You might have noticed that it’s been quiet here. I know that at least two people noticed, as they contacted me to ask, “Are you OK?” (Thank you to those who reached out.) I am OK. It’s been quiet here because, for what is probably the first time since I starting blogging on this site over 21 years ago, I have lost my voice.

What does that mean? Every writer has their own voice, their own style of writing that reflects them. It evolves naturally from who they are. It’s not just their literary style, although literary style is part of it. A writer’s voice encompasses why they write and how they write. While one writer’s voice might be like another’s, I believe each writer’s voice is uniquely their own. It’s like their appearance—two people can be similar, but each person’s appearance is uniquely their own.

From the beginning, this site was a way for me to document what I was learning and share that learning with others. That has always been its primary purpose. I didn’t write to “get noticed,” and I didn’t write to become an “influencer” or a “content creator.” I wrote to share knowledge and information.

It wasn’t too terribly long after I started writing that I realized I had accumulated enough knowledge to be somewhat authoritative in certain areas, and that realization helped me find my voice. I was a “technical expert,” and that fueled my drive to share what I’d learned with others, to spare them from stepping in the same potholes that I’d stepped in along the way. This is the approach I followed for many years here. As I learned something, then my readers learned something too.

Things are different now. Some time ago I moved from being a member of a highly technical team to being a manager of a highly technical team. I am not as deeply embedded in the technology on a day-to-day basis, and we all know the technology field moves quickly. I don’t feel that I have the same depth of technical expertise I used to have, and thus I don’t feel justified to speak from the same position of technical expertise as I have in the past. And if I am not a technical expert, then what am I writing here? If I am not sharing knowledge and information, then why am I writing here?

I need to find my voice again—to figure out how to move forward, how to share what I am learning even though it may not be technical in nature. I need to figure out how to align my writing here with the shifting interests in my life, and with the new priorities that come with being a manager of a technical team. I need to uncover the answers to questions only I can answer.

When I find those answers and figure out who I am now, then I’ll be able to find my voice again. And when I find my voice again, the words will flow.