So what is a blog carnival?

If you have arrived at this blog you are probably a fellow Chiarian interested in joining us for a blog carnival.  So, you are asking yourself, “What is a blog carnival? How do I participate?'”  A blog carnival is a circle of bloggers that write on a specific topic once a month.  Blog authors participate by writing a blog post about the specific topic and publish their post on the same day.  Then an article is written about all the blog posts and that article is published anywhere online that will allow us an opportunity to post.  My goal as blog carnival ringmaster will be to select the topic (I am ALWAYS open to suggestions), coordinate the publish date, write the main article to include links to all the participating blog posts, and keep the momentum going each month. Our first ever carnival will be held on Rare Disease Day, February 29, 2012.  My first goal is to see if it is possible to have our article posted on websites that could provide us with some level of visibility to other fellow Chiarians.  

Each one of us knows how frustrating it can be to live with Chiari.  We also know that it can feel very lonely when you have a rare, chronic condition.  We all have those moments when we feel like no one understands and that we are all alone when fighting this condition. This is our opportunity to unite and to stand together with a clear voice saying “We are here and we have Chiari.”

If you would like an opportunity to see just how a blog carnival works check out these great examples. Jenni over at ChronicBabe.com produces a great monthly carnival.  This months topic You are loved! ChronicBabes! is devoted to the special people that support women with that suffer from chronic illness.  The Writing Reader hosts their Carnival of Creativity promoting creative writing and writer.  The Math Hombre produces Math Teachers at Play blog carnival which is a great resource for teachers of math, of course. :)

I would love to have great participation for the first Chiari Blog Carnival. It doesn’t matter if you are a seasoned blogger or brand new, you have a valuable voice and we would love to include your post.  If you are interested please email me at shalunya@live.com or comment below. An email will be sent to you regarding the specifications for participating in the carnival.  Carnival posts must be published to your own blog by noon EST on February 28, 2012.