I have avoided doing this blog for some time because of the obvious butt hurt that it causes some people, but I came to the conclusion that if you are the kind to get personally offended if I leave you out of some specific praise… then you probably answered why you aren’t on this list initially.

Trust me, this is the first of many… 

openareas: during the 2008 campaign season, I created a blog on Myspace (Google it, you may vaguely remember it.) and after Obama won, I essentially closed it, retired myself from political blogging due to the unnecessary stress and outrage it caused. But in it’s place was nothing.
       I felt creatively vacant and stuck to Twitter to make my dumb jokes. I followed Michelle, because, face it, she’s flat out hilarious, then discovered she had a blog on Tumblr.
      I saw from there the incredible amount of material and talent she has, from fantastic pictures on her Flickr, commentary on hot button issues in the news, and stories peppered perfectly with humor, tragedy and, most importantly, passion. She inspired me to write more and to try a little of everything. I’ve never been more grateful.

Cloudya: Also discovered through Twitter, Claudia has, and still, consistently inspires me in the way she writes. For someone so quiet and vulnerable in person, she is the very defintion of bold. 

      She will remind you in one post, reblog or quote that just when you think you have someone figured out, you don’t really know her at all. It was her blog that allowed me to post the personal thoughts, fears, desires, everything outside of goofy jokes and pictures, on my own page.
     She showed me that it wasn’t just about validation or empty praise from faceless “friends.” It was therapy and confidence through self expression and good goddamn it was crucial for me to become the kind of blogger I am today. 

Rexhuppke: A columnist for The Chicago Tribune who actually takes the time to interact with goofballs like myself, Rex not only looks fantastic in a puffy vest, he is a consistent reminder that you should never give up, even when the status quo seems to be an uncrackable egg of pessimism and conformity.
     He destroys it on Twitter with offhand commentary on politics and he can devastate you and remind you why you should care with his fantastic stories at the Tribune. Miraculously, he knows how to insert the right amount of humor and self deprecation to where you can relate to him. That’s a near impossible feat when you’re in the media, especially in 2012. I recommend this piece to give you an idea where I’m coming from.

Now, by no means are these the only three people in my world who have affected me on this level. I’m sure I will toss more people out here and there, but I wanted to highlight these three in case you don’t already follow them on both Twitter and/or Tumblr.

Let me know who influences you?

Tag it #influences and I’ll track it, because I’m always looking to meet more amazing people via Tumblr.