinking like me. When my thoughts are embraced by the community at large I feel being in complete blithe. Three things I have learned are

• I became more disciplinedI have seen many fellow bloggers with great content but vanish after few days or month. Some blame it on writer’s block, some on their commitment to other important jobs. I don’t want to comment on them, for everyone has their own priority in life. For me, the single most achievement is discipline. I have not missed a single day of blogging and on an average, I made 3 posts a day. I am on a mission to write and I am so happy I stay put despite many headwinds
• I made friendswhen I started I never knew I would make virtual friends. I met some beautiful souls made, some really great friends. Some for a lifetime
• I was Humbled, there are so many talented individuals with so much flair and brilliance. I realized how much I need to learn and how little I know.

Has your blog or writing led to opportunities for you?
Most certainly. I got inspired to submit to publications and my work got published on four occasions. I am listing them below

Let education uplift society and instil thinking in young minds – An Article
[an interesting article well worth reading, I fully agree!]

Like A Desperate Fool – A Poem [powerful, well worth reading]

Dilapidated Room – A Poem

50 Dollar Bill – A fun story

What methods do you use to expand your readership?
I do not use any particular mean or form to expand readership, for if your content is good readership always follows.

Time management can be a challenge for bloggers: how do you stay disciplined and organized?
When I was growing up, my dad used to say, “Enjoy everything that you do. For if you enjoy what you do, you don’t have to work.” I have consistently posted for over 365 days at an average of three posts a day. Writing is my passion, it is never a work for me.

Which is your favorite post and why?
My Favourite post is – My Inspiration My Father.   The reason is in the post itself

What has been your most popular post, did you expect it to be the most popular?
My most popular post is Shouldn’t Poetry be left on its own?  I didn’t expect it to be that popular, but I guess there are many bloggers who feel like me. Poetry shouldn’t be confined in categories.

Share something funky about yourself, or something that most don’t know?
I have a license of a Radio Office for Inland maritime (I didn’t renew it) – but I can manage a yacht in the ocean.